“From November 20, Ford Motor Company will sell their luxury Lincoln models from pages on Amazon.com.”

Some thought that there wouldn’t be a demand for online ordering of groceries, and a few years ago, the legal downloading of videos from the Internet didn’t seem like a viable alternative to getting DVDs delivered. Amazon has been a part of that change, and according to a recent article in BizReport, they will be partnering with Ford to make Lincolns available for purchase online.

Each model will have its own webpage and prospective purchasers can customize and price different options. Live online help is also available, bridging the gap between dealership and customer. The sale will be finalized offline at the users’ local Lincoln dealership, located by their zip code.

Scott Kelly, digital marketing manager for the Lincoln and Mercury brands, said the online purchasing system should appeal to Lincoln’s target demographic, which he described as busy and used to shopping online. And he said the program could be expanded to other Ford products if it proves successful.

On the one hand, of course, it seems like a strange idea. Who would buy a car without sitting in it, driving in it, even negotiating the best possible deal? Therein may be the answer – if a person previously owned a Lincoln, or had been in one, and already knew what they’d be getting, it could be a welcome convenience to them.

It seems that we’ll have to wait and see if the idea is ahead of its time, completely off base, or one whose time has come.

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