Lincoln LS Production Ends with No Direct Replacement Available

Remember when Lincoln introduced its first sport sedan? It was way back in 1999 when the Euro-inspired LS went on sale, and peoples perceptions of domestic luxury cars were forever changed; Lincoln was actually building a car with a console-mounted manual shifter!

Now, exactly seven years having past and 262,900 plus examples off the line since the LS began production at Fords Wixom, Michigan plant, production has ended. The timing was right, not only because LS sales have slowed to a trickle, but also because the all-new Zephyr, soon to be renamed MKZ to coincide with Lincolns new naming strategy, is on sale and doing well.

The Zephyr/MKZ doesnt replace the LS, or at least not directly, but its interior is sized similarly, while styling and materials quality show significant steps up the desirability ladder. Lincoln plans on bringing a larger all-wheel drive sedan to market, based on the Ford Five Hundred/Volvo S80 platform architecture, shown in concept form as the MKS in Detroit earlier this year.

The cancellation of the LS also marks the final countdown of Wixom, which will close next year when a final run of Town Cars ends. The Town Car, in some form or another, is destined to go on for time immemorial, being that it completely owns North Americas limousine industry, critical for Lincolns image and coffers, but Ford will end production of another premium car built on a separate line within Wixom, the sensational Ford GT supercar. Top-line Ford in mind, the Jaguar S-Type, which shares its general architecture with the LS, will soon be replaced by an updated version.

In the end the LS deserves credit for, along with the 1992 Seville STS, bringing respect back to Detroit. Now, will its eventual replacement live up to its legacy? Only time will tell.