Friday, April 1, 2011
2011 Lincoln MKZ
The Basics
Since it's shed Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin--not to mention Mercury--Ford has been voicing bigger plans for its Lincoln brand. More luxurious cars are on the way, with more distinctive powertrains and even higher technology, we're promised.
Key Takeaway
The 2011 Lincoln MKZ has a foot in both luxury worlds, with buttery leather and wood for traditionalists, and hybrid power with flower petals for the high-minded greens.
In the meantime, Ford has a Lincoln lineup that owes plenty to similar Ford-brand products. The MKZ sedan is the best example of how close today's Lincolns can seem to current Fords, while still delivering about as much differentiation as a Lexus ES 350 does from a Toyota Camry.
The MKZ wears a front end all its own, and it's drama-infused. The wings and ribs contrast deeply with the traditional luxury-car dash and its bands of wood and swaths of Scottish leather. The LCD panel in the center can be a jarring note--but it's also the window to a bundle of electronics that keep drivers in SYNC with music and callers while they're keeping both hands on the wheel.
With its more tidy proportions, the MKZ doesn't have the kind of spread-out space you'll find in a bigger Buick or Chrysler, but the same scale works to its advantage in handling. The MKZ's electric power steering feels almost natural, and its ride quality just firm enough, more so with a Sport package and 18-inch wheels.
Then there's the MKZ Hybrid, which Ford pitches at the same price as the conventionally powered V-6 MKZ. It keeps the 41-mpg city fuel economy of the similar Fusion Hybrid, but instead of rewarding green drivers with leaves, it shows its appreciation for gentler driving with...flowers.
With jazzy style, the luxury goods it needs and a new outlook on what luxury actually means to non-cigar-smoking, non-McMansion-dwelling urbanites, the MKZ Hybrid is a clear marketing win as Lincoln specs out a somewhat opaque future. To our testers, the Hybrid makes eminently better sense than the less imaginative MKZ--at zero cost added.
Source: Internet/TheCarConnection
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
New Lincoln Museum
Lincoln is one of America's truly great marques, but recent years have found it becoming more of an orphan at Ford, to the point where people were doubting its survival. Fortunately Lincoln seems to be rediscovering its identity with at least one new model, the MKZ, showing promise. Perhaps the best indicator that Lincoln has a future is Ford's willingness to invest in its history by supporting the new Lincoln Museum in partnership with the Lincoln Motor Car Foundation. (The Foundation was formed in 1999 by members of various Lincoln owner's clubs and retired Ford Motor Company Executives.)
A new, 20,000 square foot dedicated building is to be constructed on the campus of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, a 90 acre park-like setting midway between Chicago and Detroit, also the setting for the Classic Car Club of America Museum, the Tucker Historical Collection and the Pierce-Arrow Museum. "This is a long overdue initiative," said Peter Horbury, Ford Executive Director, Design, The Americas. "Lincoln represents over eighty years of wonderful history and fantastic automobiles. From the early, elegant cars of the 1920's to the pure and simple Continentals of the 1960's, Lincoln has a wonderful story to tell. We look forward to helping the new Lincoln museum become an exciting and educational destination."
[Source: Hemmings eWeekly Newsletter]
Lincoln Zephyr Convention
Source: Internet
Monday, January 3, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Presidential Cars (Lincoln)
Lincoln has a long history of providing official state limousines for the U.S. President. The first car specially built for Presidential use was the 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible called the "Sunshine Special" used by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It remained in use until 1948.
A 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan called the "Bubble Top" was used by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and once by Johnson. It was retired in 1965.
The Lincoln limousine made famous in Dallas was a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, custom built by Hess and Eisenhart of Cincinnati, and known as the SS-100-X. The Secret Service had the car fitted with a 1962 grill for aesthetic reasons. It was in use from 1961 to 1977, having undergone extensive alterations which made it an armor-plated sedan after Kennedy's assassination. A 1969 Lincoln was used by Nixon and a 1972 Lincoln used by Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush. A 1989 Lincoln was the last Presidential Lincoln as of 2004. Cadillac supplied Presidential limousines in 1983, 1993, 2001, and 2004.
The John F. Kennedy limousine also included a "Plexiglas" bubble top to be used in the event of inclement weather. The 1961 vehicle was notorious for its inadequate cooling of the rear of the passenger cabin while the bubble top was in place, particularly in sunshine. In order to prevent excessive heat and discomfort to the passengers, the top was often removed prior to parades, as was the case in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
Though it was always assumed that President Lyndon Baines Johnson had the car destroyed after the assassination of President Kennedy, the 100-X was turned over to the Secret Service, Army Materials Research Center, Hess and Eisenhart, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, and Ford Motor Company for retrofitting of armor plating, permanent sedan roof, new interior, improved air-conditioning system, electronic communications equipment, bulletproof glass, a new paint treatment, as well as cosmetic alterations to remove damage incurred during the assassination, among other changes. The car is also on display at the Henry Ford Museum.
The Johnson Administration also used three 1965 Lincoln Continental Executive Limousines. Two limousines for the President and one for Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, as well as a 1968 "stretch" Lincoln to be used in Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas. This vehicle is on display at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.
The 100-X was modified again in 1967. Later, under President Richard Nixon, the large one-piece glass roof was replaced with a smaller glass area and a hinged roof panel. It remained in service until 1977 and resides in its final configuration at the Henry Ford Museum.
President Nixon ordered a 1969 model limousine, through Lehman-Peterson of Chicago. This vehicle also had an added sunroof so that Nixon could stand upright when appearing before parade-goers if desired. This vehicle was equipped with several features, such as retractable hand grips and running boards, options later copied by Hess and Eisenhart. This car is now located at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California.
In 1974, Ford supplied a 1972 Continental model which was stretched to 22 feet (7 m), outfitted with armor plating, bullet resistant glass and powered by a 460 cu in (7.5 L) V8 engine. This limousine was used by Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, and is on display at the Henry Ford Museum. This model was also altered a number of times during its history, including a full body redesign in 1979. This was the limousine that Reagan was about to enter during his assassination attempt in 1981.
Source: Ford
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