Shanghai, China, February 4, 2022 – On February 4, 1922, Henry Ford, with the support and encouragement of his wife Clara and son Edsel Ford, acquired the Lincoln Motor Company for $8 million from henry Leland, a famed inventor and automotive engineer. The deal also marks the official creation of Lincoln, an outstanding American luxury car brand.
"We are at a critical juncture in the development of the Lincoln brand, and looking back on a century of legend can better help us seek inspiration for the future." We strike a good balance between staying true to the core values of luxury brands and creating youthful products and experiences. "Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln brand also coincides with our push towards an electrified future, and I look forward to leading the Lincoln brand to the next centenary journey." ”
Lincoln celebrates its 100th anniversary and looks back on its illustrious history while also focusing on the future development of the brand. The Lincoln brand will be committed to creating a unique electrified product lineup and intelligent and connected technology to create a calm and worry-free car experience for customers.
"Lincoln's classic style and appearance, as well as its outstanding performance, have become the brand's unique identity." Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, said, "As we embrace the future of electrification with connected technology and always-on customer experience, I am thrilled to see Lincoln continue its second centenary in China and North America. ”
100 years of innovation
The early success of the Lincoln brand was largely due to the influence of Edelder Ford. Shortly after completing the acquisition, he served as Lincoln's first president until his death in 1943. One of his famous quotes fully expresses his ambition: "Father built the most popular car, and I will build a classic that will flow for a long time." ”
Edsell Ford has always put design and style first, making personalised services within reach, creating a wide range of elegant, exquisite craftsmanship and outstanding performance products at reasonable pricing. Lincoln firmly believed that cars were more than just means of transportation. This belief also became the cornerstone of the lincoln brand's rise.
In 1936, the Lincoln brand introduced the Zephyr model, lincoln's first model with a streamlined body design. In 1939, the Lincoln Continental debuted as a personal car and quickly became a model of design, pioneering the personal luxury sedan segment in the United States.
In 1952, Edsell's son, William Clay Ford, was appointed Special Product Operations Manager, overseeing the engineering and design team, during which time he introduced Continental's successor, the Continental Mark II. This model is considered by many to be one of the greatest cars of all time.
Looking back at the brand's history, Lincoln has created many innovative technologies and functions that are ahead of its time, and Lincoln continues this innovative momentum today. Here are some of the key milestones in lincoln's brand history:
· 1955: Lincoln introduces the Continental Mark II model to the showroom
· 1961: Lincoln adopts the first two-way door design on the Continental model
· 1977: Garage door remote control switch integrated for the first time on Lincoln Versalles models
· 1980: The first keyless entry feature is introduced by electronic display of speedometers, fuel gauges and vehicle information displays
· 1987: Lincoln's first front-wheel-drive model is introduced
· 1994: Seat and mirror adjustment memory function via remote control
· 2010: Lincoln unveils its first hybrid model, the MKZ Hybrid
· 2017: Lincoln unveils the new Navigator Concept, once again leading the full-size luxury SUV segment with a new design and innovative features including 30-way electric adjustable seats
· 2018: To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Continental model, Lincoln unveiled the 80th Anniversary Edition with a due-door design
· 2018-2019: Symphonic cues recorded with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; new Lincoln Aviator and Lincoln Adventurer Corsair models released
· 2021: The new Lincoln Z, the first Chinese "smart" sedan innovatively built for China's younger generation of customers, made its global debut at the Guangzhou International Auto Show, and the Lincoln Z has become a bellwether for the brand's future design
Redefining the Lincoln brand
For 100 years, the Lincoln brand has focused on forward-looking innovative practices and adhered to core values. While keeping products new, we will create more models that meet consumer expectations.
The fourth generation of Lincoln Navigator, Navigator, launched in 2018, lit up the rise of the Lincoln brand. For the first time, the new flagship SUV model is equipped with luxury features such as 30-way electric adjustment seats, which perfectly combines modern luxury with innovative technology, bringing first-class comfort to family travel, and opening the road to Lincoln's rapid development that has continued to this day.
"Every brand that has gone through a hundred years is definitely not an accident. Lincoln has gone through a wonderful century, created countless legends, and achieved a brand with attitude, temperature and story. Chen Anning, vice president of the Ford Motor Company Group and president and CEO of Ford China, said, "In the future, I believe lincoln can continue to subvert itself, accumulate and develop, and achieve more ambitious goals and ideals." ”
In the Chinese market, the Lincoln brand has implemented a localization strategy and achieved success, with Lincoln Adventurers selling more than 50,000 units in 2021. Last November, Lincoln's first "smart" car, the new Lincoln Z, made its world debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show and officially opened pre-sales, earning more than 3,000 orders so far, bringing young Chinese customers an American luxury experience that keeps pace with the times.
Lincoln China continues to accelerate the iterative upgrade of "Lincoln Way" 2.0, innovates and launches One ID, deeply integrates digital technology with customer experience, and customers can log in to all Lincoln digital platforms through a unique ID, "smart" and convenient. In addition, the world's first new Lincoln Way Experience Center was also completed in China, which takes the "American Luxury Club" as the design concept, integrates the purest American luxury experience, vivid and rich digital interconnection technology, diversified and ecological customer co-creation experience space, and is committed to becoming a "trend vane" that integrates architecture, experience and social networking, creating a new retail model that subverts the industry tradition.
"Looking back on the past century, Lincoln has grown up in the test, written legends with faith, and witnessed the brilliant development of the automobile industry with classic models." Mao Jingbo, President of Lincoln China, said, "Standing at the beginning of the new century, I hope that Lincoln can accompany our customers to witness every unforgettable and important moment in their lives, and truly enter the hearts of customers." The next hundred years, Lincoln Chi in China! ”
Remembering a century of design and innovation
Lincoln's precipitated American luxury attributes have been vividly demonstrated through the current product lineup and customer experience, but this is not the end and will continue in the future. Lincoln is promoting the continuous evolution of product design concepts, moving in the direction of intelligent connection and electrification. Lincoln will launch a complete lineup of connected and electrified products worldwide by 2030.
To celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary, Lincoln launched a year-long global event. This series of events will closely link the brand's past, present and exciting future, and start Lincoln's next century of journey.