Inside Ford’s Uber-Luxe and Brand New Classic Lincoln Continental

Ford Motor Company is resuscitating the classic Lincoln Continental as its new flagship luxury sedan.

The prototype of the brand new Continental, which first made its debut 76 years ago, will be unveiled ahead of the 2015 New York Auto Show. The American automobile manufacture hopes to stimulate interest among luxury consumers.

The iconic Continental was once Ford’s luxury brand, but the company retired the automobile in 2002.

In a press release issued by the car manufacturer, the new Continental concept will beckon an all-new full-size sedan that is the future of “quiet luxury.”

Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO, said, “Luxury at its best is about simplifying and quietly exceeding expectations, rather than being the loudest statement on the road. The Continental Concept showcases the promise of quiet luxury from Lincoln going forward. It also is a strong indication of what’s to come next year as we introduce our new Lincoln Continental full-size luxury sedan.”

The new luxury sedan will feature a sleek silhouette and new centered chrome grille. It will include E-latch door handles positioned discreetly in the clean vehicle beltline, which according to Ford, will provide for an “elegant entry.”

The exterior will have full-width tail lamps with advance light-through technology, LED matrix headlamps with laser-assist high beams that are designed to reduce glare and enhance the driver’s visibility.

The interior is said to have Venetian leather seat and door panels. Ford employed Alcantara, the Italian interior manufacturer, to design the seat inserts and armrests, satin headliner and shearling wool carpet. Passengers will also have a compartment for champagne storage.

As for technology, backseat passengers will have the extra advantage of having a tablet-supporting lap tray.
The luxury sedan will include an SPD SmartGlass tinting roof, which allows passengers to control heat from the sunlight. The glass can be adjusted to cool the vehicle by as much as 18 degrees, while blocking 99 percent of UV rays. Like with new-aged luxury cars, drivers can expect driver assist technologies such as, Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Enhanced Park Assist and a 360-degree camera that displays on the MyLincoln Touch screen.

The Continental is slated to be released sometime next year and will complete the iconic brand’s first generation renovation.

Over the course of the next five years, Ford Motor Company hopes to increase Lincoln’s sales globally to 300,000 vehicles a year as well as triple current sales.

(Cover photo and videos via Lincoln)