Lincoln Continental History

The Continental began in 1939 as a personal car for Ford president Edsel Ford, a long-hood, short-deck design with an externally mounted spare ('Continental kit') that became so admired it entered production for 1940. The first-generation cars (model years 1940–1942 and 1946–1948) are recognized as Full Classics by the Classic Car Club of America.

After a hiatus the name returned for 1956–1957 on the hand-built Continental Mark II, sold as the worldwide flagship of Ford through a short-lived separate Continental Division. The most celebrated era came with the fourth generation (1961–1969): a clean, slab-sided design with rear-hinged 'suicide' back doors, offered as a four-door sedan and convertible — the latter the last American convertible sedan in volume production.

Later Continentals downsized through the 1980s and 1990s into front-wheel-drive luxury sedans; the ninth generation ended after 2002. Lincoln revived the nameplate one last time for 2017–2020 as a full-size sedan whose top trims reintroduced power-operated rear-hinged doors as a nod to the 1961 car, before retiring the name as Lincoln pivoted fully to SUVs.