Pride Motor Group on Lynnway drops Lincoln Mercury line

LYNN ? Twenty-nine years ago, Ralph Iovanna began selling cars on the Lynnway. Back then, it was an all-American lineup, but times have changed drastically in the automotive industry.On Oct. 31, Iovanna’s son, Michael, president of the Pride Motor Group, will cease selling American-made Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys, brands that were once the flagship of their local dealership.”We’re dropping the Lincoln Mercury line out of our Pride umbrella,” he said. “The Ford Motor Co. is just not moving in the right direction and we think Hyundai is, so we’re expanding our Hyundai dealership.”Iovanna stressed that the Pride Motor Group was named after one of the family’s stronger traits, namely, pride. “We have a lot of pride and we want people to know that our Chevrolet and Pontiac lot on the Lynnway is here to stay. We didn’t ask to shut down the Lincoln Mercury operation, but based on the marketplace, Ford gave us a termination-assistance package that we couldn’t refuse. Because of the situation with Ford, they just don’t need as many dealers.”As a result of the change, Pride Hyundai of Lynn will expand from one sales lot to two, and occupy two showrooms at 777 Lynnway.”We feel Hyundai can compete strongly in the import market, just the way Toyota and Honda are doing on the Lynnway. Hyundai is light years ahead of the Ford Motor Co. when it comes to the imports.”Pride Motor Group General Manager Mike Watson said Hyundai, based in South Korea, offers a full range of vehicles. “They have a full product line. The best sellers, the volume models, are the Elantra sedan, the Sonata mid-sized sedan, and the Santa Fe, a small SUV,” he said.Hyundai has also introduced a crossover vehicle, the Vera Cruz, which is neither minivan nor suburban utility vehicle.