The earliest Lincoln Continental was the automotive equivalent of Catherine Zeta-Jones — it ought to have come with a warning label that read “May Cause Shortness of Breath.” Based on the Lincoln Zephyr, the Continental got its start as a one-off drop top commissioned by Edsel Ford in the late 1930s. Serving as his vehicle [...]
The earliest Lincoln Continental was the automotive equivalent of Catherine Zeta-Jones — it ought to have come with a warning label that read “May Cause Shortness of Breath.” Based on the Lincoln Zephyr, the Continental got its start as a one-off drop top commissioned by Edsel Ford in the late 1930s. Serving as his vehicle of choice during his annual jaunts to Palm Beach, the car’s exquisite shape generated so much buzz that Lincoln decided to put the Continental air suspension into production. Available as both a cabriolet and a coupe, the Continental debuted in 1940. World War II and other events resulted in stops and starts in the car’s production over the next decade or so, but by the mid-’50s, the Continental was back — this time as its own brand. That arrangement didn’t last (the Continental brand was folded back into the Lincoln marque in 1957), but the Continental did. For more than two decades, it served as Lincoln’s flagship model.
As a recipe for ailing sales, the Lincoln Continental was redesigned in 1961. Now available as either a sedan or a four-door convertible (the nation’s first in more than a decade) it was hailed for its clean good looks and winning performance. That era’s photogenic First Family was often snapped riding in the Continental; it came to be known as the “Kennedy Lincoln” and enjoyed a wave of popularity. Another redesign took place for 1966 and again in 1970, which left the Continental with a blocky, more formal look (highlighted by hidden headlamps and a larger grille) and a coil-link rear suspension. Fuel economy and emissions regulations forced Lincoln’s hand, and the Continental was given makeovers in 1980 and ’82. The car rode on a much shorter wheelbase, and offered improved gas mileage. In 1988, the car was given a new platform — one shared by the midsize Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. This Continental was the first Lincoln to offer front-wheel drive and a fully independent suspension.
Unfortunately, this move to front-wheel drive eventually doomed the Lincoln Continental rear air suspension as it progressed through the end of the 20th century. Late-model Continentals didn’t exactly crackle with the same desirability as that very first model, as consumer tastes had moved away from the soft-riding big-car brand of luxury that was the Continental’s stock in trade. Even more notably, foreign rivals such as BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz had eclipsed the car in performance and refinement and had become top choices for shoppers in this segment. Dogged by weak sales, Lincoln’s big sedan was retired in 2002.
Content © vipwealth.net
Proudly powered by WordPress
Theme designed by Artisan Themes
36 queries.
0.366 seconds.