THE ANATOMY OF THE LINCOLN

Lincoln has long made luxury vehicles at technology’s leading edge. The company began in 1917, making aircraft engines for the First World War. In 1921, when Lincoln created its first car, critics praised its sophisticated and reliable engine, which included pistons made of special, hard-cast iron. But from the start, Lincoln matched technology with elegance: their vehicles had every option imaginable for their day, including elegant interiors made from mohair and leather. As time went on, Lincoln refined its cars, whether they were double-filament headlights or ever-better engines. In 1936, Lincoln created the first aerodynamic car, the Zephyr. When the Lincoln Continental was introduced in 1940, Frank Lloyd Wright called it the most beautiful car in the world. By then, Lincoln vehicles had become iconic: every sitting President, from Coolidge to Bush has ridden in a Lincoln.

Lincoln has never rested, but instead drives forward. It developed the first automatic transmission with the settings familiar to every driver today: P-R-N-Dr-Lo. It created the first American car with antilock braking. And its innovations continue—always, with Lincoln matching technology with elegance. Look for our innovations in every new Lincoln, from the groundbreaking MKT crossover, to the MKZ Hybrid.

By the time this photograph was taken in 1925, the Roaring Twenties had begun and Lincoln Motor Company was an established maker of fine cars. At its just-opened body shop, workers are seen carefully preparing brand new Lincolns for fittings with their chassis and V8 engines. These would have been fitted with their trademark long, tightly curving fenders and optional greyhound hood ornaments, designed by famed silversmith, Gorham. Even then, Lincolns were at the technological forefront, by late 1925, dashboards included (then-innovative) gasoline gauges. Thirteen body styles were offered by Lincoln in 1925, but countless more styles were also available from independent coachbuilders.

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The introduction of the 1936 Lincoln-Zephyr was a technological watershed: it was the first aerodynamic production car. Possibly inspired by its early days as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, the Zephyr was streamlined throughout, much like an airplane. But the design went deeper than the car’s obviously sloping hood: it included the latest in technology, an integrated body-chassis. It also had a low center of gravity and was a mere 13.5 inches above the ground—making them easy to control, and simple to step in and out of.

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Lincoln has a long history of providing cars for Presidential use, from Coolidge, all the way to Bush. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1939 “Sunshine Special” was the first specially built Presidential car, with security features such as armor plating, bulletproof glass and tires, and a special two-way radio. Truman’s limousine took on those security features but also added gold-plated passenger compartment accessories, a built-in humidor, and writing sets. It was a part of a fleet of nine cars, all of which included special, elongated seven-passenger bodies mounted on a reinforced Cosmopolitan chassis.

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President Harry S. Truman here rides a specially fitted 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopolitan was Lincoln’s top-of-the-line vehicle—some models were sporty two-doors, while others seated six. Because Lincolns have always been built with the latest in luxury, Cosmopolitans usually came with options and accessories such as smooth-shifting Hydra-Matic transmissions, cord and leather upholstery, radios, and portable rear speakers.

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As Lincoln moved into the 21^st Century, it has continued to create vehicles that seamlessly integrate technology and design. But what’s so smart about Lincoln’s 2012 vehicles? Game-changing technology is a start. From rear view camera technology and one-touch Start capabilities to Easy Fuel™ Capless Fuel Filters and rain sensing wipers, Lincoln has continued to equip its vehicles with the best in automotive technology.

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Typically considered a cause of frustration, parallel parking with Lincoln is now easy and quick, courtesy of Active Park Assist. Lincoln has equipped it’s vehicles with ultrasonic sensors to precisely measure open spaces to find a suitable parking spot. As drivers approach an open parking spot, an alert will tell them if their vehicle will fit before they even attempt to park—no guessing required. Then as the vehicle parks itself, drivers will still control the gear shifter, brake, and gas.

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Lincoln has made night driving easier and safer with adaptive HID headlamps. As the vehicles turn, the lights turn with the steering wheel angle and vehicle speed to allow a greater field of vision around the darkest curves. They can also automatically switch to high beam intensity when no other vehicles are near, and revert to low-beam intensity when sensors detect the headlamps or tail lamps of other vehicles.

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Lincoln’s touchscreen navigation system not only gives you turn-by-turn directions, it also delivers traffic alerts, current weather forecasts, gas station locations and prices, live sports scores and schedules, and theater locations with movie listings and times. The system is also enabled with SiriusXM, a 10GB hard drive that can store approximately 2,400 songs, and a media hub that allows for bluetooth syncing from media devices, allowing drivers to select their music by touch screen or voice activation.

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