Ford brings back Lincoln Motor Company name

Michigan Radio - Ford Motor Company is reaching back into its past, renaming Lincoln, its luxury brand, the "Lincoln Motor Company."

That's the name the company had before Ford acquired it in 1922.

The new name goes with a new design studio and a new car, the MKZ, the first of four Lincolns planned in the next three years.

The Lincoln brand plummeted in popularity and quality in recent years, as Ford focused its attention and resources first on avoiding GM and Chrysler's fate. Both companies had to file for bankruptcy during the recession.

Ford restructured its business and its vehicles with the help of private loans, and Ford Motor Company is one of the most profitable car companies in the world now.

But Lincoln was left on the sidelines during the Ford brand resurgence, and it's in sad shape. It ranks eighth in luxury sales in the U.S.

Bill Vlasek of the New York Times has more on the new Lincoln advertising campaign.