[MinuteGal]

I just bought a like-new Lincoln. I heard and read on the internet that a startling number of the Ford Lincoln/Mercury dealers in the Chicago 'burbs are closing their doors.

I have a vendor friend who tells me that my own LM dealer is not paying its bill to him and "trying to make arrangements for payments".

Oh, oh !

I hope I have a LM shop to go to if I need parts and repair.

Anyone know what's going on? Is this phenomenom nation-wide? Who's got the inside dope? Something is afoot!

Leni

[Charles Martel]

Leni, the Lincoln dealers are suffering because many of them sold only Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. Now with Mercury gone, Lincoln is in desperate need of a smaller, less expensive model to help make up the lost sales volume.

I know of several Lincoln dealership owners who replaced Mercury with import brand dealerships. It'll take a while for this to shake out, but I suspect the number of Lincoln dealers will shrink for the next year or two.