Bentley's Designers Calls Out Lincoln Continental's Design: Comments

[William Maley]

If you had the chance to read our story on the Lincoln Continental yesterday, then you read this line: "The overall look of the Continental Concept oddly reminds us of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur."

We're not the only one to take notice of this.

Car Design News reports that Bentley isn't too keen on this similarity. Luc Donckerwolke, Bentley's chief designer went to Facebook to voice his complaints.

"I would have called it Flying Spur concept and kept the four round lights," said Donckerwolke.

Donckerwolke then went to Lincoln chief designer David Woodhouse's Facebook to say, "Do you want us to send the product tooling?" Since then, the comment was deleted, but Car Design News made sure to get a copy of it.

"This behavior is not respectable. Building a copy like this is giving a bad name to the car design world," said Donckerwolke when asked by Car Design News.

This was followed by a comment from by Bentley's exterior design chief, Sangyup Lee.

"It is very disappointing, especially for an exclusive brand like Lincoln."

So does Bentley have a point, or do they have sour grapes over the Continental? Have your say in the comments below.

Source: Car Design News

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[David]

Yes there are some similarities, but what auto does not tend to pick up some accents. Just look at what Korea, Japan and China has done in coping Germany and the US.

Yes there are some similarities, but what auto does not tend to pick up some accents. Just look at what Korea, Japan and China has done in coping Germany and the US.

[regfootball]

when you have no concept of your own, of course you copy.  Lincoln and Ford really half assed this one.  The dash looks no different than most other ford products and not any different than the MKS etc. either.

 

The MKr was nice, why not roll with that?

 

Here is what really happened.  Cadillac and the CT6 was going to take all the attention and Lincoln's marketing people at the last minute wanted some air time and they either revived an old dead concept or really rushed a half asses junk concept in time for the show.

[balthazar]

After comparing the 2 side-by-side, sounds a LOT like envy. 
Bentley just does NOT look appropriate to it's price tags. The 'beaver tooth' hanging down below the grille, the clunky 'mitten' door handles, the flat wheel arches, but especially the un-detailed headlight & taillight settings… quite frankly BOTH the Continental & the production Chrysler 300 look more upscale on the exterior than the Bentley. 

The 1990s Acura-channeling headlight treatment of the last 10 years of Bentley have never looked upscale, ever. I say this frequently seeing Bentleys on the road (saw a dark blue convertible on US Rt 1 two days ago).

 

Bentley is doing the same ol' SOP Euro approach; get mired down deep in the mud of your design and sit there, for a decade at a time. I don't get the fear of upsetting the customer by moving forward/ upward stylistically. 

[knightfan26917]

When I first saw the Lincoln Continental concept, it reminded me somewhat of the recent (Chrysler) Imperial concept....

 

 

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[Guest Drae]

Gee, both are rounded edged full sized sedans with hoods that are higher over the engine and taper to the grills.  Other than that, they are very very different cars.  About the only similarity beyond four doors and tires is the way the roofline meets the trunk, and that is not original to the Bentley at all!

 

Looks to me like the Bentley design team has run out of ideas and is now trying to find someone else to blame.

[David]

Bentley just needs to start over clean paper on design language.

[Drew Dowdell]

Get used to this face, according to Mark Fields, it is the new face of Lincoln.

[smk4565]

I thought Jaguar grille before Bentley when I first saw it.  But why would Bentley even care what Lincoln does, Lincoln could be out of business in 5 years.  But so many cars copy others, it would be nice if there was more originality in car design.

[balthazar]

Only luxury brand doing anything unique stylistically right now is Cadillac.

[hyperv6]

Ford did borrow much from other brands here. It is not the first time another brand stole from others as it has gone on for years. Even Harley Earl borrowed styling from the best of Europe, air planes and trends. He also borrowed internally inside GM from on studio to another on ideas.  A good designer if he chooses to borrow only takes the best.

It is clear Ford used a little of their and a little of others out there for this car.

 

Hell Ford even tried to make the Granada look like a Benz in the 70's if you squint real hard. The Aero pillars on the first Taurus were also similar to a Benz. Cadillac, Impreial and Lincoln tired to do the hump back of the English cars too in the 80's.

 

They have a very nice car but it is not original by any means. Give Cadillac credit for trying to do their own thing. I expect we will see this style evolve to a more advanced version of some of the past show cars of the last couple years. They will have to advance them some so they remain fresh and new. But there is no mistaking a Cadillac for anything but a Cadillac.

 

Remove the emblems from the Lincoln and you will get 5 people telling you it is 5 different cars and not one would say Lincoln for better or worse.

[thedriver]

I don't see a copy at all, the Lincoln looks far better.