1969 Lincoln Continental on 2040-cars

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Lincoln goes sedan-free after sending the Continental into the sunset

Lincoln has ended production of the 10th (and, presumably, final) generation of the Continental, according to a recent report. Built in Flat Rock, Mich., the flagship model was the last sedan in the company's range. We can't say the guillotine dropped without warning; the writing has been on the wall for months. Introduced in 2016 for the 2017 model year, the Continental found about 12,000 buyers in America during its first full calendar year on the market, but sales quickly dropped. 8,758 units were sold in 2018, followed by 6,586 in 2019. 3,872 examples found a home through September 2020, and Ford Authority learned production ended on October 30. It's a shame, because the Continental stood proud as Lincoln's best effort in the luxury sedan segment in decades. It was built on a Ford platform, but it didn't exude an overpowering whiff of Blue Ovalness. Upmarket variants benefited from 30-way adjustable front seats, all-wheel drive and a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbocharged to 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Lincoln even built a handful of Coach Door Edition models with a longer wheelbase and suicide rear doors reminiscent of the fourth-generation Continental released for 1961. These were stunningly expensive at $115,470 plus destination, yet they were all spoken for in record time. Lincoln hasn't announced plans to replace the Continental; the odds of seeing an 11th-generation model in the near future are extremely low. Nothing suggests another flagship sedan is in the works, either. Like its parent company, the brand is pivoting away from sedans and towards crossovers and SUVs, which sell in far greater numbers and tend to be more profitable. Sending the Continental to the pantheon of automotive history leaves the Navigator as the Lincoln brand's sole flagship, though an electric model might slot above it in the 2020s. America's take on the luxury sedan isn't dead, however. Arch rival Cadillac recently replaced the ATS and the CTS with a pair of sedans named CT4 and CT5, respectively. Both will spawn high-performance variants in 2021. Related Video:

2017 Lincoln Continental spied inside and out

Lincoln certainly made us stand up and take notice when it unveiled the Continental concept at the New York Auto Show this past March. Showcars, however, are only worth so much if they never reach production. But as these latest spy shots indicate, Ford's luxury division is hard at work taking the new Conti from show floor to showroom. The team from Dearborn has clearly gone to great lengths to disguise this prototype, wrapping it in a new type of camouflage with trompe l'oeil bulbous-looking shapes to keep us from seeing just how close the production version will keep to (or how far it may stray from) the concept's design. Our spy photographers did, however, manage to snap some shots of the inside through the side glass, and though it's still evidently some ways off from reaching production, some key details give us an idea of what to expect. Look closely and you can make out the buttons for the transmission running down the side of the infotainment screen, just like on other new Lincolns. The chromework appears to have been toned down some from the blinged-out dashboard of the showcar, but it may be too early to say how much shine there will be to the production model. The overall design of the center console looks pretty darn close to the version we saw in New York, though. The Continental is expected to replace the MKS, as Lincoln moves away from alphabetical nomenclature back towards actual nameplates. Assembly is slated to be undertaken in Flat Rock, MI. There are a great many more details yet to be uncovered, but as far as early indications go, it looks like Lincoln is well on its way to making its concept a reality. Related Video:

The Lincoln Blackwood was the original luxury pickup. It was also weird.

As the 20th century drew to a close, Lincoln's mainstay product, the venerable Town Car, was well on its way to livery-car limbo and the brand's sales were sinking. The surprise-hit Navigator, introduced for 1998, indicated a possible way forward: luxury trucks. The following year, Lincoln rolled out a concept (pictured at bottom) that was essentially a dolled-up F-150 pickup: the Blackwood. Reaction was sufficiently enthusiastic that the Blackwood appeared in showrooms, essentially unchanged, for 2002. Luxo-trucks are now all the rage, but Lincoln's attempts to make the Blackwood truly special tripped up this pioneering pickup, which was canceled after just one year. That means this 2002 Blackwood for sale right now on Cars and Bids presents a rare opportunity. Lincoln grafted a Navigator nose onto an F-150 body, and if they had stopped there, the Blackwood might have fared better. But Lincoln went further. Motivation was provided by a 5.4-liter InTech V8 with 300 horsepower driving the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive wasn't offered, because Lincoln didn't want to raise the ride height. Air springs supplemented the rear leaf springs. The interior was stuffed with all manner of Navigator-spec luxury gear, with leather, heated and cooled seats, power-adjustable pedals, and even an early navigation system — which was the only option. Seating was strictly for four thanks to the rear captain's chairs. As if adorning it with faux African wedgewood and aluminum inlays wasn't distinctive enough, the cargo bed became a cargo trunk thanks to the standard, power-operated hard tonneau cover. Inside, the floor was carpeted, the sides were brushed aluminum, and the space was illuminated by LED accent lighting. Rather than a drop-down tailgate, access was via a pair of Dutch doors. To align with the nameplate, the only color offered was Gunslinger Black with a black interior. To maintain exclusivity, Lincoln planned to cap sales at 10,000 units. That provided wholly unnecessary, as sales only reached 3,356. Lincoln pulled the plug after one year. The 2020 asking price was $52,500 (roughly $77,000 today). The truck for sale on Cars and Bids is sure to go for less, although bidding is pretty strong out of the gate. It currently sits at $8989 with six days to go in the auction.