County, Local Dealers Welcome News

The Lincoln Mercury move is a great public relations coup for Orange County’s business development types. Any time a $16-billion-a-year (sales) corporation decides to move into your neighborhood, it gives you bragging rights that you can use to help lure other companies, said Orange County Business Council Director Stan Oftelie.

But it also has won applause from local Lincoln Mercury dealers, who say the company has suffered from the lack of a style it can call its own.

“The dealers are all very, very excited,” said Paul Fang, owner of Costa Mesa Lincoln-Mercury. “It means that Ford has finally realized that Lincoln Mercury has to be separate.”

Paul James, president of Tustin Lincoln-Mercury, said the decision to establish a design studio in conjunction with the new corporate office is particularly encouraging. “The imports are here,” he said. “They’re 60% of the market in California, and they have brave new designs.” Lincoln Mercury’s designers, he said, will only benefit from close contact with the Acuras, Infinitis, Lexuses and other import luxury brands their cars must compete against.