2002 Lincoln Continental

Few production designs age as gracefully as the 1961-63 Lincoln Continental. Its clean, restrained lines still stand out as the antithesis of the finned and chromed beasts that preceded it. As the Continental progressed through the decades, it lost its styling edge. But when the Continental concept debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January of 2002, it was clear somebody in Dearborn found what was once lost.

In the two weeks that separated the L.A. show from the Detroit Auto Show, Ford Motor Company announced the results of one of their many restructuring plans. The production Continental was canceled, making the concept a PR nightmare … "Gee, Mr. Ford, you just killed the Continental, what’s this concept about?" For the Detroit show, the newly out-of-the-spotlight concept was shunned and parked in a dark corner of the Lincoln display.

Lincoln is still struggling to find its way in terms of design. The MKR that debuted in Detroit this past January, while attractive, looks far more contrived than the 2002 Continental. With the success of Ford’s current Mustang, how much better off would Lincoln have been had they taken the historically inspired path with this Continental? With the average Lincoln Mercury dealer selling fewer than half a dozen cars per month, the company probably wouldn’t be worse off.

The 2002 Continental is stored at a facility near Ford’s World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.

www.thecarconnection.com

Прототип был показан в 2002 году на моторшоу в Лос-Анджелесе.

При создании концепта дизайнеры «Линкольна» ставили задачу объединить в нем черты классических «Континенталей» эпохи Кеннеди с футуристическими стилистическими элементами.

Одной из особенностей прототипа являются задние двери, открывающиеся против движения под углом 90 градусов, а также багажное отделение с крышкой на электроприводе, тремя выдвижными ящиками и набором кейсов от компании Zero Halliburton.

Для подсветки салона использованы светодиодные и оптоволоконные элементы в потолке и дверных панелях.

Лимузин оснащен двенадцатицилиндровым шестилитровым двигателем, развивающим 420 лошадиных сил и 558 Нм крутящего момента. Мотор работает вместе с шестиступенчатым «автоматом».

motor.ru