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With gaps in product portfolio, Lincoln embraces experiences

In one sense, Lincoln is on a roll. It rides out the year having unveiled three substantially refreshed SUVs — the new full-size Navigator, the MKC crossover and the Nautilus, the new name for its top-selling MKX that Lincoln revealed in Los Angeles. The company is on pace to sell 50,000 vehicles this year in China, a four-fold jump after just three years in that market, and its sales growth in the U.S. outpaces its competition in the luxury segment. And analysts applauded the brand for moving away from its confusing alphanumeric naming system as a way to differentiate itself. But Lincoln remains far behind its competitors, with a market share that lags the likes of Lexus, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Cadillac. Its product portfolio is more limited too, heavy on hot-selling SUVs, but with only two cars — far fewer than the German luxury brands — and no marquee sports cars. Instead, Lincoln made it clear in Los Angeles that it's leaning heavily on creating distinctive experiences for its customers — its strategy focuses on being "warm, human and effortless" — as a way to stand out from the field. One way it's trying to do that is through its Black Label program, which offers premium interior trim options like unique leather stitching patterns, Alcantara headliners and laser-etched aluminum accents, and combines all that with a suite of services. Black Label members get an enhanced premium maintenance plan that includes wear and tear, anytime car washes and annual detailing, a dedicated concierge and the ability to be custom-fitted for a vehicle at their home. It also comes with a Culinary Collection, a curated list of more than 50 participating restaurants across the country that offer exclusive reservation assistance, visits from the noted chefs and other perks. Lincoln is introducing a new "Gala" Black Label theme on its new Nautilus, which it says is inspired by a night at a fashion gala. It's an interior decked out in what it calls Carmine Red, reflecting a popular color in fashion, with perforated seat stitching that form interlocking Ls. It joins the Thoroughbred and Chalet Black Label themes for the new Nautilus, which goes on sale next spring. Other Black Label themes including the Navigator's Yacht Club theme, with a Chroma Blue exterior paint color, upgraded leather seats and whitewashed teak wood in the center console, and Center Stage, with jet black Venetian leather with red accents, available on the MKC.

Five cursed and haunted cars

Any kid lucky enough to grow up in Detroit is familiar with the Henry Ford Museum. It's huge, full of shiny things and a great place to take a child and let them burn off some energy. After several field trips and weekend outings however, the dusty concept vehicles and famous aircraft tend to lose their punch for youngsters. As a fifth grader, I was already gazing on the museum's many gems with glassy eyes. On yet another school trip, we made our way to John F. Kennedy's death car, a gleaming black Lincoln limo. The aging volunteer docent told our little group something I had never heard before. "You know, this car is haunted. Several employees have reported seeing a gray presence right here," he said, pointing to the back passenger side seat. I perked up. Now here was something I had never heard before. A haunted car? Sure, it happened in Goosebumps, but this was real life. It made sense, in a way. Cars can be violent, emotional places. That's certainly the case with JFK's limo, as well as the other four cars on this list. And maybe those gut-wrenching deaths can permanently doom a car. 5. Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Graf & Stift Death Limo World War I tends to be a forgotten war, despite being pretty terrible in its own right and setting the stage for the entire 20th Century. The French forces, for instance, lost more lives in the first month of WWI than the US did in the entire Civil War. Everyone who has been through a freshman world history course knows the conflict started when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot by a Bosnian anarchist. The crazy thing is, Ferdinand had already avoided an attempt on his life that day, and was actually on his way to the hospital to comfort those who had been injured in the crossfire. One of the would-be assassins simply walked out of a cafe and saw his intended target sitting in front of him where the open-air limo had stalled. The archduke and his wife were shot through their heads and throats. Their deaths would not be the last caused by the limo. Throughout the war and into the 1920s, the limo was owned by fifteen different people and involved in six accidents and thirteen deaths, not counting the 17 million or so killed in the war triggered by the Archduke's assassination. The first person to own the car after the Archduke was an Austrian general named Potiorek, who went insane while riding in the car through Vienna.

Lincoln confirms the MKZ only has a few months left to live

Lincoln confirmed it will put the MKZ out to pasture in 2020. The sedan is based on the Ford Fusion, which is also scheduled to retire in the coming months as the company pivots towards high-riding models. Introduced at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the MKZ is the oldest member of the Lincoln portfolio by a wide margin, so its demise hardly comes as a surprise. The firm quietly broke the news as it announced plans to release an electric SUV built using technology borrowed from Rivian. The 2020 model is already out, and Lincoln tells Autoblog production will end in mid-2020, with sales continuing through the rest of the year. There will be no 2021 model.   Though never a home run, the MKZ will be remembered as a significant car because it ushered in the design language that characterizes every model Lincoln sells in 2020 when it received a mid-cycle update for the 2017 model year. And, with up to 400 horsepower on tap, it also stood out as the most powerful production Lincoln ever released. Power and an elegant design weren't enough to give the nameplate a significant boost, and annual sales dropped to 17,725 units in 2019 from a peak of 34,009 cars in 2014. Even the Navigator outsold it. In recent years, the MKZ perplexingly became the autonomous car world's darling. Faraday Future, Didi Chuxing, Aurora, and Qualcomm are among the companies that tested their technology with MKZ-based prototypes. Lincoln explained the Hermosillo, Mexico, factory that makes the MKZ and the Fusion will "prepare for production of new Ford vehicles," but it didn't specify which ones. There's absolutely no evidence the company is developing a direct replacement for its entry-level sedan, so the Continental will carry the torch on its own. Its days might be numbered, too, because several unverified reports claim Lincoln will again consign the nameplate to the attic in the coming years to free up the production capacity it needs to build electric cars in Flat Rock, Michigan. Once it goes, Lincoln's range will be entirely sedan-free for the first time since the company was created in 1917. Some automakers still believe in the sedan, like Audi, but Lincoln seems to be a student of Ford's philosophy. Related Video: