Tag: Ford

Source: Lincoln
The 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Limited Edition with coach doors

Every one of the 80 special edition Lincoln Continentals with “suicide doors” have already sold out, the company said Monday.

Ford's premium brand debuted the formally named 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition in mid-December. Within 48 hours of the car's debut, they were all gone.

The car was sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, in contrast with the more involved buying process for the Ford GT supercar, which required prospective buyers to fill out an application. But the prices were still high — north of $110,000 for each.

Lincoln said it will do another limited run next year, but the vehicles will be slightly different.

The coach doors, also known as “suicide doors,” are a highlight of the car. The design, where the rear doors open toward the rear of the car, was once a common feature on Lincoln Continentals primarily in the 1960s.

The limited edition's wheelbase is longer than on the standard model by about 6 inches. Every car comes with Lincoln's Black Label trim, the highest trim level available across Lincoln's lineup.

Selling sedans is tough these days, to be sure. Customers tend to prefer SUVs, crossovers, and pickups. The Continental is one of only two sedans Lincoln still sells. The other is the mid-size MKZ, which comes in both standard internal combustion and hybrid versions. Lincoln sells four crossover and SUV models now, and will begin rolling out a fifth, the resurrected Aviator, later this year.

But you can sell a car to send a message. “Cars can still be effective to help represent where a brand is and where it is going. It be a kind of spiritual guide for the brand, even if it is not a sales leader,” said Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Cox Automotive.

The Continental has been a powerful symbol of Lincoln's resurgence since the latest generation of the long-running nameplate debuted for the 2017 model year. The vehicle garnered many popular reviews when it first debuted and was widely considered as a sign the brand was returning to its roots in large, plush, American luxury vehicles.

“The Continental signaled that Lincoln was going back to its roots, both in terms of naming and in terms of the expressive styling it had been known for, for so many decades,” Brauer said.