Lincoln Continental.
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The Lincoln Continental deserves another shot.
Even though Lincoln used the name Continental as early as 1939, the one we all know is the fourth generation that came out in 1961. It was made famous among other things for being President Kennedy’s official car.
The 4th generation Lincoln Continental was mostly the same until a redesign in 1966. The fifth generation produced from 1970 to 1979 never had the presence of the 1960s designs and had become one of many huge American sedans. With far less personality than before. It just wasn’t special anymore. A redesign on the same platform in 1975 definitely gave the car a bit more presence. You can still see a lot of these if you find old 1970s TV shows to stream. They seem to have been Hollywood TV studios’ favorite rich bad guys cars.
Later, the Continental shrunk on a platform that would later become the Town Car. It then became even smaller, effectively replacing the Versailles as a Cadillac Seville competitor. The 8th generation actually grew in size and adopted a more stately and upscale design. At least it did look the part of a large American luxury car. However, it was now based on an FWD platform shared with the Ford Taurus. That generation was quite popular with sales doubling from the previous “Seville wannabe” model.
The next generation came out in 1995 and tried hard to look like a sedan version of the Lincoln Mark VIII coupe. It also gained its V8 back. Which didn’t really help since the 8th generation was never as popular as the previous one and production stopped in 2002.
There was a revival in 2017. Which was pretty much a disaster. All throughout its history, the most popular Continentals were the ones that had that classic American luxury car look. It seems design experiments turned Lincoln buyers off, at least as far as the sedans are concerned. The 2027 model was basically a new generation Lincoln MKS called Continental (Probably a last-minute name change).
This new Continental was actually based on the same platform as the Ford Fusion. Its interior showed how hard Ford tried to make the Lincoln different from the Ford. But they just tried way too hard. There was way too much cheese plastic chrome and trims everywhere. The whole vibe was one of vulgarity and cheapness. A far cry from the original Continental which was a design masterpiece.
Lincoln never sold more than 12,000 of them in one year and the whole thing was a failure.
Years before the 2017 Continental, Lincoln produced a wonderful concept, in 2002. It was very well received by the public and the press as a possible rebirth of the famous model.
Of course, nothing happened. And the concept never became anything. Looking at it today you realise how much of a total waste that was. I think it still looks great.
The illustration on top shows what a near future Lincoln Continental could look like. Of course using styling cues from the original, as it should. Cadillac is indeed working on 2 new Ultium-based luxury sedans. Whether they will be sold in the US or not is still up in the air. But they are coming.
And it looks like once more, Lincoln might stay behind…
Ford had a habit of resurrecting nameplates and designing updates that looked like overly simple, plasticky cheapened reworks of the original – I’m thinking the Lincoln Continental, the Ford Thunderbird, the Mercury Capri… for starters. Chrysler is the brand that I think has pulled the retro card most successfully in its remakes. Ford should think again about doing that…by not doing it. Especially under Farley’s leadership.
I think the 2017 model is bad ass they should have kept it going !!
They should make a rwd (awd option) v6, 6spd, updated Ford Probe.
BRING IT BACK ASAP Along With The Thunderbird 🇺🇸
Maybe if they had went with suicide doors on all models, Continentals would have still been made. Billy is cheap and short sighted. His last name only means he gets paid. He is Detroit’s version of Jerry Jones.
This one is ugly
Not Nice
Why do they continue to do what they know doesn’t work. The two-door Continental Mark convertible concept from @20 years ago was stunning gorgeous ( I guessed based on the Thunderbird convertible).
So tired of SUVs, EVs, 4 door things and ugly look-a-likes.
2017 model was a beast with the 3.0 TT features and comfort was there they just priced the car out of business
I have a 2017 continental and I love the overall look of this car,low,sleek and looks like Luxury. They should have never stopped production and should start again with the right advertising and promos. J. MAYS
I think that people still want sedans but crossovers have bigger profit margins. So they have convinced the overwhelming majority of car buyers that they need a crossover or SUV.
I don’t have much Of a comment at the moment, but I just have more of a question. Why do you feel as though the Continental deserves another shot? Because.
The one wrong thing you have done was turned at engine sideways. When you bought the continental back out, that was a major turn off for the men who such as myself.
Who like big cars and big engines? You don’t ever turn that big engine sideways? That was a major turn around and they did not sell many when they bought the new continentals out. My suggestion to you, if you’re not gonna treat that car the way it’s supposed to be designed, leave it alone, just deal with what you already got out there because there’s too many cars that is flooding the market. And they’re not showing people how to get the car the proper way. Because.
If my signature creates the lawful currency, this makes me the Maker of the funds, in order for them to print money. Why are we borrowing to be someone else tax liability as if we are a business? This is why you have in problems with the auto industry, Because everything about the auto industry You’re so uneven And it’s unfair to the consumer.
I loved the 2002 Continental Concept.
Why they design.these cars in the modern age , and do not put them into production, is revealing as a Corporate Con job , aa three companies squeezed by Wall Street, private equity, and hedge funds , want profits, and no product!
Just hand them $ for zip..
Look what’s happening to Stellantis!
They are making nothing, for Chrysler- Dodge , but bragging about increased profits , when challenged by dealers etc.
IWhat International Finance is doing to consumers, culture, and legendary companies, along with human beings for trillions is a disaster.
Lincoln Continental should be available as a car – sedan in the USA !
And make it a classic looking, beautiful car, not some foreign wanna be .
If people want a Mercedes, BMW, etc they will get a real one .
Let Lincoln, and Cadillac be who they are in modern form of course.
I drive and love my 2005 Lincoln Continental Town Car Presidential Sedan. I have someone wanting to buy it monthly. $100,000 and it’s yours. I see this design all over TV. The only modification was the sound and navigation. Love my car.
I’m driving the 2019 Lincoln Continental and it’s a great car with a trashy transmission. i do think they should bring back the Continental.
I agree with the Jerry Jones statement 😂 I’ve always been a Lincoln guy but for some reason the Ford motor company can’t seem to get out of their own way.
There’s absolutely no reason the shouldn’t have the very best Luxury Car in America 🇺🇸
The big Town Car was the last real car Lincoln produced. V-8 powered with a with REAR drive transmission. They will run forever. That is why Chrysler had so much retro success. Sadly they are now trying to us that our inner child needs an under powered Italian piece of junk. American car companies are being squeezed so hard by government regulation that I doubt that they will survive. All the tree huggers think we need $80,000 electric cars made with Chinese batteries and no infrastructure.
Lincoln should have a high end custom build division….where you can go and create or restomod or re-interpret the car that you want. That being said…any Continental comeback
should be two models: A personal luxury coupe modeled along the lines of the 1956-57 car….and then a four door car modeled along the lines of the 1962-1965 model years.Same dimensions…same door arrangement…CONVERTIBLE TOP.
I am very frustrated with Ford. I’m probably more of a Ford man than the current CEO! I’ve even wrote to Ford and told them that I felt they discontinued the Town Car because it didn’t ourself the “Cattle ac”, and they likely won’t because they build their cars to outlive God whereas the owners of the “rattleac” trade in to keep a noiseless vehicle.