The Lincoln Continental is dead again as brand shifts focus to SUVs
'Suicide' doors couldn't save it
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lincoln is parking the Continental again.
The automaker has confirmed that U.S. sales of its flagship sedan will end in 2020 along with those of the MKZ as it becomes an all-SUV brand.
(Lincoln)
Lincoln resurrected the historic nameplate after a 15-year hiatus for the 2017 model year, but the full-size sedan never took off in the marketplace. Sales peaked at 12,012 in its first full year, but dropped to 6,587 in 2019.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Lincoln)
Last year, the automaker teamed up with limousine builder Cabot Coach of Haverhill, Mass., to build a run of stretched Continentals with “suicide” doors that hearkened back to the iconic Continentals of the 1960s, but limited production to just 230 units priced at $115,000.
A Lincoln spokeswoman told Automotive News that it will continue to sell the Continental in China through 2021.
The Continental is built alongside the Ford Mustang in Flat Rock, Mich., and future plans for the factory remain unclear. In April, Lincoln canceled a planned joint venture with startup automaker Rivian to build a battery-powered SUV, but said that it is still committed to adding an all-electric model to the lineup.
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