Though new vehicle inventory has improved somewhat throughout the entirety of 2023, there are exceptions to this rule, namely, specific models that remain in high demand and others that are still supply constrained. Regardless, Lincoln seemingly isn’t suffering from a lack of inventory, even though the luxury brand enjoyed a seven percent sales increase last month, as it had the highest inventory of any luxury brand in September, according to new data from Cox Automotive.
Lincoln closed out the month with a 124 days’ supply of inventory, which was not only higher than all of its rivals, but also came in as the third highest of any automotive brand, trailing only Dodge and Chrysler. Meanwhile, Lincoln’s chief competitor – Cadillac – ranked near the bottom with just 46 days’ supply, a number that also falls below the national average.
However, it’s quite possible that Lincoln – as well as Ford’s Detroit Big Three counterparts – will be impacted by the ongoing UAW strike in the coming months. Currently, union workers are on strike at the Chicago Assembly plant, which builds the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, while both of those crossovers also continue to be impacted by a 360-degree camera issue that prompted a recall, as many units are sitting around waiting on parts that just began arriving at dealers this week. Meanwhile, FoMoCo just launched a new dealer incentive to spur Lincoln Navigator sales, which are languishing behind the competition.
“Inventory levels remain relatively stable, and, with the exception of some GM models, Detroit automakers have ample inventory for now to keep them operating through the coming month,” said Charlie Chesbrough, Cox Automotive senior economist. “Some brands have inventory buildup, so production disruptions will take time to feed through the distribution network. However, the strike could start to have an impact in the coming weeks if it continues.”
We’ll have more on the state of new vehicle inventory soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Lincoln news, Lincoln Navigator news, and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
You dont suppose the high inventory has anything to do with the outragiously high price do you ?
Many luxury SUV’s have a high price tag. If consumers want those extras and it’s worth it to them, they will pay the price. They suddenly have an abundance due to the 360° cameras that were on back order and they had stock waiting for that part.
Yep, when I was in recently for service my salesperson suggested there wasn’t a lot in stock they could actually release for sale because of various recall or supply chain issues. It just seems Lincoln is going from one crisis to another and along the way, I haven’t seen any Lincoln product in a TV advertisement in months. I thought they had done a good job previously with Matthew McConaughey as the face of the brand but there seems to be zero media visibility these days while Jeep pounds ads for Grand Wagoneer and of course Acura, Lexus, Infinity–heck, even Genesis all stay visible in advertising.