Think of the top luxury car brands. Which ones are on your list? BMW? Mercedes? Lexus?

Would you put Lincoln on that list?

Ford is hoping that you will do just that when you see the new mid-size MKZ, which will be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

If Cadillac can make a comeback, can Lincoln do it too?

Ford has hired the 39-year-old Australian who revamped the Caddy Brand, and, to quote one industry analyst who got a sneak preview: “I almost fell over when I saw it.”

The New York Times described the new Lincoln as having “a tapered silhouette, a retractable glass roof and a center console that rises like a ramp off the floor directly into the instrument panel” (that’s hard to picture).

But the real challenge lies in convincing the consumer to consider a brand last known for being fancy taxis to the airport as the now infamous “black car.”

The average age of a Lincoln buyer is 65, compared with the average age of luxury car buyers of 53. The last thing that demographic wants to be associated with is old.

So it will be up to the marketers to spin the image of Lincoln into something desirable. Can Ford pull that off?

Considering the success that GM has had with the Cadillac brand, it is certainly possible. The affluent men that we spoke to expressed doubts. “The last time I was in a Lincoln, it was following a hearse,” said Bob, an entrepreneur from Newton, MA.

Even so, Lincoln is still a venerable brand, with equity and perceived value.

I’m betting Ford can do it.

Any takers?