It's difficult to find a car that was much loved by so many generations, like the Lincoln Continental. First produced as a personal vehicle for President Edsel Ford of the Ford Motor Company, the Michigan car manufacturer, built the Lincoln Continental based on the blueprints of the streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr.
The car manufacturer imagined the prototype as a vehicle used by Ford during his holiday in Florida, but once Edsel Ford’s friends saw the vehicle, they were instantly interested in it. What came is predictable; Edsel informed the facility in Michigan that the affluent class had an interest in the car and, due to high-demand, the luxury automobile could become a market success, so production started for the Lincoln Continental. Most of the initial batch were convertible, but the plant in Michigan produced even a limited number of coupes. Since the 1939 hand-built models hit the market, the Continental has come a long way.
Ford has produced ten generations of Lincoln Continental, and although sometimes the automaker halted production, this vehicle has been on the market since 1940, all the way to October 2020. Few vehicles can boast of having such a long history. Nowadays, the Lincoln Continental has become an American classic and buyers can snatch this luxury vehicle at very reasonable prices, so here’s why this car remains a bargain.
Pre-Owned Lincoln Continental Cars Come With An Affordable Price
Generally speaking, pre-owned luxury cars come with high prices, but this is not the case of the Lincoln Continental. Websites like Edmunds have various Lincoln Continental model years for sale, with prices ranging from $18,788 for a 2017 model year with 101,905 miles on the odometer, all the way to $50,950 for a 2020 model with 11,975 miles. Prices on Carfax are in a comparable range. Basically, this is a very affordable luxury vehicle. Just to put things into perspective, Continental rivals, the Audi A8 and BMW Series 7 come with higher price points. For buyers who are looking for an affordable luxury sedan, the Continental is the best option.
Maintenance And Repair Costs Are Low For A Luxury Vehicle
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Luxury cars are expensive to maintain and repair. This is especially true for German vehicles, which are notoriously expensive to maintain. According to Lantern, Porsche is the most expensive luxury car brand to maintain, followed by BMW, Land Rover, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz. As per CarEdge's research, maintenance, and repair expenses for Porsche vehicle models average $22,075 over the course of the first 10 years of ownership. Meanwhile, during the same period, maintenance and repairs on BMW vehicles cost an average of $19,312. At the same time, the research ranks Lincoln car models fifth in the list of the most affordable luxury car brands to maintain. Lincoln car models come right after Infiniti, with an average $12,099 maintenance and repair cost during their first decade of service. However, the Infiniti car models remain slightly more affordable, with an average $11,830 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service.
Sourcing affordable auto parts is another aspect that needs to be seriously considered. As the pandemic hit supply chains hard, dealers and mechanic shops had issues with sourcing car parts for German vehicles. And even when mechanics were able to secure these components, they had to pay more for them because they came from overseas, which increased the cost of shipping. Conversely, American shoppers have more options and can get more reasonably priced aftermarket components for American cars on the domestic market.
The Lincoln Continental Is A Reliable And Durable Luxury Sedan
This American classic is famous for its reliability and safety features, leading several rankings as the safest and most reliable vehicle. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2020 model year a 5-star overall rating.
The 2017 and 2018 model years received the same rating of 5 stars. The ratings look further promising when we analyze durability and reliability, as the Lincoln Continental is famous for its quality build. As such, Consumer Reports gave the 2020 Continental model a 4 out of 5 reliability score. Other models received good scores as well. Drivers like to emphasize that this vehicle is enjoyable to drive in addition to being safe and dependable. In conclusion, luxury automobile enthusiasts who don't want to blow their budget on their dream car should take this American luxury sedan into consideration, since there aren't many drawbacks to it.
If President John F. Kennedy and several more presidents after him found this vehicle to be reliable, the rest of the world should as well. It is worth noting that President Kennedy's 1962 Lincoln Continental is actually considered the more expensive Presidential vehicle in the U.S. as it cost $1.74 million if we consider inflation, according to The Irish Times.
Sources: Lantern Credit, Carfax, Edmunds, The Irish Times, and Car Parts.