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Detroit — Lincoln Motor Company heralds the return of its flagship—the all-new Lincoln Continental—an elegant, effortlessly powerful, serene full-size sedan that delivers quiet luxury to the industry’s most discerning customers, according to Lincoln. Long rumored to be a complement to the Lincoln Livery lineup, the vehicle will be produced with an available Livery package for the industry. There are no plans at this time to produce the sedan as a QVM stretch. Chauffeur Driven will have more details about the Continental in the March issue.
The Continental concept was unveiled at last year’s auto shows and immediately sparked conversation within and outside the industry thanks to its bold styling. Due to become available this fall in the U.S. and China, Lincoln says that the full-size sedan is designed to appeal to culturally progressive clients who define luxury on their own terms—craving superior quality, craftsmanship, and safety.
The new design takes the vintage nameplate into the 21st century, with Lincoln’s new signature grille and an athletic profile that is dynamic and progressive.
Lincoln’s new flagship welcomes drivers with a brand-exclusive lighting sequence. As the driver approaches the car with the key, LED signature lighting in the lower front fascia and taillamps subtly engages, while signature lighting in the headlamps awakens in a fluid motion. Lincoln mat lights then brighten the pavement around the front doors, helping show any hazards, while select interior lights warmly illuminate the cabin.
Ford-Lincoln Limousine & Livery team with the 2017 Continental
Continental door handles are designed to offer elegant and effortless entry with new E-latch door release. The release is discreetly integrated within the beltline, leaving the body side clean. With the gentle touch of a button, the vehicle’s doors pop open.
An elegant available panoramic sunroof covers nearly the entire roof area; the front half slides up and over the rear—creating a large open-air driving experience and an even greater feeling of spaciousness for up to five Continental occupants.
Lincoln Drive Control provides the driver a choice of three settings—comfort, normal and sport—adapting steering and suspension settings to tailor ride and handling. Available adaptive steering helps optimize steering response, enabling the vehicle to react more smoothly and precisely to driver input.
Rear passengers were also considered with such available features as audio and climate controls, sunshades, and reclining, heated, cooled and massaging seats. The streamlined interior provides generous rear leg room.
Innovations in managing vehicle noise and vibration, including Active Noise Control and acoustic laminated glass create a quiet, comfortable environment.
“The Continental name has long been associated with the ultimate in Lincoln beauty and luxury,” said Kumar Galhotra, president of Lincoln. “With the all-new model, we are focusing on creating more human, personally tailored experiences for our clients—-providing what we call quiet luxury.”
The all-new Lincoln Continental will be produced at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan.
Visit lincoln.com for more information.
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Marlton, N.J. — Happy Fat Tuesday, mon’amies! We’ve been telling you about our Executive Retreat scheduled for May 1-3 in New Orleans for a few months now, but now you can sneak a peek at what we have in store for our attendees at our newly launched website: neworleansretreat.com. Many thanks to Platinum Sponsors Turtle Top and Tenney Group.
This year, we take you to the Big Easy for a true Cajun experience. Our venue, the JW Marriott, is right in the center of it all on Canal Street—in the heart of downtown and on the border of the city’s most desirable destination: the French Quarter. We’ve secured an amazing rate at the JW Marriott of only $199/night Sunday through Wednesday.
Starting right on the heels of the world-famous New Orleans Jazz Fest, our Retreat blends the best that the Crescent City has to offer with a healthy dose of education, networking, relaxation, and live jazz! New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, so this the event for anyone who loves great music. Come a little early to take advantage of the final weekend of Jazz Fest, that includes such headliners like Beck, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon—to name just a few! (The entire all-star lineup is available at nojazzfest.com). Hotel rooms are completely sold out around the city during that weekend, but we have some available in our room block. Contact Director of Events Jess Pavlow directly at 856.452.0323 for information.
Our Retreat is limited to 200 operators to ensure maximum networking with a smaller group. We’ve packed a lot of bang for your buck into our three-day N’awlins Retreat that includes four top-class education sessions on marketing, sales, profitability, and employee management. We’ll have more information about speakers and a detailed description of the sessions in the March issue of Chauffeur Driven.
Of course, it’s our nighttime activities that will win you over with a trip to Mardi Gras World, which houses hundreds of authentic parade floats, where we’ll kick off with our Hurricane Reception followed by dinner; our Dixieland Dinner Cruise on the Mississippi; and our excursions to some of the hottest live jazz clubs for the best music in town on Bourbon and Frenchmen—where the locals go. Whether you’ve never been to NOLA or you’re a veteran traveler, we guarantee it will be a spectacular time.
We’re also thrilled to announce that we’ll have a brand-spanking-new Lincoln Continental on hand so that operators can see the vehicle up close and personal. Lincoln’s newest flagship has been making waves since it was announced as a reboot in 2015 and unveiled as a concept at last year’s auto shows, and now it will finally be available this fall with a livery package as a 2017 model year. Thanks to Gold Sponsor Complete Fleet Livery Sales for supplying.
Registration is open now for our early-bird rate of $699. But hurry, that rate expires on March 15, and we’re limited to 200 operators. Spots are going fast!
Visit neworleansretreat.com for more information.
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The 23 people in attendance at the recent VLA meeting were a mix of longstanding and new members
Richmond, Va. — Twenty-three attendees were present for the first membership meeting of the Virginia Limousine Association (VLA) of 2016, held February 1 at James River Transportation. The meeting saw a healthy mix of longstanding and brand-new members present, with Richard Minter of Commonwealth Chauffeur & Concierge and Kent Rayfield of Signature Transportation among some of the new faces.
The meeting included presentations from an array of industry interests. Vendor Member Jack Rolfe of Georgetown Insurance spoke to those in attendance about insurance issues while Dave Glick of First Class Customs, also a vendor member, provided a brief overview on what differentiates his company from others.
Additionally, Barbara Arkwright and Gregory Wray of the Virginia DMV Motor Carrier Division’s Field Operations spoke about how “agency is keeping an eye on the growing number of app partners of TNC companies soliciting work, and that our mutual cooperation has helped the field agents do a better job,” according to VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Transportation.
At the association level, VLA is working toward the installation of an executive director so there will be an individual dedicated to the stable growth of the association who isn’t simultaneously juggling the responsibilities and demands of owning a ground transportation company.
“As we are in such a large state, our intention is to grow the association into a large and sustainable membership,” Walsh said. “Reality has shown us the difficulty of attaining these goals as "volunteer" board members who are also running our businesses and giving our time when we can.”
While announcing an executive director originally had been slated for the meeting, the VLA decided to delay the hiring until all members’ questions have been addressed, giving members a deadline of February 14 for submitting their remarks. Any input will be discussed during a conference call once the deadline has passed.
The next VLA meeting will be April 4.
Visit virginialimousineassociation.org for more information.