March 31: Lincoln - yet another change?

What a beautiful looking car and it should be, since it mimics another beautiful ride and that is the new Bentley Brooklands.......

But hey, I'm not here to point fingers, especially in a world where design elements of one car are freely taken for use on another car. You know the old adage, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (in most cases).

No, what this blog is about is the latest Lincoln model that, will hit showrooms in the next couple of years. Thanks to Neil Young's verbal slip up, we knew that it was coming, just not in what form. The top pic is the upcoming Continental, to be unveiled at this week's New York Auto Show. A luxury car to compete with the new big Cadillac (CT-6), also being unveiled in New York, and of course, those other pesky luxo cruisers from Lexus and the German companies. Good idea, if one is trying to re-establish the brand and what it represents. The other unveiling from Lincoln is their new front end, which will filter across their line in the coming years. What?

Now, let's just take a breather here and think about that last comment.

Remember when Lincoln intro'd the new MKX, with a grille reminiscent of what is know as the Kennedy Lincoln? You don't remember, do you? Ok take a look.......

This was supposed to be the new Lincoln front end that, would distinguish the brand from all those other luxury makes. Good idea, since those older Continentals were lovely, elegant cars. Not a bad starting point to use in order to, once again, be an important brand.

Then Lincoln's execs thought, well, if old is good, then older is even better.......

.......and here they are showing off that new "old" face to the world and telling everyone that this would indeed be the new face of Lincoln. This one came from the '30's.......

A bit awkward at first, it eventually was integrated very nicely into the front end of every new Lincoln, the latest being their new for 2015 small suv, the MKC........

Not a bad look at all. And everyone knew it was a Lincoln.

So now Lincoln has reached back into their past for a rather revered name, the Continental, put it on a great looking design.......

.......and once again put a different, new corporate face on this car. And one that mimics the Chrysler 300, which itself mimics the Bentley. We all know that product identity is very important, but for Pete's sake give it a rest and stay with one front end. Lincoln has struggled with exactly what the brand stands for and what makes it stand out, but it sure doesn't help matters to continually make changes to its frontal identity.

So, come on Lincoln, make up your mind or we'll be sitting here waiting for the next, new front end to appear in a couple of years. But in the meantime, congrats on a very nice new Continental.

Until next time......