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Is Lincoln working on a Continental concept?

The Lincoln Continental wasn't included in our post on the list of trademarks we'd like to see turned into production vehicles – the only Lincoln mention was our idea of transferring its Aviator name to a special edition Ford Mustang. But, like you, the idea of a resurrected Continental is always with us, especially when we read articles about the brand's efforts to redefine American luxury. Ford applied for the Continental trademark in 1953 and renewed in 2005, and it appears they might have something to show for it soon. A web snooper found a development site at the Lincoln domain that introduces us to the "elegantly styled and boldly distinctive Lincoln Continental Concept." There are no images, but we've combined all the text into a single image, above, and the hints we get in three blurb texts inform us that "It represents who we are as a carmaker," that it's an "envisioning of what's to come," that "No question went unanswered" and "No answer went unchallenged," and that it "is everything we know about cars, and everything we understand about people." We also found the tagline "Follow us forward," which doesn't appear on any published Lincoln site page at the moment, and the public is invited to get involved (eventually) by tweeting Continental stories and photos. Could this be the next step in the turgid drama Lincoln Rising? We look forward to finding out. Related Video:

Mulally wanted to kill Lincoln as late as last year, Fields vows to turn it around

Lincoln fans might want to give incoming Ford CEO Mark Fields a pat on the back for having a hand in saving the brand from the chopping block last year. He's among the people spearheading the rejuvenation of the division away from its stodgy image to appeal to younger customers.
According to two unnamed sources speaking to Bloomberg, CEO Alan Mulally was ready to kill Lincoln last year. Following the slow production ramp-up of the MKZ combined a with a costly ad campaign, Mulally was frustrated and openly suggested dropping the brand. However, Fields and Jim Farley, Ford's marketing boss, convinced the CEO that the brand was worth saving. They also created a plan to prevent similar problems for new models in the future.
It seems that one part of the strategy may involve waiting until new models are at dealers before starting a big ad campaign for them. Lincoln global director, Matt VanDyke, recently told Autoblog that the division is holding off on a full marketing push behind the new MKC crossover to prevent the supply problems that plagued the MKZ last year. Its big offensive begins in the fall when the CUVs are at all of the dealers and consumers are at home watching more TV. VanDyke also told Bloomberg that Fields, Farley and Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, have more direct oversight over new product launches now.

2017 Lincoln Continental reimagined as a coupe

If nothing else, the production version of the Lincoln Continental has provided ample water-cooler fodder around the office. There are a few camps: the "it took guts to build it" folks giving credit where due on a handsome design with an ambitious interior, and the "MKZ misstep" group haranguing the Motor Company for blowing fancy new styling cues on a lesser beast. And yet, unifying forces exist. We can all agree that these artist renders depicting a Continental sans a pair of doors present a captivating notion. Back in 1939, the original Continental was a two-door. Over time, four doors of various types, including convertibles, infiltrated the lineup. The last time the Continental was on sale, it was a four-door front-driver based on the platform shared with the Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus. Even though the new production Continental, like that penultimate one, is based on a front-drive platform, the execution is much different. As you probably already know, it features a so-far unique 400-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 and an advanced torque-vectoring AWD system, standard. Some neat concept car touches, like the fancy door handles and patented 30-way adjustable seats, made it in. What a two-door would bring to the table is mainly stylistic, emphasizing the long parallel character line in the door with brightwork running under the window that's echoed in the lower door sculpting and chrome strip. It accentuates the car's length, and calls attention to the trim taillights and their interconnecting bar element. A longer door makes for a more elegant transition into the C-pillar. It makes the production Continental, with its blacked-out but still obviously chunky B-pillar, look fussy. We don't expect Lincoln to build a coupe – that may be too wild for a company that doesn't seem completely comfortable with the notion of reinvention – but these renders were just too good not to share. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Related Video: