Lincoln introduces the 2017 Continental at the North American International Auto Show on January 12, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan.Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Lincoln Continental has a storied past. Now it has a future.
The new Continental full-size sedan debuted Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show. It goes on sale this fall in the United States and China.
For most of Lincoln's 99-year history, the Continental was the pinnacle of luxury. It was born in 1938, when Henry Ford's son Edsel asked designers to make a convertible he could drive during a vacation to Palm Beach. Thrilled by his friends' reactions, Edsel made the Continental part of Ford Motor Co.'s luxury Lincoln brand.
But Ford faltered in the 1990s. It bought other luxury brands, such as Jaguar and Aston Martin, and underestimated growing competition from Japanese and German luxury brands. Lincoln stopped making the Continental in 2002 so it could focus on a newer model, the LS. It eventually sold its other luxury brands. But Lincoln sales fell further.
Lincoln is reviving the Continental as part of a multiyear, multibillion-dollar comeback. It's a nod to the history that sets Lincoln apart from its rivals. It's also targeted at customers in China, who have a particular appreciation for historic American brands. Lincoln expects to sell around 60 per cent of the Continentals it makes in China, where it plans to double its dealerships to 60 by the end of this year. The Continental will be made in Michigan.
Continental sales will likely be limited in the United States. Sales of full-size sedans have been plummeting as mid-size cars, such as the Lincoln MKZ, get bigger, and new small SUVs, such as the Lincoln MKC, entice buyers. The Continental will likely start around $50,000 (U.S.).
The elegant Continental hasn't changed much from the concept version that debuted at last year's New York Auto Show. It has the same gently undulating sides, wraparound taillights and a panoramic glass roof. The doors open with very little effort and snap themselves closed, one of many ways designers tried to make the vehicle relaxing and serene.
Inside, there are patented, Ford-designed seats that can be adjusted up to 30 ways. They have separate settings for each thigh, inflating cushions, heating and cooling and a massage function, and they're designed to hug your back if you swivel around. In another nod to China, where many owners are chauffeured, there is a reclining seat in the rear. There's also a specially designed, 19-speaker Revel audio system.
The Continental is powered by a new, 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque.
Kumar Golhatra, Lincoln's president, says the brand's effort is paying off. Lincoln's U.S. sales rose 7 per cent last year, faster than the industry average; it sold more than 100,000 vehicles in the United States for the first time since 2008. It also sold more than 11,500 vehicles in China.