Back when smoking was sexy and liquid lunches were a thing, the 1961 Lincoln Continental introduced America to a new design. The Continental transformed a failing luxury brand into a hot sedan carrying world leaders, industrial barons and the Hollywood elite.
Now, Lincoln is seeking to recapture that vintage elegance in a classic sedan.
A limited-edition 2019 Continental honors the custom luxury vehicle made for Edsel Ford in 1939. Years later, the company introduced the ’61 Continental — famous for its center-opening doors and a chrome-accented upper shoulder line.
Lincoln announced Monday that its dealers will start taking orders on Dec. 17 for just 80 of the special Continentals, which will feature a sill plate numbered like artwork. The price will be listed at “north of $100,000,” officials said.
Like the 1961 version, it will come with coach doors, known among car aficionados as “suicide doors,” which open from the center of the vehicle to allow rear-seat passengers to enter and exit gracefully.
Lincoln will debut the vehicle during a holiday party hosted by the car company at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on Monday. Later, the vehicle will be at the Detroit auto show in January 2019 and later at the Beijing auto show.
The cars are scheduled for delivery by June 2019.