2005 Lincoln LS

The mid-to-late 1990s decline in the market for personal luxury coupes prompted Lincoln to drop the Mark series. During the same period, the market for entry-level luxury/sport sedans was on the rise. Ford’s ownership of Jaguar placed Lincoln in a good position to tap into that market. In a clever example of international platform sharing, the Lincoln LS shared much of its mechanical DNA with the Jaguar S-Type. Introduced in early 1999 as a 2000 model, the LS combined American luxury with a healthy dollop of European-standard rear-wheel-drive dynamics.

The LS was fitted with a fully independent suspension and could be had with either a 3-liter V-6 or 3.9-liter V-8. A manual transmission, part of a sport package, was available with the V-6. It was the first time in nearly 50 years that Lincoln buyers were offered a clutch pedal. Like the overall package, the interior combined Lincoln-level amenities with a driver-oriented layout and bolstered front buckets to keep driver and passenger firmly in place during spirited driving. The standard LS was joined in 2002 by the LSE (Limited Special Edition), which is best described as a body package similar to those found on Mercedes’ AMG and BMW’s M-Series, but without those exemplars’ performance enhancements.

The LS remained unchanged in all but a few minor details during its first three model years. In 2003 it was treated to some useful enhancements. Although the car’s appearance remained much the same, both engines were upgraded to incorporate continuously variable intake cam timing and other leading-edge components. An electric engine cooling fan replaced the mechanical fan used in earlier models, and a THX-certified sound system was made available. The LSE package was continued as an option.

The slow-selling V-6 model was dropped for 2006, the last year of LS production. Also gone was the LSE, but the standard LS was fitted with some of that model’s body modifications. The LS racked up nearly 263,000 sales during its seven-year run, but only 9,000 of them were sold during the final year. It was replaced in the Lincoln lineup by the very different 2006 Zephyr, which was renamed the MKZ the following year.