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Lincoln Town Car.

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The last Lincoln Town Car ever produced came out in 2011. Sales had gone down to just under 9500 in its last year. Which was still a little bit more than the Navigator. However, while Town Car numbers were down every year, Navigator numbers kept going up. So far the Navigator’s highest year was 2019 with over 18,600 units. Which is actually not that much more than the last years of the Town Car.

Lincoln brought back the Continental sedan for the 2017 model year and it wasn’t the success they had hoped for. Production stopped just 3 years later. And of course, blaming it on “Americans don’t want sedans anymore”.

What Americans didn’t want was a Lincoln Continental based on the Ford Mondeo. Sure, it was longer, but it just didn’t look the part. And it wasn’t a replacement for the Town Car either. It was also pretty expensive and had tons of super cheap-looking plastic chrome trim inside.

What would work better is a larger RWD sedan like the last Town Car. Of course, that Panther platform is long gone, and adapting the current Mustang platform would probably be very costly.

This might sound blasphemous to the old guard, but a large EV platform would be the only way to revive the Town Car. It would instantly become quieter and more powerful than it has ever been. Without even trying hard.

No one really knows what Ford is doing with their future EVs, (maybe not even Ford itself). We only know a 2nd generation Mustang Mach-e is still scheduled for the end of next year, and 2 new smaller models are coming later this year. A small pickup and of course an SUV. Both are based on a brand new simpler EV platform. And they will probably be called “BRonco something”.

A large EV platform for big 3-row SUVS has been delayed. That is probably the only one a new large sedan could use.

Cadillac is working on 2 new EV sedans. We are supposed to see these “soon” as they say. Let’s hope it will push Ford to compete by adding a new sedan to their SUV-only lineup.

As I recently found out, the Town Car still has tons of fans. Of all ages, it seems. It was a super reliable car and many of them can be bought for around $10,000 or so. Making it a great deal for those looking for a big luxury car that isn’t too old.

From the many comments I’ve been getting on the few Town Car articles I’ve been posting, it seems there is still some demand for old-fashioned big American luxury cars. It would really be interesting to see if a new Town Car could find enough buyers to stay around for a few years…

Conversation 15 comments

  1. I disagree that the way to revive a large car is EV only. I would rather say that it should be a flex platform capable of EV, PHEV, or HEV…which is what Toyota is doing. And that car should sit just a little higher than they’ve been making sedans in the last 20 years. Not an SUV, just being taller. Why do people move to SUVs? Because they have space. Nowadays, they have to scoop the roof out in a Camry for 6ft tall drivers to be able to fit. There’s nothing luxurious or even desirable about that. It was for when ICE was the only option and sedans had to get super aero to function as the company’s compliance vehicles for their bloated low-mileage SUVs. Hybrids (and I mean the recently much improved hybrids) have changed that dynamic, where an SUV can hit 35-40mpg combined. Its time to rethink their choices on sedans.

  2. I think Ford should bring back the town car the coach model but make them affordable

  3. I have my car serviced at a lincoln dealership and upon speaking with the service writer, the sales manager and the top salesman they all said they’re losing business by not having a lincoln sedan available. I think Ford should definitely consider bringing back a lincoln automobile as not everyone wants suv’s.

  4. I have a 2004 Town Car and it’s just fine, screw your complicated polluting, expensive boondogle of incredibly expensive non user friendly tech, a nationwide non functional, unsupported actual integrated,smartly built support for recharge and maintenance of vehicles. This crap technology was forced upon us and rushed, not incrementally added with infrastructure and building a smart network with good ,reliable roots. 100% EV is stupid, Hybrid, or other smart eco friendly fuels as additional, positive advances in spreading out the load until we really, 100% have a good grasp on how to ADD EV technology, not try to force down our throats and mandate, look at the idiotic stop/start tech that is hopefully going away. Make smart, supported, we’ll researched and SUPPORTED technology. I’m sure glad I can do a lot of my own repairs still, today’s cars need a wizard and a magic wand for lots of repairs like a lot of today’s “smart” technology that wears out,you can’t repair it, super expensive to get repaired, and then becomes another toxic thing that you hope can actually be and get recycled and not junked in the trash and pollute.

  5. the newest Continental failed bc the production version was soooo vastly different from the production versions. expectations were for a stately luxury sedan. on lines of a Bentley Continental sedan or RR Ghost in proportions. and now a new full/large luxury sedan should come with a list of cv & ev & hybrid options.

  6. I had 1996 Town Car and loved it and was sorry Lincoln stopped producing it I kept it until 2017 at which time I gave it to my niece it is still on the road with over 100 thousand miles I had to settle for an MKZ since the town Car was not longer being made I was totally disappointed I definitely would have bought another Town car or Continental

  7. Loved my Continental with opera windows..big, comfortable, classy! New one was NOT A LINCOLN CONTINENTAL!! Where is the big motor?
    & the Bronco is a joke…bring back the Bronco..the real one !! Tough vehicle !

  8. I had a 1990 Lincoln Continental “Signature Series”, that I purchased in 1989 for $28,000. It was all black in and out. Georgeous car. By about 1991 or 1992, the clear coat was spotting all over. I was so upset, I wrote to the head of FORD and told him how dissappointed I was. I had waited my whole life to buy my “Dream Car” and it had now turned into a “Nightmare”. He sent back a formal letter telling my to take the letter and car to my nearest Lincoln dealer. I did and they repainted the whole car from free ! I kept the car until 1998, when I traded it in on a 1998 Mercedes Benz 500SL Roadster. Loved my Lincoln !

  9. I have a 2007 Lincoln Town Car L. This car now has 565000. Yes, that’s right 565 thousand. This baby is all black in and out and gives me 23 mpg. It has ROOM for six people not midgets. I am now looking to add a Navigator L. Would never buy a four passenger econobox that gives you twenty mpg and when you arrive at your destination you feel like a 3 ring pretzel.

  10. Had 1992 signature and currently a1997 executive. And a 2000 Grand Marquis LS. Best vehicles ever made. They should have kept the big bodies in production.

  11. Had 1992 signature and currently a1997 executive. And a 2000 Grand Marquis LS. Best vehicles ever made. They should have kept the big bodies in production.

  12. I owned a 1992 Lincoln and I loved
    that car. It was all white with blue velvet interior and a white Landau top. Drove that
    beautiful car until 1993. It was a Signature
    Series. I cried when they took her away. The same day I purchased 1993 Lincoln Towne
    Car loaded. It was white with blue interior and padded white Landau. Drove until 2015. I loved that auto. Wish I could afford a new one and I would even buy a previously owned one. I am picky but have not found the “right one”.

    L

    I did

  13. I had driven Lincoln’s for many years and loved them all. Lincoln pulled the dealership from our area (best dealership I’ve ever dealt with) and I switched to Kia which I like but it’s not a Lincoln.’

  14. I have a 2003 Signature ( 165,000 miles )and a 2011 Signature Limited. ( 57,000 miles) I’ve had a Town Car since 1981 when I bought my first new one. Nothing in America has ever ridden the way the Town Car rides. To have it serviced still doesn’t strain your wallet every time. If you are consistently placing SUVS on the market, find one space for the Town Car. We will all be glad you did.

  15. All these are great stories about a wonderful American luxury car. Ford is not listening and have clearly lost their marbles. The Detroit Lions are to winning a Superbowl than a revival of the Lincoln Towncar. Mr.Ford must be turning over in his grave.

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