1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible. Triple White! Beautiful! Restored! V8! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

Company veterans promoted to set a course for the future of Ford

Ford on Wednesday named two company veterans to lead its auto and mobility businesses as the No. 2 U.S. automaker shifts its focus to autonomous vehicles and realigns its automobile portfolio. Joe Hinrichs was named president of Ford's automotive unit, and Jim Farley will be president, new businesses, technology and strategy, effective May 1. Both will report to Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett. Hinrichs' goal will be a sustainable EBIT margin (earnings before interest and taxes) of at least 8 percent, Ford said. He'll have responsibility for all of Ford's global business units, and both the Ford and Lincoln brands. And he'll lead all of the automotive skills teams, from product development through customer experience. "Joe Hinrichs possesses the knowledge, experience and leadership to now take our Automotive business to world-class levels of product excellence, customer satisfaction, efficiency and financial performance," Hackett said. "As we enter a busy period for new product launches and further restructuring in underperforming markets, Joe's leadership in transforming businesses through focused execution will be key." Farley is charged with leading Ford's strategic transformation, in which it hopes to gain higher margins through smart/connected vehicles. He'll oversee corporate strategy, global data analytics, global partnerships, research and advanced engineering, including initiatives in smart mobility and autonomous vehicles. "Jim Farley's job is to drive us into the future, both strategically and operationally, from AVs to mobility experiences to leveraging AI and big data. Jim combines an innate feel for what customers want and need in vehicles and the ability to translate this into the vehicles and services of the future," Hackett said. Marcy Klevorn, president of Ford Mobility, plans to retire Oct. 1 after 36 years at Ford. Until then, she will report to Hackett in a strategic role. "I have asked Marcy to work with me and the senior team to accelerate our transformation," Hackett said. "Marcy's decades of experience working with many of the leading companies in the tech space as well as the work she has done with the transformation of Ford IT and the establishment of Ford Mobility gives her unique knowledge to drive these initiatives."

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.