NEW YORK: Ford Motor Co has unveiled the Lincoln Continental concept car after a break of 13 years.
The vehicle was even the sedan of presidents. Then the name vanished amid an invasion of newer luxury cars from Europe and Asia. Now, the Lincoln Continental is back. The new Continental debuts in concept form at this week’s New York auto show. The production version of the full-size sedan goes on sale next year.
After more than a decade of toying with alphabetical names like LS and MKS to be more like its foreign rivals, Ford’s 98-year-old Lincoln brand is embracing its heritage. It’s a measure of the growing confidence at Lincoln, which is finally turning around a decades-long sales decline. And it’s a nod to the importance of China, where customers know the Continental name and appreciate brands with a rich history.
Ford CEO Mark Fields says the Continental always represented the best of Lincoln. Resurrecting it sets higher expectations, both within the company and outside of it. ‘When we get a chance to work on an iconic nameplate like that, it’s a mixture of pride and a mixture of fear, because when you put that name out there, it’s got to deliver,’ Fields told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
Ford had acquired other luxury brands such as Jaguar and Volvo. Lincoln’s designs got dull and failed to stand out from lower-priced Fords. The Continental was also squeezed by competition from the midsize Lincoln LS, which debuted in 2000, and the bigger Town Car.
Ford also underestimated the threat posed by German rivals, who were expanding their lineups, and newer Japanese luxury brands. By 2000, Lexus was the top-selling luxury brand in the US; last year, BMW was.
To make its way back, Lincoln isn’t trying isn’t trying to be sporty like BMW or showy like Cadillac. Instead, Fields says, it wants to give drivers an experience that is elegant and serene. ‘We want folks to get into our vehicles and – for lack of a better term – chill,’ Fields said.
It appears to be working. Lincoln’s US sales rose 16 percent last year, making it one of the fastest-growing luxury brands in the market. The midsize MKZ was the brand’s top seller.
Full-size sedans like the Continental are a tough sell in the US, where buyers tend to prefer midsize sedans or SUVs. US sales of Lincoln’s current full-size sedan, the MKS, fell 24 percent last year.
