That was apparent Thursday when operators Ron Stein and Brandan Stein picked up their first black-on-black livery 2017 Lincoln-Continental at Star Ford Lincoln in Glendale. The father-son owners of Exclusive Sedan Service in North Hollywood plan to eventually buy a total of 20 Continentals to replace their 2014 and 2015 model year Lincoln MKS sedans.
Their first Continental officially enters fleet service Sunday, Sept. 18 when it chauffeurs a high-profile client to the annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
“I have wanted this car since I saw it as a concept car three years ago,” Ron Stein told LCT.
This is Lincoln’s fourth iteration of the Continental, which fondly evokes the 1960s era of luxury vehicle elegance and grace.
The 2017 version embodies a practical, nostalgic and high-tech appeal that appears to be satisfying a deep desire among operators for a classy, upscale, distinct sedan, following the retirement of the longtime livery workhorse, the Lincoln Town Car L sedan in 2011. While the Continental is not as long or wide as the old Town Car, its dual rear seats are designed captain style with a wide center console armrest that provides access to all the electronic and climate control wizardry of a 21st Century sedan.
“The market is changing, as we all know, and the competition on every level is increasing,” Brandan Stein said. “Exclusive Sedan is a premium service provider that has built its business and reputation on premium services in premium vehicles. We believe that the Lincoln Continental is the hallmark of a premium/luxury vehicle, and will be crucial in differentiating what we do from the rank and file. We are thrilled with the way the car handles but more importantly, the experience in the backseat is quite exceptional.”
Brandan got to drive it for the first time off the Star lot to a nearby restaurant after he and Ron signed the final paperwork with livery sales manager Vinnie De La Pena. Within minutes of the Steins’ Thursday delivery posted on Facebook, De La Pena was answering calls and texts on his smartphone from inquiring operators.
Among the challenges of the new Lincoln is its price tag of around $48,000. While well below the cost of premium luxury sedans like the BMW 7 series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it still falls about $10,000 above the old Lincoln Town Cars. Operators will have to balance its unique, desirable presence with higher overhead and downward pricing pressures in ground transportation when setting rates for the vehicle.
At the least, the Continental reinvigorates the chauffeured fleet market with a viable, attractive luxury sedan unlikely to be found among the ranks of the cheaper morass of TNC vehicles, and helps preserve the chauffeured sector’s image of elite transportation based on VIP quality service.
The Steins’ delivery comes just days after the first official livery delivery in the U.S. to operator Jeff Greene of Greene Classic Limousines Worldwide in Atlanta. Limo operators in other cities also picked up Lincoln Continental livery versions on Sept. 15 in their respective cities, including Tim Rose, owner and CEO of Flyte Tyme Worldwide in Mahwah, N.J.; Harry Dhillon, owner of Ecko Transportation Worldwide in San Jose, Calif.; and Wilshire Limousine Services in New York City.
More Continental Events
On the West Coast, the inaugural period of the Lincoln-Continental continues Tuesday, Oct. 18 when Steve Wood, livery sales manager at South Bay Ford Lincoln in Hawthorne, Calif., hosts a “Lincoln-Continental Preview Night” ride-and-drive dinner event with the Greater California Livery Association at his dealership. DETAILS HERE
On the East Coast, the sedan will be on display Nov. 13-15 on the trade show floor at the Lincoln Limousine & Livery Vehicles exhibit during LCT-NLA Show East at Harrah’s Atlantic City.
Keywords
California operators dealerships Fleet Vehicles LCT-NLA Show East Lincoln Limousine & Livery Vehicles Lincoln-Continental new sedans new vehicles Ron Stein
Follow @lctmag on Twitter
via Limo News http://ift.tt/2cNpbo9
No comments:
Post a Comment