For Lincoln Designers, a Clubhouse to Call Their Own

Ford Motor A model of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, in the studio inaugurated by Ford on Thursday.

DEARBORN, Mich. - “A handsome, daring Lincoln sedan might seem a mirage, but the MKZ is real and a major element of Ford's plan to lead the brand out of the luxury wasteland.” Lawrence Ulrich wrote that after the introduction of the 2013 MKZ luxury sedan at the New York auto show in April. On Thursday evening, the Ford Motor Company elaborated on its plans for its luxury division as it inaugurated a stand-alone design center.

More than 30 years have passed since Ford had a design studio dedicated solely to the Lincoln brand, and nearly as long since Lincoln had a strong identity and sizable share of the American luxury market. Though Lincoln sales reached 200,000 in 1990, largely on the strength of the Town Car, the brand's market share has fallen precipitously in the last decade, slipping well below the 100,000 mark in 2011. By creating a space dedicated solely to the goal of making Lincolns look good, Ford hopes to reinvigorate the brand.

And good looks are critical to the task. Raj Nair, Ford's group vice president for global product development, said owners of premium vehicles identified strongly with their cars and that the connection began with style. By bringing those responsible for the look of the automobile together, Mr. Nair said more appealing designs would result.

Three other new Lincoln models are slated for introduction in the next four years, Mr. Nair said.

To illustrate the collaborative environment, he cited the clean appearance of the MKZ's console, a look achieved largely by replacing the shift gate with buttons on the center of the dash, an effort that required interior designers and engineers to work together. The MKZ was finished, he noted, in the new studio.

“Style is not just poured over the top of engineering,” J Mays, group vice president of design at Ford, said, adding that a concerted effort would be needed to distinguish Lincoln from the competition. “Lincoln does not want to be an American version of a Japanese or German car,” he said. Rather, it would be “a world-class brand that happens to be American.”

Paul Stenquist John Allen, a Ford sculptor, at work on Thursday at the studio.

Lincoln is emphasizing a tactile approach to designing its cars. Digital-rendering and engineering software has long been used to devise complete virtual prototypes, but Lincoln designers think there is much to be said for the human touch. John Allen, an automotive clay sculptor for 30 years, was tweaking a scale model of the MKZ at the press conference. Though many designers on premises were at their computer workstations, it was Mr. Allen's work that Lincoln chose to showcase for the media.

Soo Kang, Lincoln's head of interior design, emphasized the importance of a hands-on approach to automotive styling. “True art comes from the hands,” she said, as she showed a clay rendering of the MKZ's interior.

Paul Stenquist Soo Kang discusses the design approach to the console of the 2013 MKZ.

Solomon Song, exterior design manager for the MKZ, said in a conversation after the presentations that the design process began with hand-drawn sketches, with no limits placed on the designers. “I want their ideas, their creativity,” he said. Having the exterior and interior teams under one roof led to greater synergy, he said. He pointed to the angle of a roof pillar, which was reflected in the geometry of the console. “That happened because the interior and exterior designers were working together,” he said.

Conceding that some Lincoln vehicles of the past were too similar to their Ford counterparts, Mr. Song noted the MKZ did not share any sheet metal or window glass with the Fusion, a Ford model built on the same platform.

For all the emphasis on hand-wrought design, the center makes ample use of technology. When exterior and interior designs are agreed on, they are digitized and melded with engineering data to ensure everything behaves according to plan. Clay models are then roughed out by a computer-controlled milling machine that whittles a mass of clay down to the shape and dimensions indicated in the database. The sculptors refine the resulting shape, with designers peering over their shoulders and requesting specific changes. Once a sculptor has altered the clay model, it is scanned electronically, and the database is modified to reflect the refinement.

Paul Stenquist Mark Fields.

Mark Fields, president of the Americas for Ford and, by many estimations, the heir apparent to the top job held by Alan R. Mulally, later took the stage. Though he had many chances recently to discuss plant openings and adding shifts, he had never opened a design center. “It's evidence to all of us that this is a real commitment,” he said.

The 2013 Lincoln MKZ is scheduled to arrive in showrooms this fall, with prices starting at $35,925, excluding destination charge.