Historically, Lincoln was the car with understated class compared to Cadillac's chrome and fins. The 1961 Continental is the ideal example. Today, it's considered an icon of American automotive design. Its lines are simple and straight. It looks expensive and plainly American, but with an almost menacing spareness.
Peter Horbury wants to bring back that kind of style.
Lincoln's latest additions, the MkZ midsized car and the MkX crossover, are helping bring in new buyers again. Both offer a tux-and-tails look inside and out: Dashboards feature glittering white numbers on black dials. Both look best painted in either black or white. There's ample chrome, but the lines are clean and simple. But those are entry-level vehicles, not full-blown luxury models.
To really see the new Lincoln, Ford insists, wait for the unveiling of the new Lincoln MkS the Los Angles Auto Show in November. It will look something like the MkR concept vehicle shown here. (The Town Car will continue to be produced to fill the great demand among fleet buyers.)
The "bow-wave" grill is borrowed from Lincolns of the 1930s and it's distinctly different from anything else on the market. Most importantly, Ford promises an eye-catching and distinctly American luxury car, like a Cadillac, but with a look of its own.
Rather than taking on Cadillac model-for-model as it once did, Ford insists, Lincoln will find its own way from now on.
