Should Lincoln get a new retro luxury coupe?

There is no sign that Lincoln is working on a new-generation coupe. As a matter of fact, there has been zero news from Lincoln about future products for a while, which is quite troubling…

And yet, why not take a look at what a next-generation Lincoln luxurious 2 door Coupe, could look like? The only new platform parent company Ford has mentioned is the new Universal EV platform. Which will first be used for an all-new sub-$30,000 EV pickup. Ford has already mentioned that up to 8 new models could use the platform. In the real world, a new retro looking 2 door luxury coupe is a very long shot.

The first of the “Mark” series was the 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II, priced at the equivalent of $112,000 today. After 1957, other models used the name Continental Mark III in 1958, Mark IV in 1959, and Mark V in 1960. These were much cheaper than the Mark II and, unlike the original, not handmade. They have all mostly been forgotten since. Especially when Ford decided to relaunch the Mark Coupe series in 1969 with the Mark III.

A new Lincoln Mark IV came out in 1972, a redesigned Mark V in 1977, and a smaller one called Mark VI in 1980. One that tried very hard to look like the previous huge generation in a smaller size.

A Lincoln Coupe revolution came in 1984 with the Lincoln Mark VII. A truly modern design by Jeff Teague. The Mark VII was a stand-out and became very popular. It also received many great reviews.

It was followed by an even more modern design for the Mark VIII in 1993. It was discontinued in 1998, and there has been no Lincoln coupe produced since. Which is a shame. However, numbers speak loudly, and while Lincoln sold over 30,000 units in 1993, less than half that found homes in 1998. By that time, the SUV craze was already in full bloom, and the showbox shape had become more popular.

These days, Lincoln only sells SUVs in the US. And one sedan in China. No sedan at all in the US, and not a 2 door coupe. These are long gone…

Of course, they technically could still use the current Mustang Platform for a larger 2 door car. And apparently, Ford has already shown a longer 4-door version of the current Mustang at a dealer meeting. Adding 2 doors to the Mustang is not going to fix what’s wrong with the curernt version in my opinion. But that’s another subject.

Either way, Lincoln’s future seems pretty bleak. We might as well dream of a few fun ones while they’re still around…