Lincoln Continental has a Future, With Suicide Doors

Lincoln is planning to add a throwback feature to one of its throwback nameplates: suicide doors. The next-generation sedan was reportedly shown to dealers this week at the annual NADA conference, where the car sported rear-hinged doors.

First reported by Automotive News this news runs counter with other recent reports that suggested the Continental would be killed after its current model run. A dealership in the NADA meeting confirmed Lincoln executives showed off the next Continental to the group as a means of confirming the brand’s commitment to its car lineup. The car shown featured rear-hinged rear doors, similar to the Continental from the 1960’s.

Continental sales have fallen 30 percent so far in 2018 as consumers flock to crossovers and SUVs. Slow sales and a general ramp up of investment into SUVs at Ford made reports of the Continental’s death seem plausible. Suffice to say, it sounds like the speculative reports surrounding the potential death of the Continental caused Lincoln to play its cards.

In addition to the next Continental, dealerships say they were shown the upcoming Aviator Concept, which will revealed next week at the New York Auto Show. Lincoln executives also briefly mentioned an unnamed SUV that will arrive prior to 2020 and four other vehicles that will launch after 2020.

Dealerships report leaving the meeting optimistic about the brand’s future. It is reported that Lincoln executives are now targeting 300,000 global sales by the end of this decade. In comparison, Lincoln sold 188,000 vehicles globally last year.