Between 1961 and 1965, there were no two-doors in the Lincoln lineup, oddly enough. For 1966, Lincoln rewrote the script with the Continental Coupé.
For 1966, the Lincoln Continental got its first major redesign since the groundbreaking 1961 models were introduced. The unit-construction platform and overall styling theme remained, but the exterior sheet metal was restyled, carefully preserving the sharply chiseled lines. And there was a new hooded instrument fascia as well, with a desk-like control panel that angled toward the driver.
The Lincoln’s MEL V8 (more on that unusual Ford engine family here) was enlarged in both bore and stroke, increasing the displacement from 430 to 462 cubic inches to provide a dignified 340 horsepower and 485 lb-ft of torque The four-door sedans and convertibles with their distinctive front-opening “suicide” doors carried on, but now there was a two-door Hardtop Coupe in the lineup. Or Coupé (say coo-pay) if you prefer, as Lincoln used both the French and English forms in its marketing campaign.
When the Lincoln model line was radically pared down for 1961, the two four-door body styles were considered sufficient. But as the years went on and the Ford Motor Company product planners studied the luxury market, they could see that at arch-rival Cadillac, two-doors represented around 30 percent of the brand’s sales. Meanwhile, consumer studies indicated that a number of Cadillac buyers were bored or dissatisfied and willing to try other brands. It was evident that in not offering a two-door, Lincoln was leaving sales dollars on the table.
According to projections, Lincoln was expecting an annual volume of around 4,500 for the two-door body style. Weren’t they surprised and pleased, then, when Coupe sales reached nearly 16,000 cars in 1966. And better yet, total volume at Lincoln for the year increased by nearly the same amount, as sedan and convertible sales dipped only slightly. The result was a healthy 35 percent increase in volume to nearly 55,000 cars.
This must have been encouraging news for Ford product chief Lee Iacocca and the styling and engineering crews who were then working on another two-door Lincoln project, originally called the Lancelot but ultimately named the Continental Mark III. Introduced in the spring of 1968 as a 1969 model, the Mark III and its successor the Mark IV would eventually double the sales volume of the Lincoln brand.
What now, Lincoln? You’re not even Buick’s equal today. You’d be hard pressed to be competive with Infiniti. You need a coupe. A very high end car. Celestiq-class but with an ICE. Because you’re an outlaw that doesn’t follow the crowd.
I would argue that you haven’t been to a Lincoln showroom lately, the Aviator and the new Nautilus are absolutely gorgeous.
Very interesting. I had no idea how the Continental coupe set the stage for the Mark III.
…and (imho) a beauty it was! I am not now, nor was I ever, a Lincoln owner, but as an admirer of all things automotive, I was particularly fond of the ’66 (and ’67) Lincoln coupes. It’s unfortunate that Lincoln has lost its luster.
Not just Lincoln, but all of them. Rounded off bellybutton blobs or station wagons with no styling, the designers have all fallen asleep. Ford and GM have copied the imports so often on most of their vehicles you can’t tell what they are unless you can read the name tag, and I’ve seen several lately that didn’t even have that! It’s gotten like the 1980’s, remember when GM shrunk their name badges so much you couldn’t hardly read them? I always figured they were ashamed of the garbage they were turning out.
For those that say that Lincoln has lost it’s luster, I disagree. For the money, they are probably at the top of the genre. As for as the ’66-’67 two door coupe, if you ever drove one, the quiet and ride are unbelievable!
As a current Lincoln owner I’ll say that the styling, build, and materials are competitive with a number of luxury and near-luxury marques, but the dealership experience is not nearly as good.
There are very few standalone Lincoln dealers, so for maintenance and service you are handled by the same people who handle Fords (which I also own). They often forget that Lincoln advertises free pickup and delivery of your car for services, and a complimentary loaner vehicle (when you ask for one you’re usually told that one is not available).
That, along with resale value, reliability issues and the fact that most Platinum package Fords cost less and are equally nice, makes me doubt we’ll buy another Lincoln.