Lincoln Motor Company

Lincoln Motor Company, or simply Lincoln, is the luxury vehicle division of American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. Marketed among the top luxury vehicle brands in the United States, Lincoln is positioned closely against its General Motors counterpart Cadillac. Starting with the 2021 model year, the brand solely offers SUV and crossover vehicles.

The division helped to establish the personal luxury car segment with the 1940 Lincoln Continental.

Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland, naming it after Abraham Lincoln. In February 1922, the company was acquired by Ford, its parent company to this day. Following World War II, Ford formed the Lincoln-Mercury Division, pairing Lincoln with its mid-range Mercury brand; the pairing lasted until the 2010 closure of Mercury. At the end of 2012, Lincoln reverted to its original name, Lincoln Motor Company. Following the divestiture of Premier Automotive Group (Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Volvo) and the closure of Mercury, Lincoln remains the sole luxury nameplate of Ford Motor Company.

Originally founded as a freestanding division above Lincoln, Continental was integrated within Lincoln in 1959. For 1969, the Continental-branded Mark series was marketed through Lincoln, adopting the Lincoln name for 1986. The Lincoln four-point star emblem is derived from a badge introduced on the 1956 Continental Mark II; the current version was introduced in 1980.

The current product range of Lincoln consists of luxury crossovers and sport-utility vehicles. Throughout its entire prior existence Lincoln also produced luxury car-based vehicles for limousine and livery use; several examples have served as official state limousines for Presidents of the United States. Today, this niche is filled from its crossover and SUV lineup.

In 2017, Lincoln sold 188,383 vehicles globally. Outside of North America, Lincoln vehicles are officially sold in the Middle East (except Iran and Syria), China (except Hong Kong and Macau), and South Korea.

History

Early years (1917–1930)

The Lincoln Motor Company was founded in August 1917 by Henry Leland and his son Wilfred. Among the founders of Cadillac, Leland had sold Cadillac to General Motors in 1909; staying on as an executive, he left in 1917 over a dispute with GM President William Durant regarding war production.

Leland named Lincoln Motor Company after Abraham Lincoln, stating that Lincoln was the first President for whom he ever voted (1864).

In total, Lincoln Motor Company would assemble 6,500 Liberty V12 engines by the end of World War I concluding production; by the end of the war, Lincoln would employ 6,000 workers.

Lincoln Motor Company had struggled with the transition from military to automobile production, with some customers having to wait nearly a year for their vehicles to be completed from the time of purchase. By 1922, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy and was placed in receivership.

Under the influence of Edsel Ford, Lincoln Motor Company was purchased by Henry Ford for on February 4, 1922. While Lincoln was valued at $16 million, a $5 million bid by Ford was the sole bid received for the company (forced to be increased by the court).

Purchase by Ford Motor Company

Following the purchase of Lincoln Motor Company by Ford Motor Company, Henry and Wilfred Leland remained at the company, with Edsel Ford given responsibility over it. forced Henry Ford from his second company, the Henry Ford Company; the company was reorganized as Cadillac (deriving its name from the founder of Detroit). With the exception of the engine, the 1903 Ford Model A and the 1903 Cadillac Model A share nearly the same design.

Prior to the introduction of the Model T, Ford designed several higher-priced vehicles, including the 1904 Ford Model B, the 1905 Ford Model F, and the 1906 Ford Model K. Following its organization in 1908, General Motors began a rapid expansion of its automotive brands; by 1920, GM would outnumber Ford five to one. The purchase of Lincoln created a stand-alone luxury vehicle brand for Ford as Cadillac did for GM.

Within the first few months, relations between Ford Motor Company and Lincoln management began to break down; on June 10, 1922, the Lelands were forced to resign. As Edsel Ford began to take a senior role in the management of Lincoln, multiple changes were made to both the Model L and its production. The Lincoln factory was redesigned and expanded (to nearly 1,000,000 square feet), with the components of the engine upgraded for increased reliability and performance. Designed as a competitor for the (Cadillac) LaSalle and Chrysler Airflow, the Lincoln-Zephyr was priced between Ford and the Model K.

The Lincoln-Zephyr was the first Ford Motor Company vehicle to use unibody construction; while designed with a prow-style front-fascia, the model line was sleeker than the Chrysler Airflow. In contrast to its competitors, the Lincoln-Zephyr was powered by a V12 engine (a design separate from the Model K).

The model line was a success in the marketplace, selling over 15,000 units in its first year, amounting to a nine-fold increase over the previous model year.

Lincoln Continental (1939)

In the late 1930s, Edsel Ford began to consider American cars too boxy. In late 1938, to develop a European-style ("Continental") car for his next Florida vacation, he commissioned Ford Chief Stylist E. T. Gregorie to design a unique body design, using a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Coupe chassis. After sectioning the body , the running boards were deleted and a spare tire was mounted behind the trunk lid.

Upon his use of the one-off vehicle in Florida in 1939, Edsel Ford attracted a high amount of interest from potential buyers, often referring to its "European" or "Continental" exterior design. From the latter term, the one-off vehicle became known as the Lincoln Continental. For 1940 production, 404 vehicles were produced, with the first vehicle received by Mickey Rooney. As a condition of allowing Lincoln to continue production, McNamara required the Lincoln model line to undergo a reduction in size. While largely dispensing with major yearly model changes, the decision established design consistency and shifting resources towards quality control. For the 1966 model year, to better compete with the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Imperial Crown/LeBaron Coupe, Lincoln added a two-door hardtop to the Continental model line. After the 1967 model year, Lincoln ended production of the Continental 4-door convertible. At 5,712 pounds, the 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible is the heaviest non-limousine car ever produced by Ford Motor Company; , it is the final factory-produced four-door convertible sold in North America.

File:1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V (9691140806).jpg|1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V hardtop sedan

File:1961 Lincoln Continental (20960224924).jpg|1961 Lincoln Continental sedan

File:1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible (31045125132).jpg|1963 Lincoln Continental convertible

File:1964 Lincoln Continental Convertible (35951033032).jpg|1964 Lincoln Continental convertible (top raised)

File:1967 Lincoln Continental coupe (8450835437).jpg|1967 Lincoln Continental coupe

File:1969 Lincoln Continental (27503822210).jpg|1969 Lincoln Continental sedan

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Continental Mark III

During the 1960s, Ford sought to develop a new flagship vehicle as a successor to the Continental Mark II. While the Lincoln Continental served as a close competitor to the Cadillac de Ville series and the Imperial, while Cadillac shifted the Cadillac Eldorado to the personal luxury segment in 1967, a segment that Ford exited in 1957 after the withdrawal of the Continental Mark II. As a response, in April 1968, the Continental Mark III was released as a 1969 model. While not officially a Lincoln, the Continental Mark III was marketed and serviced through the Lincoln-Mercury dealer network. Over a number of various names considered for the vehicle, Continental Mark III was chosen, as Henry Ford II thought the Continental Mark II did not have a proper successor (thus restarting the nomenclature).

Alongside the 1968 Lincoln Continental, the Continental Mark III marked the debut of the Ford 385-series V8 rated at and torque and also became the first Ford vehicle to be fitted with anti-lock brakes. As standard equipment, the Mark III was fitted with power door locks, power seats, and power windows. To control development and production costs, the Mark III was offered only as a two-door hardtop derived from the chassis underpinnings of the four-door Ford Thunderbird. While sharing many styling elements from Lincoln, the Continental Mark III debuted many elements of its own, including hidden headlights and a redesigned trunk lid with a simulated spare-tire indentation (the actual spare tire laid flat in the front part of the trunk). It mixed European and American luxury features with the most prominent being an upright chrome grille inspired by a Rolls-Royce design and had a centrally mounted Cartier electric clock on the dashboard.

File:1969 Lincoln Continetal Mark III (27056867860).jpg|1969 Continental Mark III rear

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1970s

While the Continental Mark III would bring Lincoln into the decade on a high note, for the American luxury car segment, the 1970s would prove tumultuous. Along with the introduction of federal safety regulations for American-market automobiles (which brought features such as 5-mph bumpers and the end of hardtop body styles), the 1973 fuel crisis would play a significant role in the engineering of American automobiles, forcing Lincoln to develop a compact-size sedan and redesign smaller full-size sedans for the 1980s. As Chrysler withdrew its Imperial brand after 1975, Cadillac became the sole domestic competitor of Lincoln.

For the 1970 model year, Lincoln made good on its 1958 plan to commit to a nine-year design cycle, giving the Continental its first complete redesign for the first time since 1961. During the 1960s, while sales of the Continental had remained relatively steady throughout its production, the engineering of luxury cars had begun to change among its competitors; to increase design commonality (and lower production costs), Cadillac and Imperial shifted away from brand-specific platforms (with the latter adapting to shared bodyshells with Chrysler). For the redesign of the Lincoln model line, the Continental grew in size. While sharing no visible body panels, Lincoln adapted the chassis of the Ford LTD/Mercury Marquis (shifting to body-on-frame construction for the first time since 1957). In another effort to maintain design consistency, the 1970 Continental was produced through 1979 with only gradual updates. Along with the mandated addition of 5-mph bumpers, in 1975, the roofline was redesigned (to visually differentiate the Continental from the Mercury Marquis).

The 1970s saw the introduction of several naming traditions within Lincoln. For 1970, the Town Car nameplate was revived on a permanent basis as a submodel of the Lincoln Continental. Following the use of a Cartier-brand clock on the Continental Mark III, in 1976, the Continental Mark IV began the use of Designer Editions, which saw use on subsequent Continental Mark series models and Lincolns.

File:1970 Lincoln Continental - Flickr - denizen24 (7).jpg|1970 Lincoln Continental

File:Lincoln (9831715645).jpg|1971 Lincoln Continental 2-door

File:1972 Lincoln Continental Town Car (35466763535).jpg|1972 Lincoln Continental Town Car

File:1974 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe (27331656355).jpg|1974 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe

File:Lincoln Continental 1978 6600cc sic dvla.JPG|1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car

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Lincoln Versailles

thumb|1978 Lincoln Versailles

Developed as a response to the popularity of the 1976 Cadillac Seville, Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Versailles for the 1977 model year. Thirty inches shorter and 1500 pounds lighter than a Lincoln Continental, the Versailles was based on the Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch (as the Seville was based on the Chevrolet Nova). Outsold by the Seville by a significant margin, the Versailles was discontinued in early 1980.

With a smaller design and engineering budget than General Motors, Lincoln stylists were unable to give the Versailles a different body design compared to the Cadillac Seville which received a unique body design on an improved Chevrolet Nova platform. Adopting many features from the 1975–1976 Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia, the Lincoln Versailles was given a Continental-style "radiator" grille, quad rectangular headlights (the first Lincoln since 1969 with exposed headlights), and a Continental Mark-style trunk lid with simulated spare tire bulge. However, the Versailles introduced two features to American-market cars: halogen headlights and clearcoat paint. The Versailles was later criticized for being one of the worst examples of badge engineering.

Continental Mark IV and Mark V

Following the success of the Continental Mark III, Ford chose to develop a successor personal luxury coupe. For 1972, the Continental Mark IV made its debut, redesigned alongside the Ford Thunderbird. While sharing a common roofline with the Thunderbird, from the window line down, the Mark IV had distinct exterior sheet metal, with the return of a radiator-style grille, hidden headlights, and a redesigned spare-tire trunk lid. To distinguish itself from the Lincoln Continental, the Continental Mark IV featured full-height rear-wheel openings, precluding the use of fender skirts.

For the 1976 model year, the Continental Mark IV revived the concept of designer editions established by American Motors Corporation its own Designer Editions. Four versions were available as an option package with color, trim, and interior choices specified by fashion designers (Bill Blass, Cartier, Givenchy, and Pucci). Each carried the designer's signature on the opera windows and was fitted with a 22-karat (92%) gold-plated plaque on the instrument panel which could be engraved with the original owner's name. The concept was successful and would continue on other Lincolns until the end of the 2003 model year.

For 1977, Lincoln-Mercury replaced the Continental Mark IV with the Continental Mark V, a substantial exterior and interior revision of the Mark IV. At over 19 feet long, Mark V is one of the largest "coupes" ever sold in North America. In what would become a design theme for Lincoln into the 1990s, the Mark V used sharp-edged exterior styling with a center radiator grille. Following their 1976 success, the Mark IV adopted the Designer Editions option packages.

While introduced following the beginning of downsizing among American vehicles, the Continental Mark V would go on to become the most successful of all the Mark series vehicles, with over 228,000 sold across three model years.

File:1973 Lincoln Mark IV front left.jpg|1973 Continental Mark IV

File:1973 Lincoln Mark IV rear left.jpg|1973 Continental Mark IV, rear view

File:1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V (36414930055).jpg|1977 Continental Mark V

File:1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V (35579789634).jpg|1977 Continental Mark V, rear view

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1980s

As Lincoln entered the 1980s, the American auto industry remained in the "Malaise era", struggling to balance fuel efficiency, emissions controls, and downsizing; the industry also found itself competing against European and Japanese manufacturers entering segments once dominated by Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.

As a high point, after a ten-year model cycle, the Lincoln Continental underwent a complete redesign (downsizing for the first time), becoming the lightest Lincoln since World War II. Again sharing chassis underpinnings with Mercury and Ford, the Continental used the Panther platform of the Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis. Coupled with a shift to a V8, the fuel economy of the Lincoln model line rose nearly 40% in a single year. In contrast, the Lincoln Versailles was withdrawn early in the 1980 model year. As a result, by the end of 1980, Lincoln was marketing three versions of one vehicle. As a response, Lincoln split its two product lines, with the Continental becoming the Lincoln Town Car. After a short hiatus, for 1982, the Lincoln Continental shifted size into the mid-size segment (using the Ford Fox platform). While Lincoln would again compete against the Cadillac Seville (and to a lesser extent, Mercedes-Benz), the division completely erased any visual evidence of badge engineering.

Initially planned for withdrawal in the mid-1980s until the stabilization of fuel prices mitigated fuel-economy concerns, the Lincoln Town Car progressed through the decade largely unchanged (as Ford was pouring resources into the development of the Ford Taurus). While the Town Car retained its traditional layout and large size, fuel prices dropped to a contemporary new low at the time, and operating efficiency became less of a concern to buyers than a decade prior. At the same time, Ford was also benefitting from rival GM having downsized most of their top-trim cars into largely-identical front-wheel-drive models. To capitalize on this, Lincoln introduced a series of advertisements from Young & Rubicam in late 1985 titled "The Valet" which depicted a parking attendant and various well-off customers having trouble distinguishing Cadillacs from lesser Buicks (Electras) and Oldsmobiles (Ninety-Eights), leading to mass confusion; the owner of a Lincoln then appeared with the line "The Lincoln Town Car, please." and drove off as everyone else present continued to squabble over the identical cars.

These ads faced some resistance from within Ford, but Edsel Ford II, then working at the Lincoln-Mercury division, backed them up. The ads debuted, and proved to be a not only a major success for Lincoln (dealers reported not being able to keep cars in stock enough to meet demand), but a major embarrassment for General Motors, whose Cadillac dealers began to complain of lost sales thanks to the ads. The problem was further aggravated by an embarrassing incident in 1986 at Detroit's Oakland University during a gala fundraising event attended by auto industry executives; after a sudden rainstorm moved in, cars belonging to the executives were driven by students (acting as impromptu valets) who called out the make of the car. One was a Cadillac, and people quickly began to shout "No, it's a Buick!" or "No, it's an Oldsmobile" in reference to the Lincoln commercials, and even shouted out brands that had not been mentioned in the ad (Pontiac and Chevrolet), leading to the gather crowd laughing and jeering as more and more identical GM cars were retrieved. This proved to be the final straw for GM, whose chief executive Roger Smith contacted then-Ford chairman Don Petersen, practically begging to have the ads taken off the air. Petersen complied.

The commercial campaign saw the emergence of the new advertising slogan for the brand, "Lincoln. What a Luxury Car Should Be." which was used into the 1990s. Two (somewhat-contradictory) sequels to the first "Valet" ad aired in 1987 (one featuring a similar situation to the first ad involving white GM cars; the other involved the valet having a flashback to the events of the first commercial, only for the valet to be informed that one of the men involved had bought himself a Lincoln; his wife then commented that "He finally listened!") These series of commercials, however, were unable to turn around declining Town Car sales in the long-term. It was only after an all-new redesigned Town Car was introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year that its sales at least temporarily rebounded.

For 1988, the Lincoln Continental underwent a second redesign. Splitting from the Mark VII, the Continental became the first front-wheel drive Lincoln and was based on an extended-wheelbase version of the Ford Taurus. The 3.8 L V6 engine also marked the first time that a Lincoln did not even offer an 8-cylinder engine. The new Continental was positioned against domestic rivals as well as marketed against European and Japanese-produced luxury sedans. Following the debut of a driver-side airbag in the Ford Tempo, the 1989 Lincoln Continental became the first domestic brand sedan sold in the United States equipped with standard dual airbags. Average annual sales for the new Continental were more than double that of the previous generation model and helped the Lincoln brand to achieve record total sales in 1989 and again in 1990.

File:Lincoln Versailles, 1980.png|1980 Lincoln Versailles

File:82LincolnContinental.jpg|1982 Lincoln Continental Givenchy Edition

File:1984 Lincoln Towncar.jpg|1984 Lincoln Town Car

File:Lincoln Continental (4282945959).jpg|1986–1987 Lincoln Continental

File:88-91 Lincoln Continental.jpg|1988–1991 Lincoln Continental

File:1989 Lincoln Town Car -- 06-16-2011.jpg|1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

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Continental Mark VI and Mark VII

For 1980, the Continental Mark VI replaced the Mark V after only three years of production. Originally slated to downsize the Mark series into the mid-size segment (adopting the chassis of the Ford Thunderbird), Ford instead chose an intermediate step for the Mark VI, adopting the full-size Panther platform, with the model line sharing much of its body with the 1980 Lincoln Continental. Alongside the traditional two-door coupe (sharing its 114-inch wheelbase used by Ford and Mercury), a four-door sedan joined the Mark series for the first time since the 1958–1960 Mark III–V models (using the 117-inch wheelbase of Lincoln). While sharing much of its body with the all-new Continental/Town Car, many design elements of the successful Mark V made their return, including hidden headlamps, opera windows, and (non-functional) fender louvers; vertical taillamps were joined by a distinct spare-tire decklid. Coinciding with its smaller footprint, the Mark VI saw the standardization of fuel-injected V8 engines (a first for the American auto industry) and the first overdrive 4-speed automatic transmission; along with computer control for the engine itself, the instrument panel replaced analog instruments with digital displays (introducing a trip computer).

Serving as the flagship of the Mark VI model line, the Signature Series trim was introduced for 1980; serving as the successor to the Mark V Collector's Series, the Signature Series included nearly every feature as standard equipment. In 1981, the Signature Series trim was adopted by the Lincoln Town Car (in various forms, throughout its entire production) and by the 1982 Lincoln Continental (for that year only). Slotted below the Signature Series, all four Designer Series options returned (for Mark VI coupes). For 1982, the series underwent a revision, moving the Cartier and Givenchy Editions (to the Town Car and Continental, respectively); the Pucci Edition became offered only as a sedan. The Bill Blass Edition was offered through all four years of production (and returned for the successor Mark VII).

For 1984, the Continental Mark VII replaced the Mark VI, sharing its chassis with the Ford Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar and Lincoln Continental. In an extensive shift away from its Malaise-era predecessors, the Mark VII placed a far greater emphasis on handling and performance capability (though not to the extent of a European grand-touring car), introducing four-wheel disc brakes (with anti-lock capability), four-wheel air suspension, and shared its 4.9L V8 with the Ford Mustang GT.

In contrast to its 1979 Mark V predecessor of five years before, the 1984 Mark VII had shed 27 inches of length and over 1,200 pounds of curb weight. Alongside the base model (dropped after 1987), the Mark VII was marketed in the luxury-oriented Bill Blass Edition (a Gianni Versace edition was also sold from 1984 through 1985) and the higher-performance Mark VII LSC (Luxury Sports Coupe). Coinciding with its mechanical commonality to the 1982–1987 Lincoln Continental, the Mark VII was offered solely as a two-door coupe.

For 1986, the Mark VII adopted the Lincoln brand name to end Continental branding confusion. The last generation of the Mark series sold with a Designer Series option, the Mark VII was produced through the 1992 model year.

File:83 Lincoln Continental Mark VI (7811333464).jpg|1983 Continental Mark VI

File:83 Lincoln Continental Mark VI (7811337194).jpg|1983 Continental Mark VI

File:Lincoln-Continental-Mark-VII.jpg|1984–1985 Continental Mark VII LSC

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1990s

Lincoln entered the 1990s nearly matching rival Cadillac in vehicle sales, but now faced competition from newcomers Infiniti and Lexus.

For 1990, the Town Car underwent a full redesign (after following the traditional nine-year Lincoln model cycle). As the model line represented over half of all Lincoln sales, a redesign of the Town Car proved risky, but was also mandated by passive-restraint requirements and fuel-economy improvements. Shedding its sharp-edged exterior lines to allow for a far sleeker exterior, the Town Car adopted many rounded styling elements from the Mark VII; traditional elements also returned, including a formal rear roofline, radiator-style grille, chrome trim, and C-pillar quarter windows. Delayed until the 1991 model year, the Lincoln Town Car marked the debut of the 210 hp 4.6 L Ford Modular V8 engine, the first overhead-cam 8-cylinder engine used in an American car since the Duesenberg Model J. Built on a revision of the Panther platform, the 1990 Lincoln Town Car shared its underpinnings (but no exterior panels) with the 1992 Ford Crown Victoria (dropping the LTD prefix) and Mercury Grand Marquis.

To meet federal requirements, Lincoln marked the debut of several safety features within Ford Motor Company and within the American luxury segment. Following the 1989 debut of dual airbags in the Lincoln Continental (1990 in the Town Car), antilock brakes (ABS) made their return on the Continental (1988) and on the Town Car (1992).

Following the 1993 introduction of the Mark VIII (see below), the Continental underwent a redesign for 1995, introducing a new version of the Ford Taurus chassis. Styled closer to the Mark VIII, the Continental dropped its V6 in favor of a 4.6L V8 engine from the Mark VIII (tuned for front-wheel drive) to better compete with Japanese and European luxury sedans (in terms of power output).

The Lincoln model line underwent a significant transition for the 1998 model year. Alongside a mid-cycle revision of the Continental, the Town Car underwent a complete redesign of its body. The tallest Lincoln sedan in 40 years, the 1998 Town Car adopted the rounded exterior of the Mark VIII and Continental with a completely new interior. The Lincoln Navigator (see below) made its debut as the first Lincoln SUV, as the division fielded four model lines for the first time.

Bolstered by the launch of the Navigator, 1998 marked the first year Lincoln outranked Cadillac in vehicle sales (by over 4,500 vehicles). <gallery mode="packed">

File:90-92 Lincoln Town Car.jpg|1990–1992 Lincoln Town Car

File:95-97 Lincoln Town Car.jpg|1995–1997 Lincoln Town Car

File:LTC Signature 1998-2002.png|1998–2002 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

File:92-94 Lincoln Continental.jpg|1994 Lincoln Continental

File:1995-1997 Lincoln Continental.jpg|1995–1997 Lincoln Continental

File:98-02 Lincoln Continental.jpg|1998–2002 Lincoln Continental

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Lincoln Mark VIII

For the 1993 model year, the Lincoln Mark VII was replaced by the Lincoln Mark VIII. The first generation of the Mark series originally branded as a Lincoln, the Mark VIII remained a variant of the Ford Thunderbird/Mercury Cougar, shifting from the 1980 Fox chassis to the FN10 chassis (a Lincoln version of the MN12 chassis). Placing further emphasis on handling, the Mark VIII retained rear-wheel drive and adopted four-wheel independent suspension (with the Mark VIII and Thunderbird/Cougar as the only American-produced four-seat cars of the time with both chassis features). The body was streamlined further to modernize its exterior (relegating the spare-tire decklid to vestigial status). In massive contrast to its 1970s predecessors, the Mark VIII was given a cockpit-style interior, with all controls oriented towards the driver.

Alongside a standard trim, the LSC (Luxury Sports Coupe) made its return as the flagship Mark VIII model; Designer Editions were discontinued. Though positively received by both critics and buyers, sales of mid-size luxury coupes were on decline during the 1990s. After the 1998 model year, the Mark VIII was withdrawn (outliving the Thunderbird and Cougar by a year). As of current production, the Lincoln Mark VIII remains the final generation of the Lincoln Mark series. In various forms, elements of the Mark VIII design were adopted by other Lincolns (the 1995 Lincoln Continental, the 1995 Lincoln Town Car interior, and the 1998 Town Car exterior) and other Ford Motor Company products (the Ford Windstar minivan interior).

File:93 Lincoln Mark VIII (9674876061).jpg|1993 Lincoln Mark VIII

File:93 Lincoln Mark VIII (9678105220).jpg|1993 Lincoln Mark VIII

File:1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC in red, front left.jpg|1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC

File:1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC in red, rear left.jpg|1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC

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Lincoln Navigator

thumb|1998-2000 Lincoln Navigator

For 1998, Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Navigator full-size SUV, its first new nameplate since the Versailles (outside of the Mark series), derived from the Ford Expedition (itself based on the Ford F-150). Developed as a competitor for the Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX450, the truck-based design of Navigator allowed increased cargo and towing capability over its competitors (rated at 8,500 pounds for 1999). The Navigator also offered standard third-row seating for up to 8 passengers (offered only on the Land Cruiser/LX).

Sharing no common bodywork with the Expedition forward of the windshield, the Navigator shared several design elements from the 1998 Town Car, including its use of body-color bumpers, chrome license-plate surround (the only chrome on the rear liftgate), and conservative use of chrome (primarily on the grille, door handles, and window trim); in modified form, the grille was later used on the later Lincoln LS and Lincoln Aviator.

In an extended debut model year, the Navigator became the second-most popular Lincoln vehicle behind the Town Car, selling 71,000 examples. In response, General Motors launched its own luxury-brand full-size SUVs, deriving the GMC Yukon Denali and Cadillac Escalade from the Chevrolet Tahoe.

2000s

As the division entered the 21st century, Lincoln began a period of major transition. In addition to ending production of the long-running Mark series, the Lincoln Navigator SUV had entered production, nearly unchallenged by European and Japanese manufacturers. As buyers of mid-size coupes in the luxury segments had shifted towards sports sedans, Lincoln developed an entry for the segment in the place of the Mark VIII. For 2000, Lincoln introduced the Lincoln LS mid-size sports sedan; coinciding with Premier Automotive Group (see below), the LS was developed alongside the Jaguar S-Type. Though the two vehicles shared a common chassis and related powertrain, no body panels were common between the two vehicles. The shortest Lincoln ever produced at the time, the LS was developed to compete with European and Japanese-produced counterparts, in line with the Cadillac Catera. While the Catera was imported from Germany (as a rebadged Opel Omega), the LS was produced alongside the Town Car and Continental in Wixom Assembly.

For 2002, Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Blackwood, the first pickup truck produced by the brand and the second Lincoln manufactured outside of Michigan following the 1977–1980 Versailles. Derived from the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, the Blackwood was fitted with the front bodywork of the Lincoln Navigator and a model-specific pickup bed (with imitation wood exterior trim). In line with its name, all examples were painted black. The Lincoln Blackwood met with poor reception, due to its limited cargo capability (its pickup bed was effectively a carpeted trunk) and lack of four-wheel drive, leading Lincoln to discontinue the model after a single year of production.

2003 marked a period of transition for the Lincoln model line, as both the Town Car and LS underwent mid-cycle updates (with the Town Car receiving a full chassis redesign), with Lincoln introducing the second generation of the Navigator. To complement the Navigator, Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Aviator mid-size SUV. Sharing the body of the Ford Explorer with the Mercury Mountaineer, the Aviator adopted many styling elements from the Navigator, with a nearly identical interior design. While priced higher than its Mercury Mountaineer counterpart to avoid model overlap, the Aviator struggled to sell, as it competed closely against the Navigator sold in the same showroom. After 52 years of production, the Continental was discontinued for 2003.

For 2005, Lincoln introduced a second pickup truck model line, the Lincoln Mark LT. Again based on the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, the design of the Mark LT was partially derived from the poor reception of the Lincoln Blackwood. While still fitted with Lincoln Navigator bodywork and interior trim, the Mark LT was fitted with a standard pickup bed; the all-wheel drive was available as an option. Following lower-than-expected sales, the Mark LT was withdrawn from the United States in 2008; in Mexico (where the Mark LT was the highest-selling vehicle of the brand) Lincoln continued sales of the Mark LT through 2014.

During 2006, The Way Forward restructuring plan (see below) began to take effect on Ford Motor Company, with the Lincoln LS ending production. To replace the LS, Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Zephyr for 2006. In what would be the smallest Lincoln sedan ever, the Zephyr was derived from the Ford Fusion mid-size sedan. In an effort to distinguish itself from its Ford and Mercury counterparts, the Lincoln Zephyr adapted styling elements from Lincoln vehicles of the past, including a wide rectangular grille (the 1960s and 1970s Continentals), wraparound headlamps (late 1960s Continentals), and twin-pod dashboard (early 1960s Continental).

In 2007, as another part of The Way Forward, Lincoln began a rebranding of its model line. As Ford considered the Lincoln Mark series to have high nameplate recognition, Lincoln began to introduce similar "MK" branding across the model lineup. For 2007, the Lincoln Zephyr was rebranded as the Lincoln MKZ ("em-kay-zee"), with the 2007 Lincoln MKX ("em-kay-ex") crossover SUV introduced. Originally slated to become the second-generation Lincoln Aviator, the MKX was the Lincoln counterpart of the Ford Edge. Alongside the Lincoln Town Car, the Lincoln Navigator was not included with the MK rebranding; for 2007, it was redesigned alongside the Ford Expedition, marking the debut of the extended-length Navigator L. For the last time, a Designer Series Lincoln was produced, as Lincoln discontinued the trim on the Town Car after 2007. Produced only as a concept car, the 2007 Lincoln MKR marked the debut of the Ford EcoBoost V6.

For 2009, Lincoln introduced its first all-new full-size sedan since 1980, the Lincoln MKS. Intended to be phased in as the replacement for the Lincoln Town Car, the MKS was the Lincoln counterpart of the Ford Taurus. Built on a Volvo-derived chassis, the MKS was the first full-size Lincoln with front-wheel drive (or optional all-wheel drive); shared with the Ford Taurus SHO, a 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 was an option. Derived from the 2007 MKR concept, the MKS marked the production debut of the "split-wing" grille, a design element similar to the 1930s Lincoln Zephyr. A year later, the division introduced the Lincoln MKT crossover SUV, a counterpart of the Ford Flex. Sharing its chassis with the MKS, the MKT was sized between the MKX and standard-wheelbase Navigator.

File:2002 Lincoln Blackwood 1.jpg|2002 Lincoln Blackwood

File:Lincoln Town Car Signature.JPG|2003–2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

File:2004 Lincoln LS -- NHTSA.jpg|2004 Lincoln LS

File:LincolnAviator.jpg|2003-2005 Lincoln Aviator

File:Navigator L.jpg|2007 Lincoln Navigator L

File:2009 Lincoln MKZ.jpg|2009 Lincoln MKZ

File:Lincoln MKS -- 01-13-2010.jpg|2009 Lincoln MKS

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Premier Automotive Group & The Way Forward

As Lincoln entered the 21st century, the brand underwent a major transition within the structure of Ford Motor Company. As Ford expanded its global automotive holdings during the 1980s and 1990s, it acquired Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover, and Volvo Cars. To collectively manage its global luxury-vehicle holdings, in 1999, Ford organized Premier Automotive Group (PAG). The same year, the management of Lincoln-Mercury was shifted to the American headquarters of PAG, largely in an effort to engineer and market more competitive vehicles for the brand.

The integration of Lincoln into PAG would lead to several product changes within the division. Following the 2000 debut of the LS sports sedan, the Lincoln Continental was withdrawn in 2002. To avoid the model overlap that plagued the division two decades before, Lincoln chose to focus production on the Lincoln Town Car, one of the highest-profit vehicles of Ford Motor Company. During 2002, as part of a change of management, Lincoln-Mercury was removed from PAG and relocated to Ford Motor Company headquarters.

In 2005, Ford developed The Way Forward restructuring plan in an effort to return to profitability. Among the seven vehicle assembly facilities slated for closure, Wixom Assembly (home to all Lincoln assembly since 1957, with the exception of the Versailles, Navigator, Blackwood, and Mark LT) was placed third, with an announced June 2007 closure. After a shortened 2006 model year, the Lincoln LS ended production. Initially slated for discontinuation after 2007, production of the Lincoln Town Car was shifted to St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario, consolidated with the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. In 2011, all three vehicles ended production, coinciding with the closure of that facility.

2010s

For the Lincoln division, the beginning of the 2010s introduced a number of structural changes. While Lincoln and Mercury were spared by The Way Forward, in 2010, Ford announced the closure of Mercury at the end of the year, with the final Mercury vehicle produced on January 4, 2011. After 30 years of production as a distinct model line (and 41 years as a Lincoln nameplate), the Lincoln Town Car ended its production run in 2011, coinciding with the closure of the St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario. In contrast to the V8-engined Lincoln Town Car, for 2011, Lincoln introduced the MKZ Hybrid, a counterpart of the Ford Fusion Hybrid. The first Lincoln hybrid vehicle, the MKZ Hybrid was the first Lincoln equipped with a four-cylinder engine. Following the discontinuation of the Town Car sedan, Lincoln continued the use of the Town Car nameplate, adding it to limousine and livery variants of the Lincoln MKT. Along with chassis modifications for heavy-duty use, the MKT Town Car features modified rear seating, with the third-row seat removed to create additional luggage space and second-row seat legroom.

To reflect the end of the Lincoln-Mercury division pairing (from 1945 to 2010), in December 2012, the formal name of Lincoln was changed to The Lincoln Motor Company (its name prior to 1940). To help differentiate Lincoln vehicles from Ford counterparts, Ford established separate design, product development, and sales teams for Lincoln. In a marketing shift, Lincoln began to target "progressive luxury customers", buyers who sought luxury without ostentation.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Continental nameplate, Lincoln unveiled the 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition. The wheelbase featured a 6-inch stretch to provide more rear passenger room along with longer roof, rear doors, and rear windows. The variant also marked the revival of the rear-hinged door configuration (after a 40-year absence). Cabot Coach Builders of Massachusetts provided stretch as well as rear door and interior conversion. The Coach Door variant is otherwise similar to the Continental's Black Label trim level with a twin-turbocharged 3.0 L V6 with four-wheel drive.

The MKT (including the MKT Town Car livery version) was discontinued in 2019, marking the final use of the Town Car nameplate.

File:2010 Lincoln MKZ 3.jpg|2010 Lincoln MKZ, 1st Gen

File:2011 Lincoln MKX -- 03-09-2011 1.jpg|2011 Lincoln MKX

File:2013 Lincoln Mk T Town Car NYC.JPG|2013 Lincoln MKT Town Car

File:Lincoln MKC 01 China 2015-04-10.jpg|2015 Lincoln MKC

File:Lincoln MKX II 01 China 2016-04-18.jpg|2016 Lincoln MKX

File:2017 Lincoln MKZ 'Select' 2.0T front 5.19.19.jpg|2017 Lincoln MKZ, 2nd Gen

File:Lincoln Continental P4220637.jpg|2018 Lincoln Continental

File:2018 Lincoln Navigator front 9.22.18.jpg|2018 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label

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2020s

For 2020, the Lincoln model line underwent further expansion, with the return of the Aviator mid-size SUV (again a counterpart of the Ford Explorer); the revived Aviator offers the first hybrid-electric system in a Lincoln SUV. The long-wheelbase coach-door Continental is now offered as a regular production model only in Black Label trim. The MKC was replaced by the Lincoln Corsair, remaining a counterpart of the Ford Escape/Kuga. Also in 2020, Lincoln announced that it was ending production of the Continental and MKZ sedans by end of the year due to the popularity of SUVs. The Town Car CKD kits received an exterior restyling, fitted with different front fenders, headlamps and taillamps, and a new grille. Along with a standard-wheelbase sedan, three lengths of limousines were produced, along with the Hongqi CA7400 prototype. By the end of 2016, Lincoln intended to establish a network of 60 dealerships in 50 cities, selling the MKZ, Continental, MKC, MKX, and Navigator. 2016 sales increased 180% over the previous year, with Lincoln planning to produce vehicles in China by 2019. To attract Chinese consumers, Lincoln introduced "The Lincoln Way", a car purchase and ownership model which provides highly personalized services to customers.

On March 29, 2020, the first Lincoln made in China (a Lincoln Corsair) was produced by Chang'an Ford at its facility in Chongqing. In 2022, a new Zephyr sedan built only for the Chinese market replaced the discontinued MKZ.

Europe

Ford of Europe does not market the Lincoln brand. To compete against luxury-brand automobiles, the Italian coachbuilder Vignale (acquired by Ford in 1973) is marketed by Ford of Europe as a sub-brand as the highest trim of the Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, Kuga, Edge, and S-Max.

Middle East

Ford markets the Lincoln brand in several Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Leadership

Kumar Galhotra (2014–2018)
Joy Falotico (2018–2022)
Dianne Craig (2022–2025)
Joaquin Nuño-Whelan (2025–present) As a replacement for the greyhound, Lincoln adopted a knight's helmet hood ornament, used before World War II. On the front fascia, Lincoln adopted a coat of arms with a cross integrating the knight's helment. The coat of arms continued use through 1956. The Lincoln Premier was introduced for 1956 featuring its own eight-point star which was adapted for all Lincoln models for 1957. From that point only Lincoln branded models used the eight-point star emblem until the end of the 1960 model year.

Introduced on the Continental Mark II for 1956, the boxed four-point "Continental star" emblem was used exclusively on Continental branded vehicles through 1960. When the Continental brand transitioned to become a sole Lincoln model line for 1961, the Lincoln eight-point star was discontinued as the "Continental star" took over for the Lincoln brand since there was only the Continental. The introduction of the 1977 Lincoln Versailles marks the first use of the "Continental star" emblem on a vehicle that was not branded a Continental. The emblem underwent various modifications in appearance over the years remaining nearly unchanged since 1980. Since 2018, an illuminated version of the front grille badge has been offered as an option.

Mark series (1968–1998)

Intended as a successor of the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II personal luxury car, the Continental Mark III was the first generation of the revived Continental Mark series. Marketed as personal luxury cars, the Mark series served as the flagship of the entire Ford Motor Company range. Though marketed and serviced through the Lincoln-Mercury dealer network, Mark series vehicles did not carry Lincoln badging (with the exception of the four-point star badge, itself inherited from the Continental Mark II), with Ford officially using Continental as the brand name (later used for 1981–1985 Mark-series VINs).

Quiet flight (2018)

Current model line

{| class="wikitable"

! |Model

! |Category

! |Years

| Lincoln Navigator

|Full-size SUV

|1998–present

|Lincoln Aviator

|Mid-size three-row crossover SUV

|2020–present

|Lincoln Nautilus

|Mid-size two-row crossover SUV

|2019–present

|Lincoln Corsair

|Compact crossover SUV

|2020–present

|Lincoln Z

|Sedan

|2022–present

Motorsport

Like all American brands of the 1950s, Lincoln participated in NASCAR's Grand National Stock Car series, winning the first race in that series. Lincolns were campaigned in NASCAR through 1953.

The Continental Mark VII was raced in the Trans-Am Series in 1984 and 1985 without success, with the best result being a ninth-place finish at the 1984 Watkins Glen Trans-Am race.

In 1992, a Lincoln Mark VIII prototype was built as a land speed record car, setting the top speed record for a stock car with an engine under 5 liters at .

The Mark VIII was tested at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1996 as a potential replacement for the discontinued Ford Thunderbird, but the car was rejected by NASCAR due to a lack of wind tunnel testing and not getting the serial numbers of the parts to ensure they were stock components, as well as Ford not wanting to give Lincoln, traditionally a luxury brand, a racing image; Ford ultimately replaced the Thunderbird with the Ford Taurus.

Presidential state cars

From 1939 to 1993, Lincolns were included as official state limousines for Presidents of the United States, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George H. W. Bush. Along with producing the first purpose-built presidential limousine, Lincoln produced the first armored vehicles for presidential use.

{| class="wikitable"

!Vehicle

!Base vehicle

!Years in service

!Body style

!Presidential service

!On display

!Notes

!Sunshine Special (1939)border|center|frameless|220x220px

|1939 Lincoln Model K

414 cubic-inch V12

|1939-1950

|4-door convertible

(Coachwork by Brunn)

|Franklin D. Roosevelt

Harry Truman

|Henry Ford Museum(Dearborn, Michigan)

|Underwent security and safety modifications in 1942, becoming first armored presidential vehicle.

Restyled with 1942 Lincoln front fascia.

First presidential limousine to travel outside the United States (1945).

!Lincoln Cosmopolitan fleet1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan "Bubble Top" convertible|border|center|frameless

|1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan

337 cubic-inch V8

|1950-1965

|9x 4-door sedans

1x 4-door convertible

(Coachwork by Henney Motor Company,

Security upgrades by Hess & Eisenhardt)

|Harry Truman

Dwight D. Eisenhower

John F. Kennedy

Lyndon B. Johnson

|Henry Ford Museum(Dearborn, Michigan)

|Fleet of vehicles leased, bodied with extended wheelbases and higher-headroom roofs

Convertible was fitted with a removable Plexiglas roof in 1954, taking on a "Bubble Top" nickname"

Used once by Lyndon B. Johnson.

!SS-100-X/100Xcenter|frameless

|1961 Lincoln Continental

430 cubic-inch V8

|1961-1963 (original configuration)

1965-1967 (redesign)

|4-door open car (1961)

4-door limousine sedan (1965 configuration)

Coachwork by Hess & Eisenhardt (both configurations)

|John F. Kennedy

Lyndon B. Johnson

|Henry Ford Museum(Dearborn, Michigan)

|In its 1961 configuration, the limousine was designed as an open car with a series of interchangeable tops, including a stainless-steel Targa top above the driver's compartment and either a black formal-profile roof or a series of Plexiglass rear top sections (similar to its "Bubble Top" predecessor"). Extended in length 3 feet over a standard Continental, adding a middle row of jump seats, along with heavy-duty heating and air conditioning. Following the 1963 Kennedy assassination, SS-100-X was dismantled and remanufactured at a cost of over $500,000. The open-car configuration was replaced by a fixed roof and the vehicle received armor plating and bulletproof glass. Though upgraded with upgraded communications equipment, the vehicles did not include upgraded security features.

|In contrast to the 1961/1965 SS-100-X, the 1969 Lincoln Continental commissioned for the Nixon administration was developed originally as a closed car (it has a roofline closer in height to the standard Lincoln Continental). Sharing many of the security features of its predecessor, the 1969 vehicle was fitted with a roof opening (so Nixon could stand up to greet the crowd from the motorcade).

!1972 Lincoln Continental1972 Lincoln Continental limousine (showing 1978 facelift)|border|center|frameless

|1972 Lincoln Continental

460 cubic-inch V8

|1974-1992

|4-door stretch limousine

(Coachwork by Ford Motor Company)

|Gerald Ford

Jimmy Carter

Ronald Reagan

George H.W. Bush

|Henry Ford Museum(Dearborn, Michigan)

|Constructed by Ford Motor Company, the 1972 Continental is the longest-serving Presidential State Car.

Again fitted with full body armor and bulletproof glass, the vehicle was again fitted with a roof opening allowing the President to stand through; this would be the final Presidential limousine so fitted.

Played a role in protecting Presidents Ford and Reagan during 1975 assassination attempt and 1981 assassination attempt, respectively. Following the latter, the car underwent an interior and exterior refurbishment (styled with the fascias of a 1979 Continental).

!1989 Lincoln Town Car Presidential Limousine1989 Lincoln Town Car state limousine|border|center|frameless

|1989 Lincoln Town Car

7.5L V8

|1989-1993

|4-door stretch limousine

|George H.W. Bush

|George Bush Presidential Library(College Station, Texas)

|The first Lincoln since the 1950 Cosmopolitans that is not a Continental, the 1989 Lincoln Town Car is again a fully armored stretch limousine. Replacing a 1983 Cadillac, the Town Car again adopted a tall roofline to allow for external visibility of the President (sharing little commonality with the production vehicle). To accommodate the increased weight of the taller roofline, armor plating, and bulletproof glass (though its true curb weight remains classified), Ford fitted the vehicle with the 7.5L (460 cubic-inch) V8 and E4OD 4-speed heavy-duty transmission from its 350-series full-size truck/van line. Currently, this remains the final Lincoln-brand vehicle used as a Presidential State Car; from 1993 onward, the Secret Service has selected Cadillac-brand vehicles for its motorcade cars.

References

External links

Website of Lincoln Presidential Limousines