Lincolns

For a time, Lincoln was viewed as a luxury brand on par with the offerings of any of its rivals. It dominated the American luxury market for decades from the 1930s.

The Lincoln Continental Mark II, a refined V-12 produced in 1956 and 1957, was marketed as America's answer to the Rolls-Royce. The vehicle’s designer, Gordon M. Buehrig, previously designed vehicles for Dusenberg, Packard, and Cord. From the late-1950s through the end of the '60s, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip often rode in Lincoln Cosmopolitans and Continentals during official royal visits. Lincoln was also the longtime preferred limousine for American presidents, used by every president between FDR and Ronald Reagan, who broke with tradition and bought a pair of armored Cadillac Fleetwoods.

Even though the Lincoln Town Car became a mainstay of executive transportation, the luxury brand increasingly catered to aging, less affluent drivers. Now, an alternative to the BMW 5-series called the LS, a redesigned MKZ sedan, and a premium MKX crossover hope to lead Lincoln into a brighter future.

Quick Facts

• The original Batmobile of comic book, television, and movie fame got its design start as a concept car: the 1955 Lincoln Futura
• In 2015, the 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible once owned by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson sold at Christie's for $94,000
• A 1934 Lincoln KB Brunn Convertible sold at Bonhams in 2015 for $451,000