
-
Lincoln Continental
This classic American sedan belongs on this list because despite being a cliché, luxury four-doors are still great road trip cars. The story of the Continental started in the late ’50s when Ford’s luxury division, Lincoln, was much behind Cadillac in sales numbers and in popularity and style. Despite building big and luxury cruisers with powerful engines, those late ’50s Lincolns just didn’t compare to Cadillacs. Ford decided that this had to change, so in 1961, the Lincoln Continental was born.
When Lincoln showed their new model, the automotive public was stunned. The beautiful elegance of the styling, conservative use of chrome, straight lines and futuristic design transformed the four-door luxury model into a work of modern art. Suddenly, sales doubled, and the new Continental became the official car of the White House due to its stately appearance and restrained elegance.
The best exterior features were the suicide doors, with the rear doors opening towards the traffic. Of course, this wasn’t the best solution, but it added to the charm of the Continental. Interestingly, Lincoln offered a cool-looking four-door convertible model which proved to be popular and quite unique on the market.