Lincoln Continental Discontinued at End of 2020
As the passenger car moves closer and closer to extinction, we continue to see some iconic models sent to the automotive graveyard in favor of SUVs and crossovers. That includes the Lincoln Continental, sadly enough, but its demise isn’t exactly new news. In fact, Ford Authority was the first to report, a little over two years ago, that Continental production would end after the current generation had run its course. And now, Lincoln itself has confirmed that its flagship luxury sedan will go away at the end of 2020.
“Lincoln is investing in growth segments and the brand will feature a full portfolio of SUVs, including a fully electric vehicle in the future,” the automaker said in a statement. “Lincoln will continue to keep its newest SUVs fresh and we will have more news to share later this year; however, as the full-size premium sedan segment continues to decline in the U.S., we plan to end production of the Lincoln Continental at the end of this year.”
Lincoln broke the news to its workers at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant, where Continental production takes place, on Wednesday. “We build to customer demand and customer demands are changing,” said John Savona, Ford vice president, North American Manufacturing. “Lincoln is important to Ford Motor Company and we know it has a bright future.” Interestingly enough, Lincoln did confirm that it would sell the Continental in China for the 2021 model year.
Lincoln revived the Continental nameplate in 2016 following a fourteen year absence, ushering in a new styling direction for the long-running brand. At first, Lincoln Continental sales started out strong, with 12,012 units moved in its first year on the market. But they tapered off quickly, decreasing to 8,758 in 2018, 6,586 in 2019, and 2,575 units sold this year so far.
