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Landau yachts: The history of Lincoln's Designer Series

The Lincoln Designer Series was introduced in 1976, at the end of the imposing Mark IV Continental generation. Four big-name fashion designers of the era – all-American country clubber Bill Blass, psychedelic Italian pattern-maestro Emilio Pucci, venerable French jewelry-maker Cartier, and a la mode French fashionista Hubert de Givenchy – were asked to slather their elegance on LincolnÂ’s personal luxury coupe. This experiment was a wild success. According to documents uncovered in the Lincoln archives – with the incomparable guidance of official brand historian Ted Ryan – the Designer series “accounted for more than 27% of Mark IV sales” shortly after its introduction. It was such a runaway hit, that it continued on throughout the even larger Mark V generation (incidentally, the longest coupe ever produced by Ford Motor Company), and didnÂ’t really peter out on these big two-doors until the early 1990s.   But the true history of the series well predates the era of opera windows, crushed velour and wire wheel covers. “If you take a step back even further, when Ford purchased Lincoln in 1922, Edsel Ford was put in charge of the company. But more than that, he helped establish the first design studio at Ford,” said Ryan. The basic Model T didnÂ’t take much design. Lincoln was different. Edsel is famed for his quote. “Father wanted to make the most popular car, I wanted to make the best.” The specific genesis of the Designer Series, however, came along as a result of a long-term personal connection with the marqueÂ’s first chairman. “Edsel Ford had a relationship with Cartier, and correspondence going throughout the 1920s and '30s,” Ryan said. “His personal cards and stationery were always ordered from Cartier.” This enduring link wasnÂ’t formalized until the late 1960s. “I found in product development files, in 1967, that Ford had gone to Cartier for a special 1970 Cartier Continental coupe,” Ryan said. According to internal documents, this package would include unique interior leather/cloth/vinyl surfaces and trim, modified dials, and a Cartier jewelry box, as well as golden plating on the steering wheel ornament, dial face ornaments, keys, C-pillar ornaments, door monograms, and dashboard plaque. “Think of that. A car that never was, that could have been,” Ryan said, wistfully. Some Cartier magic did get glossed on Lincolns in the late 1960s.

Next Lincoln Navigator to drop V8 in favor of V6, but Ford Expedition might get both

A great many buyers fled from full-size body-on-frame SUVs to car-based crossovers in large measure to save fuel. But that doesn't mean there's still not a buying audience for more traditional truck-based utility vehicles, and those consumers doubtlessly wouldn't mind saving some dollars at the pump, too. According to Motor Trend, those shoppers might be in luck.
That's because the magazine has confirmed that Ford isn't walking away from the full-size SUV segment, and it's poised to do something about its offerings' economy ratings, too. According to MT, global Lincoln director Matt VanDyke has hinted that the next Navigator may drop two cylinders and go with a V6 model - the current model gets just 14 miles per gallon in the city and 20 on the highway from its 5.4-liter V8. The obvious fitment would be Ford's 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, an engine that has spread like kudzu throughout the rest of the Blue Oval's large vehicle lineup.
Downsized turbocharged engines like Ford's EcoBoost franchise have come under fire as of late for not delivering their EPA fuel economy ratings, but their benefits extend beyond consumption - the 3.5L offers superior power and a better torque curve than the naturally aspirated V8. MT also suggests that Ford's 3.7-liter V6 could form the base engine for the next Navi - it has similar horsepower but a lot less torque than the current 5.4L. That may be less of a problem with the next generation tipped to go on a diet, which could level the playing field somewhat.

Watch Ken Block play traffic cop in ’Top Gear’ teaser

BBC is teasing a new series of 'Top Gear' starring the rally racer and Hoonigans honcho Ken Block and promising that series 25 is "coming soon." Block plays a police officer (with a Los Angeles Police Department badge, no less) in an off-road 4x4 vehicle in the 30-second clip, jumping off obstacles and tearing through dirt in an industrial area near snow-capped mountains. He gives chase to show hosts Matt LeBlanc, in a yellow Ford Mustang, Rory Reid and Chris Harris, who steers a McLaren 570S. It looks like they're having more fun that the rest of us. LeBlanc has said the next season of episodes will aim to attract a younger, more diverse audience with more comedy. Series 25 is expected to launch in spring, perhaps after the wrap-up of the second season of 'The Grand Tour.'Related Video: Celebrities TV/Movies Ford McLaren Off-Road Vehicles Performance Top Gear Ken Block