In this article
The Lincoln Continental is one of the most storied names in American luxury. It began as a one-off personal car for Edsel Ford in 1939, became an exclusive production car, and reached its most celebrated form in the 1961–1969 Continental, with its clean slab sides and rear-hinged rear doors. That generation is forever associated with President John F. Kennedy. The name returned several times, most recently from 2017 to 2020, including a limited Coach Door Edition.
At a glance
| Origin | 1939, Edsel Ford’s personal car |
| Iconic generation | 1961–1969 |
| Famous feature | Rear-hinged rear doors (1961–1969) |
| Last Continental | 2020 model year |
1939: Edsel Ford’s European-style Lincoln
Edsel Ford, Henry Ford’s son and president of Ford Motor Company, asked designer Eugene “Bob” Gregorie to create a personal car with European elegance, based on the Lincoln-Zephyr. The long hood, short deck and rear-mounted spare wheel caught the attention of his wealthy friends, and Lincoln put the Continental into production from 1940. It is often cited among the most beautiful American cars ever made.
The Continental Mark II
In 1956 Ford created a separate Continental division for the hand-assembled Mark II, one of the most expensive American cars of its time, owned by celebrities and industrialists.
1961: the clean-sided classic
The 1961 Continental, designed under Elwood Engel, broke with the chrome-heavy excess of the 1950s. It was shorter, crisper and more restrained, with rear doors hinged at the back — “suicide doors” — and a four-door convertible version. It won design awards and influenced American car design for years.
The Kennedy car
The presidential limousine SS-100-X was a heavily modified 1961 Continental convertible, and it was the car in which President Kennedy was riding in Dallas in November 1963. Read the SS-100-X story.
Later Continentals
The name was used on large luxury sedans in the 1970s, on front-wheel-drive sedans from 1988 to 2002, and on a revived flagship from 2017 to 2020, which offered a twin-turbo V6 and 30-way adjustable “Perfect Position” seats. The Coach Door Edition (2019–2020) stretched the car and added rear-hinged rear doors in tribute to the 1960s classic. See the Coach Door Edition.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the first Lincoln Continental?
Eugene “Bob” Gregorie designed it for Edsel Ford in 1939.
Did the Lincoln Continental have suicide doors?
The 1961–1969 Continental had rear-hinged rear doors, and the 2019–2020 Coach Door Edition revived them.
When was the last Lincoln Continental made?
The last Continental was the 2020 model year.
