Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition – stretched special with suicide doors

Since the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Phantom in the 2000s, suicide doors have been seen as a status symbol for the most gilded of individuals, almost entirely due to its association with the Goodwood carmaker. But in the 1960s it was Lincoln that most famously used rear-hinged doors on the Continental, and it’s harking back to its heyday with – deep breath – the Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition.

As the name suggests, this limited-run model celebrates 80 years since the Continental name first appeared on Edsel Ford’s one-off personal vehicle, with only 80 units to be built in 2019. To fit the centre opening doors, the wheelbase was stretched some six inches (152 mm) – as Car and Driver notes, this was done not by Lincoln itself, but by Cabot Coach Builders, which also reinforced the body to meet safety regulations.

The longer rear doors retain the standard Continental‘s electronic door handles, and once ensconced, passengers will be treated to a fully decked-out Black Label interior – complete with a head-up display, 30-way power-adjustable seats, active noise cancellation and a Revel Ultima Audio system. Rear occupants get a full-length centre console with a stowable tray table, tablet storage and a wireless charging pad.

The Black Label trim adds an assortment of membership privileges, including annual vehicle detailing, car washes and curated dining experiences at selected restaurants. Power, meanwhile, comes from a 3.0 litre twin-turbocharged V6 delivering 400 hp and 542 Nm of torque, sent to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Lincoln will continue building another limited run in 2020, but only buyers of the initial 80-unit allocation will get a special numbered door sill plaque.

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