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LINCOLN ENTERS
THE ARMORED VEHICLE MARKET WITH TOWN CAR BPS |
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Ford to make armored Lincoln Town Cars
as market expands
January 23, 2003
BY BILL KOENIG
BLOOMBERG
Dearborn -- Ford Motor Co. said its Lincoln division will build bullet-resistant versions of the Town Car sedan to meet increased demand for armored vehicles.
The armored Town Cars will sell for about $140,000, with final pricing still to be determined, spokesman Mike Vaughn said. The world's second-largest automaker plans to start making the Lincoln Town Car Ballistic Protection Series cars in mid-2003. Vaughn didn't disclose the annual production plan.
Worldwide demand for armored version of passenger vehicles rose to 18,000 last year from 4,000 in 1995, Vaughn said. The armored Town Cars will have bullet-resistant ceramics, steel and fiber as well as run-flat tires. Ford has had net losses in the past two years and has said it wants to make more specialized versions of vehicles to increase sales and profit.
Ford will ship limousine versions of its Town Cars made at its Wixom, Michigan, plant to International Armoring Corp. in Ogden, Utah, where they will be equipped with armor and additional protection, Vaughn said.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker expects 70 percent of the cars will be sold in the U.S., he said. A regular Town Car sells for about $40,000. The Lincoln division sold 59,312 of the sedans last year, a decline of 11 percent from 2001.
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Lincoln
Produces Armored Town Car |
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The new Lincoln Town
Car BPS shouldn't look any different than the current car, important
so not to attract unwanted attention. (Photo: Ford Motor) |
When buying a car one of the first things that comes to the mind of consumers are safety features. Investigating airbags and anti-lock brakes, as well as child locks on the doors is part of the process. Now a car company has completely raised the bar when it comes to keeping occupants safe and sound.
Lincoln recently announced the production of an armored car. Talk about safety! Acting in response to a general concern regarding domestic terrorism the Ford subsidiary chose to develop the car with strategic partners rather than miss out on the healthy profits available in this highly 'targeted' market of CEOs and dignitaries. Thus far the opportunity has been benefiting aftermarket specialty companies.
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Similarities to its
more basic variant will continue through to the inside as well.
That said the Town Car is reasonably well equipped. (Photo: Ford
Motor) |
The large, luxurious Town Car, best known for its limousine use, was the obvious model of choice. In this guise its new name will be Lincoln Town Car Ballistic Protection Series (BPS). The "Ballistic" is the first armored car that Ford Motor will retail via its dealer network. We can expect to see the heavily revised Town Car on the market this spring.
"For more than eighty years, Lincoln has symbolized American luxury and elegance," stated Al Kammerer, executive director, Lincoln Mercury Product Development. "Now, those who travel well can travel well protected in Lincoln's first armored vehicle, the Town Car BPS."
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The Town Car's traditional
styling should appeal to a broad clientele. Lincoln also expects
that the BPS will attract customers who might not have considered
a Lincoln previously - read younger. The Town Car's current median
buyer's age is 70. (Photo: Ford Motor) |
But protection comes with a thick price tag. The model is expected to hit but not damage the market at approximately US$140,000 (CAD$213,000). So as not to draw unnecessary attention, Lincoln assured potential buyers that its armored vehicle will not appear noticeably different than its regular Town Car.
The process of design and development on the BPS has taken Ford and its outsourced team about two years. Being that 70% of armored Town Cars are expected to be sold in the United States, initially 15 U.S. dealers and only a few non-U.S. retailers will get the chance to distribute them.
The production of Lincoln's armored car will take place in various stages. First, it will be assembled at Ford's Wixom Assembly plant in Wixom, Mich. From there it will be shipped to the International Armoring Corp. in Ogden, Utah. Here the car will become equipped with protective materials, including bulletproof ceramics and glass, ballistic steel, interwoven aramid fiber, run flat tire inserts, a modified fuel tank and more. Only 300 will be produced annually.
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Its limousine-like
rear passenger room makes the Town Car perfect for its upscale clientele,
CEOs and dignitaries who often will be chauffeured. (Photo: Ford
Motor) |
While Lincoln is using outside expertise to develop the BPS its in-house capabilities should make for an armored car of the highest quality. "About 300 OEM tests will be performed on Town Car BPS, including crash tests, which will make it one of the most thoroughly tested armored vehicles in the world," said Lauren Schafer, director, Lincoln Special Engineering Operations. "Additionally, we've conducted extensive ballistic testing at independent labs to validate the ballistic performance of our materials."
The automaker is confident its new BPS will bring a new group of customers that might have never considered buying a Lincoln product before. There is no word if the company will be offering a BPS version of its popular Navigator, but if Town Car sales are good the full-size SUV seems like the next logical choice to enhance the specialty line and appeal to even more prospective customers.
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