Every so often, a car shows up that doesn’t quite fit in. Most of the time, it doesn’t sell well, and the 2019 Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition was exactly that kind of car. Sedans haven’t been hot for a while, and this one was rare, limited, and largely overlooked. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t cool—or a smart buy today.
While everyone was obsessed with SUVs that looked ready to climb mountains but mostly idled in Starbucks lines, Lincoln went bold. They brought back suicide doors, officially called “center-opening coach doors,” and reminded people that luxury isn’t just leather and fancy seats. It’s a car that makes an entrance.
The Continental Coach Door was for anyone who missed true elegance, who wanted a ride that glides instead of thrashes. Now, a few years later, it’s a forgotten gem and one of the smartest used luxury buys you can find.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Lincoln and other authoritative sources, including Car and Driver, Classic.com, the EPA, and TopSpeed.
Proof that American luxury once had serious style
To understand why this car matters, you’ve got to know where it came from. By the mid-2010s, Lincoln was still trying to remember who it was.
Cadillac was chasing BMW, Lexus was all about tech and polish, and Lincoln was selling crossovers with forgettable names. People had long forgotten the brand that once drove presidents and Hollywood stars.
So when the 2019 Continental Coach Door Edition arrived, it felt like a heartbeat coming back to life. It wasn’t just celebrating 80 years of the Continental name—it was honoring the 1961 original, a car so elegant even Europe had to admit America got luxury right.
David Woodhouse, Lincoln’s design director at the time, put it best. “The center-opening doors became synonymous with the Lincoln Continental, even though they were really only around in the ’60s,” he said. “They struck such a chord that people still remember them fondly today.”
He added that it wasn’t just about nostalgia. “People appreciate elegance and glamour, and they want the easiest way to get in and out of a vehicle,” Woodhouse said. “These doors deliver both.”
The Coach Door Edition was Lincoln’s way of connecting its golden past to the present. And it actually pulled it off.
Lincoln teamed up with Cabot Coach Builders in Massachusetts—the same folks who usually stretch limos—to make it happen.
They extended the Continental’s wheelbase by six inches, flipped the door hinges to the rear, and beefed up the frame to pass modern crash tests.
That level of custom work is almost unheard of for a factory-backed car today. It felt like a throwback to when American automakers built something beautiful simply because they wanted to.
The signature touch that made it unforgettable
The Coach Door Edition’s real showstopper was those rear-hinged doors. They swung open a full 90 degrees, turning something as simple as getting in and out into a small performance.
Each door had soft-close motors and sleek electronic handles that sat flush with the body. Open both at once, and the car didn’t just welcome you—it felt like a butler throwing open a set of grand doors, waiting to usher you inside.
No other sedan at the time—not BMW, not Mercedes, not even Rolls-Royce at this price—had anything like it. The last American car to pull it off this well was the original Continental back in the ’60s.
It wasn’t just a styling trick, either. The longer proportions made the car look lower, sleeker, and more commanding—the kind of presence Lincoln hadn’t had in decades.
As Car and Driver put it, “The Coach Door Edition feels like the Continental Lincoln should have been building all along—dignified, distinctive, and disarmingly cool.”
That cool factor still matters, especially now that this car’s a used buy. You can’t fake that kind of presence with chrome or screens. The Coach Door Edition just had it—the kind of quiet confidence that makes you sit up a little straighter when you slide behind the wheel.
An interior designed for peace and conversation
Step inside the 2019 Continental Coach Door Edition and you’re in a world of its own. The regular Continental was already comfortable, but this one took things to another level.
The back seats were turned into two individual thrones, separated by a wide center console with storage, tray tables, and even a tablet spot. It wasn’t aiming for Lexus luxury—this was pure Maybach territory.
Every detail felt intentional. The Chalet interior mixed creamy beige tones inspired by Alpine lodges, while the Thoroughbred package covered the cabin in deep brown leather with elegant saddle stitching.
Little touches drove the point home—a numbered plaque on the door sills, a personalized 80th Anniversary badge on the rear console. This wasn’t just any Lincoln. It was one of only 80 built that year.
Every car came fully loaded, built on Lincoln’s Black Label trim—the brand’s top-spec luxury package. That meant heated, cooled, and massaging seats, Revel audio, adaptive cruise, a panoramic roof, and all-wheel drive.
Under the hood sat a 400-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6, paired with a silky six-speed automatic. It wasn’t a performance car, but it moved the way a luxury car should: effortlessly and almost silently.
You didn’t slam the throttle. You simply asked for speed, and it delivered with grace.
Luxury that cost six figures when new
In 2019, the price tag raised eyebrows. A base Continental Black Label cost around $80,000, and the Coach Door Edition added roughly $20,000 more.
That put it in serious S-Class territory, for a brand most people had mostly forgotten. Lincoln wasn’t chasing the Germans anyway.
The goal was significance. The company wanted to prove American luxury could stand on its own, built on craftsmanship and restraint instead of horsepower or lap times.
Lincoln originally planned to make just 80 examples. Demand outpaced that quickly, leading to a 2020 follow-up that dropped the anniversary badging but kept everything else the same.
Those cars were even rarer, made in smaller, quieter batches. And then, just as suddenly as it arrived, the Continental was gone. Production ended in 2020.
SUVs and crossovers once again dominated Lincoln’s lineup. The Coach Door became a collectible curiosity, like a signed letter from an old friend you thought had moved away for good.
The ultimate under-the-radar used luxury ride
Fast-forward a few years, and the 2019–2020 Continental Coach Door Edition has turned into a hidden gem on the used market. These cars barely show up for sale, but when they do, they go for around $60,000–$70,000—a fraction of their original MSRP and about what you’d pay for a new mid-trim BMW 530i.
That’s wild considering what you’re getting: coach-built construction, hand-numbered exclusivity, twin-turbo power, and an interior fit for CEOs and diplomats. Most people don’t even realize it when they see one—to them, it’s just another big sedan.
To those who know, it’s basically a Maybach without the fuss or cost. Unlike many collector cars, the Coach Door Edition wants to be driven—maintenance is reasonable, parts are shared with the standard Continental, and it’s reliable enough for daily use.
A hidden gem that deserved the spotlight
Looking back, the Coach Door Edition feels like a missed opportunity—not for Lincoln, but for American luxury as a whole. It proved there’s still room for something dignified and distinct, built with craftsmanship instead of copying Germany or Japan.
The Continental Coach Door Edition wasn’t perfect. The infotainment lagged behind, and fuel economy wasn’t great.
But it was one of the last luxury sedans that truly understood feel. The soft thunk of its closing doors, the effortless glide of its steering, the way passengers seemed to speak a little softer once they settled in.
It was a car for people who cared more about riding than racing. Half a decade later, it’s a reminder of what Lincoln once was—and what American luxury could be again.
If you can track down one of the 80 2019 examples, or one of the even rarer 2020 follow-ups, grab it. Park it proudly and soak in the confused looks and impressed stares from anyone who has no idea what they’re seeing.
You’ll be behind the wheel of one of the last truly elegant American cars ever made. A forgotten luxury model that just might be the smartest used buy on the road.