1996 Lincoln Sentinel: Concept We Forgot
This full-size luxury sedan was radically designed with a powerful V12 engine.
The retro-futuristic design was bold and different from the Lincoln Continental or Town Car of that era.
In January 1995, the NAIAS unveiled the GT90 concept that you may have seen in Need for Speed 2. This was to open the door for the “New Edge”. Ford’s premium brand Lincoln, a year later, adopted the styling approach for a full-size luxury sedan. This was much like Ford’s supercar but never saw production.
The Sentinel was designed as a flagship model. It features a futuristic, edgy design but still pays homage to Lincoln’s history by using a modernized version the front grille from the original Continental. It featured suicide doors, just like the 1961 Continental, and a powerful V12 engine that was identical to the first-gen Continental. Lincoln joined two 3.0-liter V6s together in this application. This was also seen in NFS 2’s crazy 1996 Ford Indigo concept.
The aforementioned mid-engined Indigo The Sentinel was the first to see the Duratec V6s from Taurus. They produced 435 horsepower (324 Kilowatts) at 6,100 RPM and 405 pound feet (549 Newton-meters), of torque at 5,250 RPM. However, the Sentinel’s output numbers were not officially released.
Original Sentinel was finished with a glossy black paint job and had fully tinted windows to conceal the fact that it did not have an interior. Lincoln didn’t abandon the idea after Detroit debut. He brought the 218-inch-long luxobarge, in its finalized form, to other shows. It was displayed with blue gray paint and a Ghia designed cabin.
The concept featured frameless windows and concealed flush door handles. It also had sleek casings that housed rearview cameras. These mirrors were not conventional. The car was positioned on large alloy wheels of 20 inches. The car’s unique design was enhanced by the three-tier vertical lights at its front and rear. Large exhaust tips were mounted at the corners.
It is now gone. According to our knowledge, O.C. The Welch Ford Lincoln dealership in Hardeeville in South Carolina tried to sell it back in April 2009 for $80,000 but failed to find a buyer. It was found on eBay at a lower price of $31,500, months later. Rest is mystery.