As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, Lincoln is celebrating a milestone. 2019 marks 80-years of the Continental. In honor of the anniversary, the company is bringing back what they call coach doors or center-opening doors. You probably know them as “suicide doors”.  Whatever you call them, the iconic design that graced Lincolns mostly during the 1960’s is coming back… but in a limited number. 

Since this is an anniversary, here’s a quick look back at the beginning. The first Lincoln Continental was hand-crafted by chief stylist Eugene T. Gregorie in 1939. It was custom built for Edsel Ford. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation says Ford got the idea after a trip to Europe, and wanted a car with a “sophisticated continental look”. They say Ford’s Lincoln Continental was a 120-horsepower V-12 with a 3-speed manual transmission.  These days the top trim Continental is powered by 400 horses under the hood charging from a twin-turbo V6 matched with a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and three drive modes. My how times have changed.

They only plan to offer 80 Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Editions for the 2019 model year. You’ll start seeing them this summer. There’s hope if you don’t get on this exclusive list. Lincoln says they’ll offer the coach doors for the 2020 model year as well.

1965 Lincoln Continental