This image has been circulating around social media for months now. Despite the reveal of the actual production 2017 Lincoln Continental, which looks nothing at all like the car in the picture (see below), people continue to share it.

In truth, I, and most Lincoln fans, cannot help but wish that the new Continental actually did look exactly like the car in the top picture. That Continental is unmistakably a Lincoln in a sense that is true to the brand’s history. The production 2017 Continental, while nice in many ways, is really just another interchangeable luxury sedan. It could easily be mistaken for an Audi, a Mercedes, or a Jag. The car at the top, though? Not a chance.

Every time I’ve seen that top photo shared on social media, it’s always been with a sense of excitement. That’s because the car in the picture is the modern Lincoln Continental that people actually wanted- A distinctive retro-nod shape, unmistakable Lincoln flavor, and, of course, suicide doors! That’s all what made the Continental “The Continental” back in the day.

I think Ford has missed a huge opportunity here to really inject some much needed enthusiasm back into the Lincoln brand. Lincolns used to be some of the most stylish cars on the road in the 1960s and earlier. Lincoln desperately needs to bring that sort of flavor back into their brand identity if they want to succeed these days. A bland approach, merely running with the pack, is not going to cut it. Lincolns are supposed to be bold. They’re supposed to class up the joint whenever they roll up, not merely blend into the woodwork.

Continue reading This Isn’t The Real Lincoln Continental, But People Seem to Think It Should Be →