Lincoln brand gets Luxury Treatment. Finally

Ford Motor Co. has announced a couple of things that is hoped to booster sales of its Lincoln division.

First, the company plans to put its Lincoln MKT concept into production, which was showcased at the Detroit Auto Show last January. Second, the company plans to stop production of the Lincoln Mark LT pickup at the end of this model year. The model is being dropped, said Ford, to make room for the production and sale of a high-end version of the F-150 called the Platinum Edition.

Note that Lincoln already plans to start selling the new MKS sedan later this year. The MKS, designated the brand's flagship, is said to be distinctive and does not resemble any Ford models. The struggling automaker probably hopes to address criticism that Lincoln has suffered a drop in sales because its models were too similar to those offered by Ford and Mercury.