2006 Lincoln Town Car Limousine on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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:

Mulally wanted to kill Lincoln as late as last year, Fields vows to turn it around

Lincoln fans might want to give incoming Ford CEO Mark Fields a pat on the back for having a hand in saving the brand from the chopping block last year. He's among the people spearheading the rejuvenation of the division away from its stodgy image to appeal to younger customers.
According to two unnamed sources speaking to Bloomberg, CEO Alan Mulally was ready to kill Lincoln last year. Following the slow production ramp-up of the MKZ combined a with a costly ad campaign, Mulally was frustrated and openly suggested dropping the brand. However, Fields and Jim Farley, Ford's marketing boss, convinced the CEO that the brand was worth saving. They also created a plan to prevent similar problems for new models in the future.
It seems that one part of the strategy may involve waiting until new models are at dealers before starting a big ad campaign for them. Lincoln global director, Matt VanDyke, recently told Autoblog that the division is holding off on a full marketing push behind the new MKC crossover to prevent the supply problems that plagued the MKZ last year. Its big offensive begins in the fall when the CUVs are at all of the dealers and consumers are at home watching more TV. VanDyke also told Bloomberg that Fields, Farley and Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, have more direct oversight over new product launches now.

Here's our best look yet at the production Lincoln Continental

The team at Lincoln continues to strip off camouflage from the Continental in each new round of spy shots, and the latest set presents a luxury sedan that looks nearly ready for a debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. This one doesn't even need a tow truck to get around. The production Continental takes the handsome concept's design and translates its cues to the road with tiny alterations. The rectangular, mesh grille doesn't shine with chrome on this one, but that would be an easy addition for the Detroit show. The LED headlights look nearly the same with running lights that sweep upward at the corners. The bottom of the lower fascia sees the biggest tweak the company drops the thick chrome strip in favor of a thinner lip. Lincoln doesn't put any camo on the pillars, so these shots provide a great view of the roofline in profile. Look carefully along the beltline and you can spot where the designers incorporated the high-mounted door handles from the concept. This minor styling touch greatly helps to clean up the lines along the side. The rear sees bigger changes from the concept. For example, these undisguised taillights share the same shape but now have more visible red in them. The production version also wears a fairly simple integrated exhaust rather than the more complicated design before. The Continental will reportedly be available with the Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter EcoBoost and front- or all-wheel drive. Unlike the MKS that it will replace, the model's production will likely occur at the Flat Rock, MI, factory. Related Video: