Lincoln · 1939–2020
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced between 1939 and 2020 by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edsel Ford, who commissioned a coachbuilt 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr convertible, developed as a vacation vehicle to attract potential Lincoln buyers. In what would give the model line its name, the exterior was designed with European "continental" styling elements, including a rear-mounted spare tire. In production for over 55 years across nine different decades, Lincoln has produced ten generations of the Continental. Within the Lincoln model line, the Continental has served several roles ranging from its flagship to its base-trim sedan. From 1961 to 1976, Lincoln sold the Continental as its exclusive model line. The model line has also gone on hiatus three times. From 1949 to 1955, the nameplate was briefly retired. For 1981, the Continental was renamed the Lincoln Town Car to accommodate the 1982 seventh-generation Continental. After 2002, the Continental was retired, largely replaced by the Lincoln MKS for 2009. For 2017, the tenth-generation Continental replaced the MKS. As part of its entry into full-scale production, the first-generation Continental was the progenitor of an entirely new automotive segment, the personal luxury car. Following World War II, the segment evolved into coupes and convertibles larger than sports cars and grand touring cars with an emphasis on features, styling, and comfort over performance and handling. From 1956 to 1957, the Continental nameplate was the namesake of the short-lived Continental Division, marketing the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II as the worldwide flagship of Ford Motor Company; as a second successor, Ford introduced the Continental Mark series for 1969, produced over six generations to 1998. Along with the creation of the personal luxury car segment, the Lincoln Continental marked the zenith of several designs in American automotive history. The Continental is the final American vehicle line with a factory-produced V12 engine (1948), the final four-door convertible (1967), and the final model line to undergo downsizing (for the 1980 model year). American production of the Continental and MKZ, its only two sedans, ended in 2020 thereby making Lincoln a crossover/SUV-only brand in the US.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Model years
Generations & variants
Photos
US NHTSA safety ratings
| Vehicle | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Lincoln Continental 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2020 Lincoln Continental 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2019 Lincoln Continental 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2019 Lincoln Continental 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2018 Lincoln Continental 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2018 Lincoln Continental 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Lincoln Continental 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Lincoln Continental 4 DR RWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (US government, public domain). US-market versions; not the same tests as Euro NCAP.
US safety recalls
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25V442000 2025-06-27 · model years 2019, 2020
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport,…
Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is…
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22V644000 2022-08-26 · model years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2020 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system. Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S51.
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19V077000 2019-02-11 · model years 2017, 2018, 2019
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Lincoln Continental vehicles. The door latch pawl motors may not function properly, possibly resulting in a door latch not fully engaging.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the latch assemblies on all four doors, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…
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17V123000 2017-02-27 · model years 2017
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles and 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles. In the event of a crash, the driver's frontal air bag may not fully inflate or the air bag cushion may detach from the air bag module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
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16V731000 2016-10-12 · model years 2017
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Lincoln Continental vehicles manufactured June 14, 2016, to September 23, 2016 and equipped with high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. The headlights may have been built with incorrect lenses, adversely affecting the turn signal visibility as well as…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlights, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…
NHTSA recalls database (US government, public domain). Recalls apply to US-market vehicles; check the manufacturer for your country.
US EPA fuel-economy records
| Year | Engine | Drive | Transmission | Fuel | MPG (US) comb. | CO₂ g/mi | EV range mi | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 424 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 452 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 478 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 466 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 462 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 424 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 449 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 478 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 463 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 424 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 451 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 466 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 422 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 453 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle), fueleconomy.gov ↗, US government public domain.
Sources
- Wikidata / Wikipedia profiles — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/cars/Q6550570CC0 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_ContinentalCC BY-SA 4.0 · Intro text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373833889 · retrieved 2026-10-03
- US EPA / DOE FuelEconomy.gov — https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ws/index.shtmlUS Government public domain
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API — https://api.nhtsa.gov/SafetyRatingsUS Government public domain
- NHTSA recalls database — https://www.nhtsa.gov/recallsUS Government public domain
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.