Lincoln Motor Company

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 the company to General Motors in 1909, remaining on as an executive until 1917, when he left over a dispute with GM President William Durant. Naming Lincoln Motor Company after Abraham Lincoln, the first President for whom he ever voted (1864), Leland financed the company by securing a $10 million contract to build Liberty V12 aircraft engines, breaking ground on the Lincoln Motor Company Plant. To build the Liberty engines, Lincoln sourced parts from other manufacturers; along with cylinders produced by Ford, other parts were sourced from Buick, Cadillac, Marmon, and Packard.^{[8]:4[9]:163–164} In total, 6,500 Liberty V12 engines were produced by Lincoln before the end of World War I ceased wartime production.

Following a complete retooling for automobile production, Lincoln Motor Company developed its first automobile, the Lincoln Model L. Intended as a rival for Cadillac and similar luxury car manufacturers, the Model L was powered by a V8 engine, derived from the technology of the Liberty V12.

1930s

During the early 1920s, Lincoln steered away from the common American automotive industry practice of yearly model changes. While used to market fresh designs to customers, Lincoln found that its customers had begun to purchase multiple Lincolns (or other luxury vehicles) in different bodystyles; yearly styling changes would not properly accommodate its customer base. Following the 1930 model year, however, Lincoln chose to withdraw the Model L in favor of a more modern vehicle. For 1931, the Lincoln Model K was introduced as a competitor to the Cadillac 355 Chrysler Imperial, Duesenberg Model J, and Packard Eight.

For 1932, Lincoln became an American manufacturer to produce a "multi-cylinder" engine as it introduced its first V12 engine. While not the first to produce a V12 engine in an American-produced car, in 1933, Lincoln became the first manufacturer to produce vehicles exclusively with V12 engines, as it retired the L-head V8 engine.

During the 1930s, Lincoln expanded to two model lines for the first time. As Lincoln shifted the Model K upwards in price, Edsel Ford introduced the Lincoln-Zephyr as a sub-marque within Lincoln for 1936.^[14]:155 Designed to compete against the LaSalle and Chrysler Airstream, the Lincoln-Zephyr introduced an all-new body and chassis, along with its own V12 engine. As a result, Lincoln sales increased ninefold from 1935 to 1936.^{[15]:1196–1197}

• 
  1931 Lincoln Model K
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  1932 Lincoln Model KA (V8) six-window sedan
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  1935 Lincoln Model K
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  1938 Lincoln-Zephyr 4-door sedan
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  1938 Lincoln Model K Convertible Sedan (body by LeBaron)

1940s

Following the Great Depression, a number of American luxury car manufacturers were either forced into closure or reorganization; by 1940, alongside Lincoln, the American luxury-car segment largely consisted of Cadillac (who ended production of the LaSalle and V16 in 1940), the Chrysler Imperial (reduced to 8-passenger sedans and limousines), and Packard. To further secure the future for Lincoln, on April 30, 1940, Ford Motor Company reorganized Lincoln Motor Company as the Lincoln Division of Ford Motor Motor Company.^[16]:199 While previously operating as an autonomous entity, as a division, Lincoln structurally became similar to its major competitor Cadillac (within General Motors).

As part of the change, several changes were made to the Lincoln model line. Following the positive feedback of the 1939 Lincoln Continental one-off convertible built for Edsel Ford, the Lincoln Continental was introduced as a Lincoln-Zephyr production model for 1940. For 1941, Lincoln revised its branding; the hyphen was removed from Lincoln-Zephyr, making it a Lincoln.^[16]:206 As a replacement for the expensive Model K, an extended-wheelbase Lincoln Custom variant of the Lincoln Zephyr was developed. Following the development of proper tooling, the Lincoln Continental began production on the assembly line, replacing hand-built construction.

After the entry of the United States into World War II, as with all U.S. auto manufacturers, Lincoln ended automobile production as Ford Motor Company concentrated on wartime manufacturing. Following the conclusion of the war in 1945, the structure of Lincoln within Ford changed again, as the Lincoln-Mercury Division was created, pairing Mercury and Lincoln together; from 1945 to the 2010 closure of Mercury, the two luxury divisions were paired together within Ford.

For 1946, Lincoln returned to production, ending the use of the Zephyr name. Code-named the H-series, non-Continental Lincolns were identified by their body style. Using slightly updated exteriors from 1942, the 1946 Lincolns continued the use of the Zephyr chassis. 1948 marked the final year of the Zephyr chassis (dating to 1936) and (as of 2018) the use of a V12 engine in an American mass-produced automobile. After 5,322 were produced (as both a Lincoln-Zephyr and Lincoln), Lincoln ended production of the Continental.

For 1949, all three Ford Motor Company divisions debuted their first postwar designs. Sharing its body structure with the Mercury Eight, the redesigned Lincoln model line (code-named the EL-series) marked the first use of a V8 in a Lincoln since 1932. An all-new V12 intended for Lincoln was stillborn in development, leading the division to adapt a Ford flathead V8 (from the Ford F-8 conventional truck). As with the previous Lincoln Continental, the 1949 Lincoln dispensed with running boards completely, moving on to abandon pontoon styling entirely, with a straight fender line (and low hoodline) from headlamp to taillamp. In a carryover from Zephyr-based Lincolns, the 1949 Lincolns retained rear-hinged passenger doors. As a flagship model of Lincoln, the Lincoln Cosmopolitan was styled with its own rear roofline.

• 
  1940 Lincoln Zephyr
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  1942 Lincoln Continental coupe
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  1946 Lincoln (coupe)
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  1948 Lincoln (sedan)
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  1948 Lincoln Continental
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  1949 Lincoln (convertible)
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  1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan

1950s

As Lincoln entered the 1950s, Ford Motor Company sought to increase the differentiation between the Mercury and Lincoln model lines. For 1952, to add interest to the brand, Lincoln returned to model names for the first time since 1942, with the Lincoln Cosmopolitan becoming the standard Lincoln model, with the Lincoln Capri becoming the flagship model line. In a return to (small) pontoon rear fenders, Lincolns shared a body with the Mercury Monterey. Mechanically, Lincoln differed from Mercury, as the Ford truck V8 was replaced by the Lincoln Y-block V8 with a Hydramatic transmission. For the first time since the discontinuation of the Model K, Lincolns were produced with front-hinged rear doors.

For 1956, the shared Lincoln-Mercury body underwent a redesign for the final time, with Lincoln adopting elements from the Mercury XM-800 and Lincoln Futura concept cars. Slotted above the Lincoln Capri, the Lincoln Premiere adapted features of the Continental Mark II, including its ducted air conditioning.

During 1956, Lincoln-Mercury was reorganized slightly, following the creation of the free-standing Edsel and Continental divisions, Lincoln-Mercury was changed to Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln (MEL), with Edsel slotted alongside/below Mercury and Continental above Lincoln, as the flagship of all of Ford Motor Company. By the end of 1959, Continental was integrated into Lincoln and Edsel was withdrawn.

The Lincoln Motor Company Plant, built in Detroit, Michigan by Henry Leland in 1917, was closed after 1952; subsequent Lincolns were produced alongside Mercury Montereys and Mercury Montclairs. For the 1957 model year, Ford opened Wixom Assembly in Wixom, Michigan as a facility to specialize in Lincoln production. From 1957 to 2007, the facility produced Lincoln vehicles nearly exclusively, along with the Ford GT and several generations of the Ford Thunderbird.

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  1950 Lincoln (sedan)
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  1953 Lincoln Capri
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  1955 Lincoln Capri
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  1956 Lincoln Premiere
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  1957 Lincoln Premiere Landau (4-door hardtop)
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  1959 Lincoln Premiere

Continental Division (1956–1959)

Main article: Continental Mark II

1956 Continental Mark II

For the 1956 model year, Ford Motor Company created the Continental Division, slotted above Lincoln as the flagship marque of Ford Motor Company. At its launch, Continental introduced the Continental Mark II as its model line, intended as a successor to the 1940-1948 Lincoln Continental personal luxury car. Offered as a two-door hardtop coupe, the Mark II broke from a number of American styling precedents of the time. While fitted with whitewall tires, the exterior was fitted with minimal chrome trim on the body sides; tailfins were left off of the body completely. In place of the bumper-mounted spare tire of the original Lincoln Continental, the trunklid of the Mark II showcased the design element, with a large imitation spare tire bulge (which fit over the actual spare tire inside the trunk). The Mark II was largely hand-built, with extensive quality testing done to each engine and transmission before leaving the factory.

In place of establishing a separate sales and service network for Continental, the Mark II was marketed through Lincoln (the Mark II used a Lincoln engine and transmission). At $10,000 in 1956 (equivalent to $90,012 in 2017^[17]), the Mark II was the most expensive car produced by an American automaker at the time, rivaling the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud in price.

On July 18, 1956, the Continental Division was integrated into Lincoln which continued to manage the Continental brand as a separate marque.^[18]:281 During the 1957 model year, the Mark II was withdrawn, largely as a consequence of its hand-built construction; each unit was sold at a loss of over $1,000. Subsequently, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham overtook the Mark II as the most expensive American-produced vehicle.

For 1958, as part of a mandated $4000 reduction in price, Continental adopted the body of Lincoln, expanding into multiple body styles for the Mark III (the nomenclature indicating the transition). Adding a feature of the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, Continental adopted a retractable rear window across every bodystyle (including convertibles) with a reverse-slant rear roofline. For 1959, the Mark III was renamed the Mark IV, becoming the Mark V for 1960.^{[18]:331,337,414, 582–583}

In 1959, the Continental Division was formally brought to an end within Lincoln; for 1960, the Mark V was brought to production, ending the model cycle alongside the standard Lincoln model line.

Unibody vehicles

1959 Continental Mark IV Town Car formal-roof sedan

For the 1958 model year, the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln (M-E-L) division adapted new bodies across its vehicle lines. In addition to Mercury sharing its bodies with the premium Edsels (prior to the latter's demise), Lincoln and Continental adopted a common body structure, shifting to unibody construction. With a 131-inch wheelbase, the new platform would be among the largest vehicles ever built by Ford Motor Company; they are the longest Lincolns ever built without 5-mph bumpers.

As a replacement for the Y-block V8, Ford developed a 430 cubic-inch "MEL" V8 as standard equipment for Lincolns (also in Ford Thunderbirds and some Mercury vehicles).

For 1959, Continental developed Town Car and Limousine variants of the standard four-door sedan. In place of extending the wheelbase, the reverse-slant roofline was replaced by a formal notchback configuration, allowing the rear seat to be moved rearward several inches. Among the rarest Lincoln vehicles ever produced, the Town Car and Limousines were only offered painted in black.

1960s

From 1958 to 1960, Lincoln would lose over $60 million dollars. Following the recession economy of the late 1950s (a factor that would play into the demise of Edsel), Ford Motor Company was forced to recoup the development costs of a vehicle platform that Lincoln shared with neither Ford nor Mercury (with the lone exception of the engine and transmission). By 1958, the future of Lincoln-Mercury was at risk, with Ford President Robert McNamara considering the reduction of Ford to its namesake brand.^[19] As a condition of allowing Lincoln to continue production, McNamara required the Lincoln model line to undergo a reduction in size.^[19]

For 1961, Lincoln consolidated its model lineup to a single model line, with the Lincoln Continental replacing the Lincoln Capri and Lincoln Premiere; as the Continental marque was withdrawn, the Mark V saw no successor. While only nominally lighter than the 1960 Lincoln, the 1961 Lincoln Continental adapted a far smaller exterior footprint, shedding 15 inches in length and 8 inches of wheelbase. In an effort to streamline production, only four-door body styles were produced, with the Continental becoming the sole mass-produced four-door convertible sold in North America; to maximize rear-seat egress, Lincoln returned to the use of rear suicide doors.

In another requirement to ensure its survival, the model cycle of Lincoln was extended from three years to nine years.^[20] While largely dispensing with major yearly model changes, the decision established design consistency and shifting resources towards quality control.^[21] For 1966, 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^[22], the 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible is the heaviest non-limousine car ever produced by Ford Motor Company; as of 2018, it is the final factory-produced four-door convertible sold in North America.

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  1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V hardtop sedan
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  1961 Lincoln Continental sedan
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  1963 Lincoln Continental convertible
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  1964 Lincoln Continental convertible (top raised)
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  1967 Lincoln Continental coupe
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  1969 Lincoln Continental sedan

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.

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  1970 Lincoln Continental 2-door
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  1972 Lincoln Continental Town Car
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  1974 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe
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  1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Lincoln Versailles

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 the distinct body that was given to the Cadillac Seville. 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 trunklid with simulated spare tire bulge. The Versailles introduced two notable features to American-market cars: halogen headlights and clearcoat paint.

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.

The entry of the Lincoln into the 1980s was marked with struggle. 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 302 cubic-inch 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 chassis of the Mercury Cougar XR7). 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. 1982 also marked the launch of the Cadillac Cimarron, alongside the Lincoln Versailles, the Cimarron has been considered among the most poorly-executed examples of badge engineering.

Initially planned for withdrawal in the mid-1980s until stabilization of fuel prices mitigated fuel-economy concerns, the Lincoln Town Car progressed through the decade largely unchanged. As its design began to age, the model line began to increase in sales, as transitions of Cadillac to front-wheel drive and further downsizing of its full-size model lines were poorly received by both buyers and automotive industry critics. For 1988, the Lincoln Continental underwent a second redesign. Splitting from the Mark VII, the Continental became the first front-wheel drive Lincoln, as it became an extended-wheelbase version of the Ford Taurus; the 3.8L V6 engine also marked the first time in a Lincoln that no 8-cylinder (or V12) engine was offered. In an effort to further reduce model overlap, the front-wheel drive Continental was developed for vehicles that neither Cadillac nor the Lincoln Town Car were 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 sedan sold in the United States equipped with standard dual airbags.

• 
  1980 Lincoln Versailles
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  1982 Lincoln Continental (Givenchy Edition)
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  1984 Lincoln Town Car
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  1986-1987 Lincoln Continental
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  1988-1991 Lincoln Continental
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  1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

1990s

While Lincoln exited the struggles of the Malaise era by 1990, the division found itself in a different struggle. While largely catching up to rival Cadillac in sales, the brand did so with only three model lines (in place of the seven of Cadillac and four of Mercedes-Benz). After following the traditional Lincoln model cycle, the Town Car underwent a full redesign. While mandated by both passive-restraint requirements and fuel-economy improvements, a redesign to the Town Car proved risky, as the model line itself accounted for over half of all Lincoln sales.^[25]

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).

In line with the Lincoln Mark VII, the exterior of the Lincoln Town Car shed many of its sharp-edged lines to allow for a far sleeker body design; other elements remained, including a formal rear roofline, chrome trim, radiator-style grille, and C-pillar quarter windows. In line with the Lincoln Continental, the 1990 Town Car adopted dual airbags. Delayed to 1991, the Lincoln Town Car marked the debut of the 210hp 4.6L Ford Modular V8 engine, the first overhead-cam eight-cylinder 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

Following the introduction of the Mark VIII (see below), for 1995, the Lincoln Continental underwent a redesign, introducing a new version of the Ford Taurus chassis. Retaining the use of front-wheel drive, to better compete with Japanese-produced luxury sedans, the Continental was equipped with a 4.6L V8 engine (shared with the Mark VIII, tuned for front-wheel drive).

1998 marked a significant transition for the Lincoln model line. The Continental underwent a mid-cycle redesign, adding updated electronics and side airbags (the first time for a Lincoln). After a nine-year model model run, the Town Car underwent a major redesign of its exterior and interior, with the Panther chassis given a redesigned rear suspension. Partially influenced by the 1995 Continental and Lincoln Mark VIII, the exterior of the 1998 Town Car shifted to a far more rounded body, becoming the tallest Lincoln in 40 years. In contrast to the Mark VIII entering its final year of production, for 1998, Lincoln debuted the Lincoln Navigator full-size SUV. The first all-new Lincoln nameplate since the Lincoln Versailles, the Navigator shared its body with the Ford Expedition, competing against the Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Lexus LX450, the full-size Navigator offered additional cargo and towing capability unavailable in smaller luxury-oriented SUVs.

Following the success of the Navigator in the marketplace, 1998 marked the first year Lincoln outsold Cadillac (by over 4,500 vehicles).^[26] As a response to the Navigator, Cadillac introduced the Cadillac Escalade, a rebadged GMC Yukon Denali (itself a Chevrolet Tahoe variant).

• 
  1990-1992 Lincoln Town Car
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  1992-1994 Lincoln Continental
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  1995-1997 Lincoln Town Car
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  1995-1997 Lincoln Continental
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  1998-2002 Lincoln Continental
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  1998-2002 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
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  1998-2002 Lincoln Navigator

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 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 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).^[29] To help differentiate Lincoln vehicles from Ford counterparts, Ford established separate design, product development, and sales teams for Lincoln.^[30] In a marketing shift, Lincoln began to target "progressive luxury customers". luxury buyers seeking a vehicle solely for their own interests and avoiding ostentation altogether.^[31][29]

As part of the 2012 rebranding, for 2013, the Lincoln model line underwent several design revisions, headed by the release of the second-generation MKZ. Retaining commonality with the Ford Fusion (a rebadged Ford Mondeo), the MKZ adapted a distinct exterior from its Fusion/Mondeo counterparts (nearly unchanged from a Lincoln concept car released in 2012).^[31] The MKS and MKT underwent exterior and interior revisions, adopting the "bow-wing" grille design of the MKZ. Also during this time, Lincoln introduced new trim level nomenclatures Premiere, Select and Reserve on the MKZ. Use of these trim names would eventually be expanded to other Lincoln models.

For 2015, Lincoln introduced two new SUVs, with the all-new Lincoln MKC compact crossover SUV (derived from the Ford Kuga/Ford Escape) becoming the first Lincoln produced solely with four-cylinder engines. The Lincoln Navigator underwent an extensive revision, largely to preview buyers of its 2018 redesign. Along with extensive exterior and interior updates, the Navigator adopted the 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 of the Ford F-150 as its standard engine, becoming the first version of the Navigator offered without a V8 engine.

Following the positive reception to a 2015 concept car of the same name, Lincoln revived the Lincoln Continental nameplate for the 2017 model year (after a 15-year hiatus). Slotted as a replacement for the Lincoln MKS, the Continental was adapted from a version of the Ford Taurus designed for China. While slightly shorter than the MKS, the Continental is the longest-wheelbase Lincoln since the Town Car. The revived model line introduced a new design language for Lincoln; shifting away from the split-wing grille, the Continental introduced a recessed rectangular grille. The revived Continental marked the debut of the Lincoln "Black Label" program for all Lincoln vehicles. As a flagship trim line, Black Label vehicles feature specially coordinated exterior and interior design themes (similar to the Designer Editions of the Mark series), along with highly personalized customer service.

For 2018, after an eleven-year production run of its predecessor, Lincoln released the fourth generation of the Navigator. Integrating the recessed rectangular grille of the Continental into its exterior, the Navigator is distinguished from the Ford Expedition largely from its taillamps and its blacked-out roof pillars (sharing the "floating roof" design of the Ford Flex and Ford Explorer). With the exception of the Ford GT supercars, at a base price of $95,000, the Lincoln Navigator Black Label is the most expensive vehicle ever sold by Ford Motor Company. The Lincoln MKZ underwent a mid-cycle redesign, adopting the grille design and twin-turbocharged V6 engine of the Lincoln Continental.

Coinciding with the revival of the Lincoln Continental replacing the Lincoln MKS as its flagship sedan, Lincoln has begun to phase out its "MK" branding as model cycles of its vehicles are completed.^[32] For 2019, the Lincoln MKX underwent a mid-cycle redesign, becoming the Lincoln Nautilus.

• 
  2011 Lincoln MKX
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  2013 Lincoln MKT Town Car
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  2015 Lincoln MKC
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  2016 Lincoln MKX
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  2017 Lincoln MKZ
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  2018 Lincoln Continental
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  2018 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label

Asia

In the 1990s and 2000s, Hongqi produced a license-built version of the Lincoln Town Car, based on knock-down kits imported from the United States.^[33] In an effort to develop a successor to the Hongqi CA770, the Town Car kits were given an exterior redesign with different front fenders, headlamps, taillamps, and grille. Along with a standard-wheelbase sedan, three lengths of limousines were produced, along with the Hongqi CA7400 prototype.^[33]

In 2014, Ford Motor Company brought the Lincoln brand to China, launching the brand with the mid-size MKZ sedan and MKC small SUV.^[34] 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.^[35] 2016 sales increased 180% over the previous year, with Lincoln planning to produce vehicles in China by 2019.^[36] To attract Chinese consumers, Lincoln introduced "The Lincoln Way", a car purchase and ownership model which provides highly personalized services to customers.^[37]

Europe

In Europe, Ford Motor Company does not currently market the Lincoln brand. To compete against luxury-brand automobiles, Ford offers the Fiesta, Mondeo, Kuga, Edge, and S-Max under the Vignale brand name.^[38]