Ford wanted to revive the popularity of the 1929–1932 Lincoln Victoria coupe and convertible but with a more modern approach, reflecting European styling influences for the Continental.

1948 would become the last year for the Continental, as the division sought to redevelop its new 1949 model line as an upgraded version of the Mercury; the expensive personal-luxury car no longer had a role at Lincoln.

At its 1956 launch, the Continental Mark II was the most expensive automobile sold by a domestic manufacturer in the United States, rivaling the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.

To widen its sales potential, Ford required Continental to reach a $6,000 price point ($63,363 in 2023 dollars [13]) (a 40% reduction from the Mark II), allowing the division to better compete against Cadillac Eldorado and Imperial LeBaron.

[19] To allow for production at a larger scale, the Continental model line was more closely integrated with Lincoln, differing primarily in roofline, trim, and grille.

The first all-new unibody design since World War II, this generation of the Continental is one of the largest sedans ever built by Ford Motor Company (or any American automaker).

To set itself apart from a Lincoln, along with a division-specific grille, all versions of the Continental (including convertibles) were styled with a reverse-slant roofline, fitted with a retractable "breezeway" rear window.

Shared with Lincoln, Mercury, and the Ford Thunderbird, the Continental Mark III–V were fitted with a 430 cubic-inch MEL V8 engine; a 3-speed Turbo-Drive automatic was the sole transmission.

From 1958 to 1960, the Lincoln Division would lose over $60 million ($617,952,756 in 2023 dollars [13]); along with the launch of newly developed vehicles in a recession economy, a factor that contributed to the downfall of the Edsel line.

Deriving its mechanism from the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner hardtop convertible, the Continental was fitted with a fabric roof that stored under a rear-hinged deck lid/filler panel.

[38] For 1962, a simpler front grille design with floating rectangles and a thin center bar replaced the heavy-gauge, Thunderbird-like, high mounted bumper of the '61.

In a styling change, the convex "electric shaver" front fascia was replaced by a more angular blunt hood with an upright flat grille design.

As a result of numerous frame reinforcements required by the lack of a fixed roof, the 5,712 lb (2,591 kg) 1967 Lincoln Continental convertible is one of the heaviest passenger cars ever sold by Ford Motor Company.

The "Continental" wording was removed from the front fascia, replaced by the Lincoln star emblem (as seen on the rear); the hood ornament was deleted, in anticipation of a federal ban on the feature (which never came to effect).

Following the downsizing of the full-size General Motors and Chrysler product lines, the Lincoln Continental became the largest mass-market automobile produced worldwide for the 1977 model year.

While a number of vehicles underwent significant revisions to comply with the regulation, the Continental was able to meet the standard by moving its front bumper several inches forward and fitting it with rubber-tipped impact overriders.

Along with two-tone paint, the Williamsburg Edition also included a full vinyl roof, pinstriping, power vent windows, lighted vanity mirrors, and 6-way twin "Comfort Lounge Seats".

While lagging behind Cadillac for three years to downsize its model range, the redesign of the Continental provided Lincoln with the best year-to-year fuel economy improvement (38%) in Ford history.

[70] Alongside a massive reduction of curb weight, the introduction of a 4-speed overdrive transmission enabled Lincoln to surpass its competitors, switching from the brand with the worst 1979 CAFE rating to the most fuel-efficient full-size car sold.

While retaining the body-on-frame layout of its predecessor and using a rear-wheel drive powertrain, the Panther platform made major engineering changes to lower curb weight.

Sold exclusively as a four-door sedan, it was marketed alongside the two-door Mark VII (introduced in 1984), with both vehicles featuring a "spare tire" trunklid.

[78] Several revisions were made to the chassis to accommodate the new powertrain, including true dual exhaust, a heavier-duty radiator (adopted by the 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra R), additional hood insulation, and a rubber strip to minimize vibrations between the firewall and strut towers.

[75] The interior underwent an update; alongside adopting the digital instrument panel of the Mark VII, new seats were introduced, along with new (real) wood trim and an overhead console.

In addition to traditional competitors Cadillac and Chrysler, the Continental now competed against Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi and eventually the top-of-the-line vehicles of Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti.

[84] The 1988 Continental went on sale in December, 1987[85] and shared its unibody chassis with the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable, using its own unique body and interior design and riding a three-inch longer wheelbase.

Also available on the 1999 Continental was the "RESCU package" (Remote Emergency Satellite Cellular Unit) which included Global satellite positioning (similar to GM's "OnStar"), 3-channel HomeLink compatible garage door opener mounted in the driver's sun visor, voice-activated cellular telephone, and the Alpine audio system (which included a digital sound processor, subwoofer amplifier, and additional speakers).

The package included "Diamond Anniversary" badging, leather seats, voice-activated cellular phone, JBL audio system, auto electrochromatic dimming mirror with compass, and traction control.

[98] Previewed by a namesake concept car at the 2015 New York Auto Show, the 2017 Continental succeeds the Lincoln MKS, and was manufactured at Ford's Flat Rock Assembly.

While largely done in an effort to increase center console space, the layout is a similar approach to the Mercury, Chrysler and Packard designs of the mid-1950s (though the Continental is also fitted with paddle shifters as standard equipment).

Hollywood studio MGM had a special blue created to match Liz Taylor’s eyes and gave her a Continental Mark II car that color.