1997 Lincoln Town Car Executive Sedan 4-door 4.6l on 2040-cars

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Lincoln MKX Concept goes for the gold in Beijing

We've now seen the Lincoln MKX Concept in the metal, and we've shot it with the lenses of our own DSLR cameras. And we have to say, our opinion of the concept's design language has improved over our initial reaction. Yes, it's clear that this MKX shares its underpinnings with those of the Ford Edge Concept that we saw in LA, but the changes made by Lincoln stylists are a welcome departure from the angular lines of its corporate cousin from The Blue Oval.
We like the subtlety of the MKX Concept's front fascia, and the lighting elements both front and rear lend a luxurious quality to the crossover's typical two-box proportions. When combined with the smaller MKC that was shown in production form late last year, it's clear to see that Lincoln has a specific design direction that at least seems visually capable of setting it apart from the Ford models with which the brand shares its platforms. Here's hoping there are some Lincoln-specific upgrades underhood...
Have a look at our image gallery of live photos from Beijing above, reread the press release below, and feel free to let us know what you think.

2020 Lincoln Navigator gets a price bump as sales stay strong

The Lincoln Navigator is still doing the business on dealer lots, and as sales climb, so do the prices. CarsDirect reports the flagship SUV's MSRP has gone up again as of February, a letter to dealers explaining that the bump "continues to keep the Lincoln brand competitive and aggressively positioned verses [sic] our key competitors." The entry-level Navigator Standard will start at $76,185 before the $1,295 destination charge, for a total of $77,480. That's $360 more than the luxury flagship cost in January. At the high end, the Navigator L Black Series goes up to $101,630 after destination, a $365 bump. This revised pricing makes the two-wheel drive Navigator Standard $1,000 more expensive than the current, outgoing Escalade, and the Navigator L Black Series $2,040 more than the Escalade ESV Platinum 4WD. It's likely the price jumps coming with the next-generation Escalade should restore the balance.   That won't change the fact that, on the face of it, the Navigator's entry-level price has risen by roughly $3,500 since it launched for the 2018 model year, and that's after an $8,500 increase introduced with the current generation. Last year, the product planners added features and a trim reorganization along with the price increases for 2020. Buyers get convenience items such as power running boards, heated and cooled front seats, wireless phone charging, and Lincoln's Phone as Key system standard throughout the range, and every 2020 Navigator includes the CoPilot360 driver safety suite. The safety kit wasn't available on the 2019 Navigator Standard, and was a $2,640 option on the Select trim. On top of that, the Reserve trim dropped in price thanks to the addition of a two-wheel-drive version. The Navigator improved sales in 2019 by 817 units over 2018. If sales remain robust this year — and depending on where the Escalade lands on the MSRP chart — we won't be surprised at another increase before the year is out. Related Video:  

Ex-GM VP LaNeve takes over Lincoln ad agency

Those of you that caught yesterday's op-ed about Lincoln will have heard already, but Mark LaNeve has taken the helm at Team Detroit. Once the North American vice president of sales, service and marketing for General Motors, LaNeve will now head up the agency that handles all of Ford advertising. LaNeve will also run the account for Lincoln. While at GM from 2001 to 2009, the exec oversaw ad campaigns like Cadillac's Breakthrough and sales initiatives like "Employee Pricing for Everyone."
He left in 2009 to join Allstate as chief marketing officer, oversaw the creation of the Mayhem ad spots and was moved into the role of VP of agency operations overseeing Allstate's 10,000 agents. He resigned from the insurer in February 2012 for personal reasons and joined Team Detroit in August 2012 as chief operating officer, in charge of satellite offices in New York and internationally. He replaces ex-CEO Cameron McNaughton, and will continue to hold the title of COO.
Lincoln is trying to get its 2013 back to rights after putting big dollar commercials for the 2013 MKZ on television then having production glitches preventing cars from getting to dealerships. With rumors of a relaunch in the works, it's no surprise LaNeve has been given the reins - and from here it looks like the brand is desperate for the kind of magic he's proved he can marshal. Perhaps he can start by calling a mulligan on the renaming exercise that gave us the hoary "Lincoln Motor Company" and go back to oh, say, "Lincoln." Then he can ask the product folks to get to work on the MKC concept...