1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible on 2040-cars

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Lincoln Star Concept provides a glimpse of four upcoming EVs

The auto industry is in the midst of what has been called a once-in-a-century transformation as it shifts to zero-emissions propulsion. As it happens, this year also marks Lincoln’s 100th anniversary. There were actually Lincolns a few years earlier, but Lincoln counts Feb. 4, 1922, when Henry Ford purchased the company, as its birthday. Like many, Lincoln wants to electrify its lineup, and plans to introduce four new battery-electric vehicles by 2026. Today it unveiled the car that will inform that future, the Lincoln Star Concept. “ItÂ’s a clean-sheet of paper to help us get through the next four products,” chief exterior designer Earl Lucas told Autoblog at a preview. But when asked whether it's a crossover, LincolnÂ’s representatives resist dropping it into any existing categories. Global Design Director Kemal Curic describes it as a “new species.” It lacks the upright, two-box design of crossovers and SUVs dotting AmericaÂ’s roads. Instead it has a dramatically raked A-pillar and an even more acutely angled rear. The greenhouse area tapers towards the rear, and the main body has a distinct anti-wedge silhouette. To these eyes, it has almost wagon-like proportions. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The other hallmark of the Star is its use of lighting. Illuminated surfaces can be found throughout the car — on logos where badges would normally reside, on a thin band that outlines the roof, and on fingernails that trace the wheel arches. ThereÂ’s also an unmissable light bar that spans the leading edge of the nose before curving up over the fenders and to the A pillars. ItÂ’s reminiscent of the chrome strips on the blade-like fenders of the 1961 Continental, but the designers we talked to denied that resemblance. The Star is decidedly anti-chrome, and lighting takes the place of that brightwork. Throughout our walkaround, designers used phrases that evoked a jet age view of transit. “ItÂ’s the journey, not the destination,” said Lucas. Curic uses the term “in flight” when talking about driving modes. Chief interior designer Robert Gelardi called it “the romance of travel.” ItÂ’s as if the Star was channeling a time when Lincolns like the Continental Mark II, once the most expensive domestic car ever sold, bore the American standard around the world and went toe-to-toe against the likes of Rolls-Royce.

48-inch panoramic display kicks off Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience

Arguing against screens in new cars is a losing battle. Every automaker is working hard to boost the display real estate in new models, and the level of integration between cars and the connected world at large is growing rapidly. Ford and Lincoln recently detailed a digital development roadmap that places screens and software at the forefront of their ownership experience going forward, and it’s clear the pair view vehicles as another device in peopleÂ’s connected lives. Ford said the average U.S. household has 16 connected devices and noted that it believes vehicles should offer a seamless connection between them. The Ford/Lincoln Digital Experience features apps from Google, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and apps from Amazon, among others. The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is the current flagship for this technology, as it brings the brandÂ’s first 48-inch panoramic display, featuring the highest resolution ever offered in a Lincoln. The system serves as part of the SUVÂ’s driver assistance features, including BlueCruise, the hands-free semi-autonomous driving function. Beyond offering new features, Ford said the Digital Experience helps reduce distraction by letting drivers place the apps they use the most closest to their line of sight. Media, weather, and other information can be positioned in widgets on one side of the display to provide quick information, and owners can set up profiles to store different configurations for drivers. Part of the Ford/Lincoln tech expansion includes third-party app installations. The new system offers Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Prime Video, YouTube, and more. Google Play games are also available and can use a Bluetooth controller connection. Video conferencing apps will soon be available to let owners Zoom wherever theyÂ’re parked. The Nautilus is the first Ford or Lincoln model to get the Digital Experience, but others will follow. Ford said the system is designed for future updates and expansion through over-the-air updates and 5G internet connectivity. 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve with Jet Appearance Package 2024 Lincoln Black Label Nautilus Hybrid View 41 Photos

Hot-selling Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator get production boost

Ford is investing an additional $25 million in its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to increase by 25 percent production of the hot-selling and all-new Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs. The investment adds to $900 million in previously announced spending at the plant, which also builds F-Series Super-Duty pickups and employs 8,400 workers. Assembly-line workers are putting in overtime and working voluntary weekend shifts to keep up with demand. The new investment will cover upgrades to the assembly line but does not involve further hiring, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker says. The popularity of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator is a bright spot as Ford stock has been battered by Wall Street amid concerns concerns about the automaker's future vision and slowness to detect trends. Ford says the investment is an example of its bid to improve "operational fitness," one of CEO Jim Hackett's common refrains. Ford says Navigator retail sales more than doubled in January, and Navigators are spending an average of just seven days on Lincoln dealership lots as customers trade in vehicles including Land Rovers and Mercedes-Benz. Nearly 85 percent of buyers are opting for high-end Black Label and Reserve trim packages, contributing to an average transaction price increase of more than $21,000 in January compared to a year ago. The 2018 Navigator won the North American Truck of the Year award and also topped a Detroit News poll of public favorites at last month's Detroit Auto Show. Sales of the Expedition, meanwhile, were up almost 57 percent last month as the full-size SUVs also spent an average of just a week on dealer lots. Platinum trim models represented 29 percent of sales, pushing transaction price increases up $7,800. Ford gave the 2018 Expedition an all-aluminum body to save mass in its first significant redesign since 2007. The plant last year got nearly 400 new robots, mainly in the body shop, to help increase line speed, and Ford added a robot lab where employees can test software tweaks or troubleshoot issues away from the factory floor. The Louisville plant also benefits from extensive new data analytics, with seven big-screen monitors providing minute-by-minute updates showing progress against hourly targets or alerting workers to pending parts shortages. A huge spare-parts "vending machine" lets workers more quickly locate needed parts and keep inventory at necessary levels.