2011 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited Low Miles Classic Style Priced To Sell! on 2040-cars

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Lincoln recycling tree fibers into new MKX armrest

Want to hug a tree, or at least a really small part of one. Then set your arm down on one of those armrests in the 2014 Lincoln MKX crossover. The US automaker is working with Weyerhaeuser and Johnson Controls on a tree-based, cellulose-reinforced polypropylene material used in the component that connects the armrest to the floor console, Wards Auto says. With properties similar to plastic, the tree-based material replaces fiberglass and is about six percent lighter. No big deal for now, but if the material starts getting used for things like battery trays and interior storage covers, that loss in weight may eventually start adding up enough to boost fuel economy a bit, providing a green double bonus. Lincoln parent Ford, which isn't saying how much more (or less?) it costs to use the new material, established its Biomaterials and Plastics Research team in 2001. In 2007, the company began using soy-based foam in car seats used for models such as the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Mustang and has since broadened biomaterials use to components like floormats and cupholder inserts. Ford also used recycled plastic bottles from the 2012 North America International Auto Show for seats in the Focus Electric.

Ford faces class-action lawsuit for selling vehicles without brake override systems

A total of 20 Ford customers are suing the automaker in a class-action lawsuit for selling vehicles "vulnerable to unintended acceleration." According to Reuters, the suit names 30 models built between 2002 and 2010 with electronic throttle control systems but without a brake override system. Those include the 2004-2012 F-Series pickups and the 2005-2009 Lincoln Town Car. Adam Levitt, a partner with the law firm of Grant & Eisenhofer says the plaintiffs in the case want "to be compensated for their economic losses by having overpaid for cars that contained defects." Levitt contends that the plaintiffs would not have bought their vehicles or paid less for them had they known there was no brake override system in place.
Ford began installing brake override systems in its vehicles beginning in 2010. In response to the lawsuit, Ford has pointed to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that indicated that unintended acceleration is mostly caused by driver error, saying in a statement that, "NHTSA's work is far more scientific and trustworthy than work done by personal injury lawyers and their paid experts."
Belville et al v. Ford Motor Co. will be heard in US District Court in the Southern District of West Virginia.

2020 Lincoln Corsair First Drive | Compact 'American luxury'

SAN FRANCISCO — Lincoln almost left the building. Word is that former Ford CEO Alan Mullaly, who had come from the airline business and did not have any special affection for historically significant auto brands, was ready to kill off Lincoln after Ford divested itself of its European luxury portfolio. Other Ford executives were able to persuade him to keep it, but then had to come up with a way to make the division relevant. Selling warmed-over Fords wouldnÂ’t cut it going forward, and attempting to emulate the Germans (as Cadillac has tried to do) didnÂ’t seem viable. It was decided Lincoln would proffer “American luxury,” but what did that mean? The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is the latest answer to that question. Like its preceding bigger siblings, the Navigator and Aviator, it offers true design differentiation from Ford with a look all LincolnÂ’s own, and an emphasis not just on luxury features but a better ownership experience. Proper names are back too, which is why we're reviewing the "Corsair" and not the second-generation MKC. Like that predecessor, the Corsair shares its architecture with the Ford Escape, albeit the all-new version. Despite their common bones, none of the body panels are the same. Instead, the look is right at home with the brandÂ’s larger SUVs, featuring many of the same styling cues that include the now-familiar Lincoln grille, gently tapered roofline, blacked out pillars and long, slim taillights  The Corsair has more sculpted flanks and a more pronounced shoulder, but the resemblance to the Aviator in particular is strong, and it's no surprise that both SUVs were penned by the same man: Kemal Curic, who has now ascended to the head design spot at Lincoln. Compared to the MKC, overall length is 1.4 inches greater, the wheelbase is 0.8 inch longer, and the vehicle is 1.1 inches lower. That puts the CorsairÂ’s exterior dimensions between the Audi Q3 and Q5 or the BMW X1 and X3. Its closest dimensional doppelganger is the Cadillac XT4, which will likely be its closest rival. The CorsairÂ’s interior echoes the exterior design with a horizontal theme that makes the cabin feel bigger. Vents stretch across the dash, and above them (in the Reserve model) is an inset band of striped silver metallic trim. The center stack floats above the console, making for an airier environment and leaving room for additional stowage, which is plentiful.