1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V on 2040-cars

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Landau yachts: The history of Lincoln's Designer Series

The Lincoln Designer Series was introduced in 1976, at the end of the imposing Mark IV Continental generation. Four big-name fashion designers of the era – all-American country clubber Bill Blass, psychedelic Italian pattern-maestro Emilio Pucci, venerable French jewelry-maker Cartier, and a la mode French fashionista Hubert de Givenchy – were asked to slather their elegance on LincolnÂ’s personal luxury coupe. This experiment was a wild success. According to documents uncovered in the Lincoln archives – with the incomparable guidance of official brand historian Ted Ryan – the Designer series “accounted for more than 27% of Mark IV sales” shortly after its introduction. It was such a runaway hit, that it continued on throughout the even larger Mark V generation (incidentally, the longest coupe ever produced by Ford Motor Company), and didnÂ’t really peter out on these big two-doors until the early 1990s.   But the true history of the series well predates the era of opera windows, crushed velour and wire wheel covers. “If you take a step back even further, when Ford purchased Lincoln in 1922, Edsel Ford was put in charge of the company. But more than that, he helped establish the first design studio at Ford,” said Ryan. The basic Model T didnÂ’t take much design. Lincoln was different. Edsel is famed for his quote. “Father wanted to make the most popular car, I wanted to make the best.” The specific genesis of the Designer Series, however, came along as a result of a long-term personal connection with the marqueÂ’s first chairman. “Edsel Ford had a relationship with Cartier, and correspondence going throughout the 1920s and '30s,” Ryan said. “His personal cards and stationery were always ordered from Cartier.” This enduring link wasnÂ’t formalized until the late 1960s. “I found in product development files, in 1967, that Ford had gone to Cartier for a special 1970 Cartier Continental coupe,” Ryan said. According to internal documents, this package would include unique interior leather/cloth/vinyl surfaces and trim, modified dials, and a Cartier jewelry box, as well as golden plating on the steering wheel ornament, dial face ornaments, keys, C-pillar ornaments, door monograms, and dashboard plaque. “Think of that. A car that never was, that could have been,” Ryan said, wistfully. Some Cartier magic did get glossed on Lincolns in the late 1960s.

The Lincoln Blackwood was the original luxury pickup. It was also weird.

As the 20th century drew to a close, Lincoln's mainstay product, the venerable Town Car, was well on its way to livery-car limbo and the brand's sales were sinking. The surprise-hit Navigator, introduced for 1998, indicated a possible way forward: luxury trucks. The following year, Lincoln rolled out a concept (pictured at bottom) that was essentially a dolled-up F-150 pickup: the Blackwood. Reaction was sufficiently enthusiastic that the Blackwood appeared in showrooms, essentially unchanged, for 2002. Luxo-trucks are now all the rage, but Lincoln's attempts to make the Blackwood truly special tripped up this pioneering pickup, which was canceled after just one year. That means this 2002 Blackwood for sale right now on Cars and Bids presents a rare opportunity. Lincoln grafted a Navigator nose onto an F-150 body, and if they had stopped there, the Blackwood might have fared better. But Lincoln went further. Motivation was provided by a 5.4-liter InTech V8 with 300 horsepower driving the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive wasn't offered, because Lincoln didn't want to raise the ride height. Air springs supplemented the rear leaf springs. The interior was stuffed with all manner of Navigator-spec luxury gear, with leather, heated and cooled seats, power-adjustable pedals, and even an early navigation system — which was the only option. Seating was strictly for four thanks to the rear captain's chairs. As if adorning it with faux African wedgewood and aluminum inlays wasn't distinctive enough, the cargo bed became a cargo trunk thanks to the standard, power-operated hard tonneau cover. Inside, the floor was carpeted, the sides were brushed aluminum, and the space was illuminated by LED accent lighting. Rather than a drop-down tailgate, access was via a pair of Dutch doors. To align with the nameplate, the only color offered was Gunslinger Black with a black interior. To maintain exclusivity, Lincoln planned to cap sales at 10,000 units. That provided wholly unnecessary, as sales only reached 3,356. Lincoln pulled the plug after one year. The 2020 asking price was $52,500 (roughly $77,000 today). The truck for sale on Cars and Bids is sure to go for less, although bidding is pretty strong out of the gate. It currently sits at $8989 with six days to go in the auction.

2020 Lincoln Corsair gets a price, and there's a wide range

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair configurator is open for business, and that means we also know the luxury compact crossover's price. It starts at $36,940, including the $995 destination charge. If you try your hardest and tick every single box Lincoln lets you, it's possible to get the price above $60,000. We're not suggesting you do that like we did, but it's always interesting to know how high it can go. Read everything we know so far about the 2020 Lincoln Corsair The base price gets you a Corsair "Standard" that is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder making 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque sent to the front wheels. If you want all-wheel drive, Lincoln forces the selection of the "Standard I" equipment package, which ends up resulting in a $3,600 increase. That package consists of ambient lighting, a universal garage door opener, navigation and 18-inch wheels. One of the more expensive boxes you're likely to check on the entry-level trim is the Co-Pilot360 Plus Package for $3,050. That includes a bunch of driver assistance gear like adaptive cruise control, lane centering, sign recognition and evasive steering assist. A $2,500 Premium Package nets premium leather seats, a panoramic roof and 19-inch wheels. 2020 Lincoln Corsair View 12 Photos Of course, you can skip a lot of the option and package jumping by choosing the "Reserve" trim that begins at $43,625 with some premium stuff already included. This also unlocks the ability to get the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, which makes 280 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Selecting this forces the Reserve I package and all-wheel drive onto the table, which gives you a ton of equipment, but also increases the price by $6,740. This makes the cheapest Corsair with the most powerful engine start at $50,365. You can go crazy from there, tacking on the Reserve II Package for features like adaptive suspension, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera, wireless charging pad, digital gauge cluster and rain-sensing wipers. Like we said, this thing can get near or over $60,000 without much effort. The Corsair's base price compares favorably to other compact luxury crossovers like the $41,995 BMW X3 and $40,700 Mercedes-Benz GLC. However, adding in a desirable option like the higher-output engine brings the price up considerably.