As the attendees of the 2019 Detroit Auto Show rushed from one press conference to another to witness new reveals like the Toyota Supra and Ford Shelby GT500, one company quietly popped up in everyone's conversations - Lincoln. Even though it didn't have anything to reveal at Detroit, no one in attendance could ignore how Lincoln has been turning heads with good design, good naming, and the all-new flagship 80th Anniversary Coach Door Continental.
We had a chance to sit down with Lincoln's Design Director, David Woodhouse, and Product Marketing Manager, Trevor Scott, to discuss where the idea for a Coach Door Continental came from. To avoid the hustle and bustle of the show floor, we sat down in the new Coach Door Continental to conduct the interview and found we had just nabbed the best seat in the house.
When we first heard Lincoln was thinking about bringing back its iconic coach doors (don't call them suicide doors), we didn't think it would actually reach production. We wondered who within the company came up with the idea and who helped greenlight it.
Woodhouse said "it's an obvious thing with Continental and it goes back to our legacy. I think whenever our design team sketched a new Continental it's always the default to draw center-opening doors. It was something we always wanted to do with the nameplate it's just the production car didn't allow it because of the wheelbase length. The opportunity with this car - the six-inch stretch - was just as God intended as a natural thing to do."
Only a few lucky individuals will have a chance to drive (or be driven in) the new Coach Door Continental because just 80 examples will be built for the 2019 model year. Scott told us "we're exploring a 2020 model year program - we'll explore at a later date but there are plans to build beyond the 80." For now, Lincoln expects the first 80 examples to be purchased by enthusiasts and collectors.
With so few being built, the Coach Door Continental may even transform into an instant collectible. "We would certainly anticipate given the limited amount we would be building for the 80th anniversary that we would certainly see these appreciate in value," said Scott. The standard Continental has become somewhat of a bargain on the used market, though this car should be a very different story.
As with any limited edition car, the subject of dealership markups can become an issue. Scott said "because we are doing it through our Black Label Brand specifically, we have just over 140 Lincoln Black Label dealers nationally. Those will be the ones fielding customer orders on a first come first serve basis. When we revealed the product in mid-December, we opened the order bank - we will begin notifying clients if they have received an allocation in the next few weeks."
Of course, since 140 dealerships are eligible to sell the car and only 80 will be built, some dealers may be left in the cold. Scott wouldn't reveal how many preorders have been taking but said: "We have been very excited by the first response we have seen." As for the price, Lincoln says it is working hard to ensure dealers stick to the car's MSRP, which is estimated at just north of $110,000.