The 2026 Lincoln Navigator: Luxury, Performance and Innovation Redefined

The celebrations for Lincoln’s 100th anniversary this year are continuing in full swing. Recently, the company teamed up with Detroit-based lifestyle brand Shinola to release two different timepieces to commemorate the occasion. With both Lincoln and Shinola calling Detroit their home and prioritizing design, craftsmanship, attention to detail, and style, this team-up is a match made in heaven, and the resulting watches make it clear how well the passions of Lincoln and Shinola have aligned to celebrate the centennial. “As we celebrate 100 years with another iconic brand who is equally committed to craftsmanship, design and artistry, we are proud to showcase our combined approach to luxury with these Shinola watches – a memento to mark Lincoln’s anniversary,” said Michael Sprague, North America director at Lincoln. Last year Shinola and Lincoln also had major success together with the release of the Aviator Shinola Concept. “Shinola opened up their showroom to us as a playground – allowing us to explore how their brand’s lifestyle ethos could be woven into a new theme for one of our vehicles,” said Kemal Curic, design director at Lincoln, about the process of creating the Aviator concept in 2021. “Our designers were handed a rare gift, and they made the most of it. The fresh insights our team gained studying popular design motifs make this new Aviator concept a true celebration of craftsmanship.” For the 100th anniversary this year, two Shinola Runwell styles will be released– the Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph and the Shinola Runwell Automatic. Both of these timepieces will have a limited run of 500 units each, and both will feature the Lincoln logo engraved on the watch’s case back at the 6 o’clock position. Each watch will come with a special Lincoln 100 Years wooden Shinola watch box. The Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph features a custom Lincoln branded seconds sub-eye. The rose gold details on the bezel and the black and rose gold dial and hands call back the copper accents of the Aviator Shinola Concept. Also available is a leather strap with the Lincoln logo stamped on the tip. The Shinola Runwell Automatic will also have a custom Lincoln branded seconds sub-eye, and a polished stainless-steel case with black leather strap that has the Lincoln logo stamped into the tip. The timepiece features a matte black vellum-textured dial and rose gold numbers. “Shinola and Lincoln both have a reputation for design excellence and a pursuit of craftsmanship and quality. Our Runwell Chronograph and Runwell Automatic celebrate the Born in Detroit heritage both brands share, and the commitment to build products that last and are loved over a lifetime,” said Ruthie Underwood, vice president of creative design at Shinola. “We’re honored to partner with Lincoln on this project.” Both of these commemorative timepieces can be viewed here, along with other special merchandise for the centennial.

2022 is the 100th anniversary of Lincoln. For over a century now, Lincoln has been providing the world with elegant and luxurious vehicles and constantly pushing the envelope in terms of innovation. This year the company is celebrating the centennial with a 100 Years of Lincoln collection in partnership with Shinola that features a duffle brief, a journal, and Ray Ban aviator sunglasses. Lincoln will also be featured at the 71st Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one of the world’s most prestigious displays of historic luxury automobiles, in August of this year. In honor of this past century of hard work and innovation, let’s take a look at some major moments in Lincoln history! Ford Purchases the Lincoln Motor Company On February 4, 1922, Henry Ford purchased The Lincoln Motor Company from Henry Leland, an inventor and automotive engineer, for $8 million. Ford was encouraged by his wife Clara and his son Edsel Ford. At the time, Henry Ford was the creator of the most popular car in the world, and his son Edsel had even bigger plans. The Model “L” is Released Lincoln released the Model “L” in 1924 with a sleek new look that took the country by storm. This was the product of Ford’s revolutionary assembly line process, but it was also Edsel’s dedication to luxury and style that made the Model “L” what it was. The Model L Becomes Presidential That same year, Calvin Coolidge chose the Model “L” to be his official presidential car, a huge honor for Lincoln. Although it did switch over from the Model “L” to other models, Lincoln would go on to make other official presidential vehicles from 1939 to 1972. Welcoming the Millenium In 1997 Lincoln made some strides into the new century by releasing a full-size luxury SUV, the 1998 Navigator. The luxury SUV segment was still in its early stages at the time, and the navigator would go on to become the #1 best selling vehicle in the segment. An Electrified Future The new Lincoln Star concept is a forward-looking vehicle that debuted this year, providing an inspired glimpse of the exciting directions that Lincoln will be taking battery electric vehicles in the coming years. “We are at a defining moment in our history. We look back at Lincoln’s past and find inspiration for the future and, to reflect on what we have accomplished – maintaining a balance between the brand’s core values and redefining our vehicle and experiences for the next generation of luxury clients,” says Joy Falotico, president, Lincoln. “The timing of our 100 th anniversary couldn’t be more ideal as we shift to an electrified future, and I look forward to shepherding the brand into the next 100 years.”

The IIHS, or Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, is one of the most well-regarded vehicle safety organizations out there. Their extensive research and testing on the wide range of vehicles on the market today makes them well-suited to use as a benchmark for vehicle safety, as does their study and evaluation of motor vehicle crashes and their commitment to educating consumers, policymakers, and safety professionals on the subject. To receive high marks and good ratings from the IIHS is a good sign in terms of safety for any vehicle, and for the 2022 model year the Lincoln lineup is doing very well. The Top Safety Picks for the 2022 model year were released earlier in the year, and multiple Lincoln vehicles were recognized in the ranks of the safest vehicles. To become a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must receive “good” ratings in six different crash tests, “advanced” or higher ratings for available front crash prevention as well as vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention and vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention, and “acceptable” or “good” ratings for available headlights. The Lincoln Corsair, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Nautilus all made the cut for 2022, joining a grand total of 101 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ winners. The requirements for making the Top Safety Pick list in 2022 have not changed from 2021, but for the coming year changes will be made. Two new evaluations will be added to the award requirements for 2023, making the testing more rigorous and the list more exclusive. The side crash test is being updated, meant to simulate dangerous crashes in which two people collide at an intersection. In the test, a heavy barrier meant to simulate the striking vehicle hits the testing vehicle. Until recently, the barrier weighed 3,300 lbs and moved at 31 mpg, but the new version of the test uses a 4,200 lb barrier moving at 37 mph to create more energy in the collision and test the car in tougher conditions. 18 SUVs have already gone through the test, including the Lincoln Aviator, which earned a “good” rating. Another test will also be added that tests the efficacy of a vehicles’ pedestrian crash prevention systems at night, since reports have begun to come out that automatic emergency braking systems that can prevent so many accidents have trouble functioning as well in low light conditions. This test will be included as part of the requirements for a Top Safety Pick+ award in 2023. The Lincoln lineup has done well in 2022, and things are already moving in the right direction for that success to continue into 2023, keeping Lincoln vehicles as safe as they can be.