1979 Lincoln Continental Town Car on 2040-cars

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Lincoln Continental Concept has arrived on the New York stand

The return of the Lincoln Continental, albeit in concept form, has not been without controversy. Bentley chief designer Luc Donckerwolke going as far as to call the car a "copy" of its own Flying Spur, offering to send the British sedan's tooling to Detroit. But while debate can rage over any similarities – you can and should head over and vote in our poll on the matter – can we all at least agree to see something interesting happening with Lincoln design? Gone are unattractive styling trademarks like Lincoln's winged grille, while less polarizing elements like the vehicle-spanning taillights have been refined. The three-box design, meanwhile, dismisses the coupe-like stylings of the latest MKZ , opting for a long hood, short deck and a more traditional three-box layout. The advantage of that, of course, is cabin space. The Continental is designed for rear-seat passengers, offering opulent, Venetian leather seats with Alcantara inserts and 30-way adjustability. Just so we're clear, we have a hard time even thinking of 30 different ways to adjust a seat, so well played Lincoln. The headliner is satin, a briefcase sits in each back rest and dedicated tray tables allow for work on the go. It's plush, even in the world of pie-in-the-sky concepts. Check out our latest batch of live photos of the all-new Continental Concept, live from its stand at the 2015 New York International Auto Show. Lincoln Continental Concept Shows the Future of Quiet Luxury and Upcoming Full-size Sedan – Elegant, effortlessly powerful and serene, the Lincoln Continental Concept signals the brand's all-new full-size sedan coming next year and the future of quiet luxury – Lincoln Continental Concept integrates technologies designed to create better drivers, rejuvenate and entertain passengers, including all-new, Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter EcoBoost® engine, patented 30-way seats and premium Revel audio system – New Continental Concept introduces E-Latch door handles, LED matrix headlamps with laser-assist high beams and SPD SmartGlass® tinting sunroof NEW YORK, March 30, 2015 –Lincoln today introduces the Continental Concept, signaling an all-new full-size sedan coming next year and the future of quiet luxury. Elegant, effortlessly powerful and serene, the Continental Concept blends meticulous craftsmanship and technologies designed to create better drivers and provide passengers with a more relaxing and entertaining environment inspired by first-class travel.

Lincoln trumpets $129M investment, 300 new jobs in Louisville for MKC

Remember when we used to talk about how close Lincoln was to being axed and how it seemed any day now the Grim Reaper would use it as a car service back to the grave? Last time we did it was, oh, not even a month ago. What a difference 27 days makes: Ford and Lincoln are trumpeting a $129M investment in the Louisville Assembly Plant that builds the MKC.
In July the MKC was the third-best-selling Lincoln of the brand's six offerings, beat by the MKZ and - by a much smaller margin - the MKX. It has sold 2,895 units in the two months it's been on sale, which is more than half the year-to-date sales of the MKS, MKT and Navigator. It's already important, is what we're trying to say, and this is before the Chinese market gets a crack at it later this year.
The money headed to Kentucky will be joined by 300 new workers, another marker in Ford's march to create 12,000 hourly jobs in the US by next year. You can read more about it in the press release below.

Lincoln recycling tree fibers into new MKX armrest

Want to hug a tree, or at least a really small part of one. Then set your arm down on one of those armrests in the 2014 Lincoln MKX crossover. The US automaker is working with Weyerhaeuser and Johnson Controls on a tree-based, cellulose-reinforced polypropylene material used in the component that connects the armrest to the floor console, Wards Auto says. With properties similar to plastic, the tree-based material replaces fiberglass and is about six percent lighter. No big deal for now, but if the material starts getting used for things like battery trays and interior storage covers, that loss in weight may eventually start adding up enough to boost fuel economy a bit, providing a green double bonus. Lincoln parent Ford, which isn't saying how much more (or less?) it costs to use the new material, established its Biomaterials and Plastics Research team in 2001. In 2007, the company began using soy-based foam in car seats used for models such as the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Mustang and has since broadened biomaterials use to components like floormats and cupholder inserts. Ford also used recycled plastic bottles from the 2012 North America International Auto Show for seats in the Focus Electric.