VW / Bentley rips Lincoln for Continental design

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http://www.insidercarnews.com/bentley-rips-lincoln-for-continental-design/

While some people have been celebrating the recent reveal of the Lincoln Continental Concept, not everyone is cheering. In fact, Bentley is crying foul as it accuses Ford of cribbing its design language.
» Related: VW Injects More Sport into the Beetle With the R-Line Concept
Lincoln Continental Concept Lincoln Continental Concept (Credit: Lincoln )
The war of words has been raging on Facebook, where Bentley Chief Designer Luc Donckerwolke posted on Lincoln styling head David Woodhouse’s page “Do you want us to send the product tooling?” He went on to say “I would have called it Flying Spur concept and kept the four round lights.” It was a biting remark that gives voice to the suspicion many have been whispering.
People are saying Ford has been lifting designs off European automakers.
Lincoln Continental Concept Lincoln Continental Concept (Credit: Lincoln )
It’s a serious accusation, because after all it’s the trick of low-rent Chinese car companies to unabashedly rob designs off other automakers. Ford is the great Blue Oval, a brand that designed the original Thunderbird and many other breathtaking vehicles.
2015 Bentely Flying Spur2015 Bentely Flying Spur (Credit: Bentley )
Still, one can’t deny that it’s striking how the current Ford Fusion looks so much like an Aston Martin. Or that the 2016 Ford Explorer looks like a knockoff Range Rover. Some reasoned that the resemblances came from Ford having owned the other two companies, which is a bit of a stretch. But the American automaker has never owned Bentley, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group.
Speaking of VW, Ford reportedly based the design of the 2005 Five Hundred on the Passat. The intrigue goes deeper, with some accusing Lincoln of basing the design of the MKX on the Audi Q5.
Road and Track interviewed Bentley’s exterior design chief, who said that the Continental Concept is “a joke, seriously.” The publication also spoke with Donckerwolke, who elaborated on his Facebook post, saying that Ford copying another brand’s designs saddles the profession with a bad reputation.
According to Bloomberg, Woodhouse said in an interview that he thought Lincoln’s design was better. He also remarked that such accusations flying from a “prestigious” automaker like Bentley were “unusual.”
Will this issue stop at just words, or could Ford be facing a legal battle? As of the writing of this article, Bentley and VW aren’t indicating either way.


Read more: http://www.insidercarnews.com/bentley-rips-lincoln-for-continental-design/#ixzz3WlekQohA
 
The Lincoln looks WAY better!! The Bentley looks like a KIA. I love the looks of the Lincoln!! I hope they make it V8/RWD.
 
Originally Posted By: pbm
The Ford's look better to me. There is only so many ways to make a 4 door sedan....


I totally agree. Ford's roofline, headlights, rims look better to me. When vehicles are so similar in size and aerodynamics are so important everything has gotten so similar. After all its just 2 sides, headlights/grill, roofline & rearend.
 
If VW/Audi/Bentley plan on suing Ford they better sue Chrysler (the original 300) and Kia first. talk about a FRIVOLOUS lawsuit.....
 
With so many cars looking like peanut shells these days, anything that resembles the classic sedans of old -- with semi-squared roofs, long hoods, and moderate rear decks -- is refreshing.
 
The idea that Bentley would bother saying anything about a Lincoln is a statement all by itself. Good for Lincoln. Here's hoping they can find their stride and succeed.
 
I like the Lincoln. I don't really see how they are a copy ... It's a luxury car. With the current generation of styling for luxury cars ... there's only so much.

With that said, it's disappointing that the Lincoln will be front drive.
 
I think in many ways the two vehicles are very similar. I don't honestly know why most of you don't see it. Is it worthy of legal action? Probably not.

However...the Lincoln is not nearly as attractive to me. The rear end is horrid....and the wheels are simply hideous.

The Bentley has had this 'look' for several years now and was a take on older, previous models. You can see the heritage of design.

The Lincoln (and a few other comparatively cheap cars) have subtly attempted to copy Bentley and some of it's styling queues. This Lincoln may have been the most obvious one to do this.

Bentley should just laugh anyway. The Lincoln...and all the other wanna-be Bentley's...are all pretty much plastic junk.
 
Automakers knock each other off all the time. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Ford went with an aero look in 1983 starting with the Turbo T Bird and everybody followed their lead. Ford didn't whine and complain like a bunch of Nancy boys.

At last, a good looking Lincoln worthy of the name. Please let it be RWD.

edit: the front end looks a lot more Jaguar - which Ford owned - than it does Bentley. In fact, the more I look at the front end of the Bentley, it looks like Bentley knocked off an S Type R Jaguar.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Posting publically on a competitors facebook page like that? Thats classless.


Then what would you call ripping off Bentley's style?
 
After looking deeper into the accusations that Ford boldly copies other makers designs, I tend to agree.

According to the second link, the old Ford 500 was a copy of the Passat (it certainly does look similar in many ways).....the 2016 Explorer copied a Range Rover (very evident in my opinion). A few other examples were highlighted in the article as well.

Yes...automakers are often copied. But it seems to me that Ford spends more time copying popular, higher end cars.......instead of designing new ones. Kind of behaving like a bunch of followers instead of leaders.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
After looking deeper into the accusations that Ford boldly copies other makers designs, I tend to agree.

According to the second link, the old Ford 500 was a copy of the Passat (it certainly does look similar in many ways).....the 2016 Explorer copied a Range Rover (very evident in my opinion). A few other examples were highlighted in the article as well.

Yes...automakers are often copied. But it seems to me that Ford spends more time copying popular, higher end cars.......instead of designing new ones. Kind of behaving like a bunch of followers instead of leaders.

I sort of agree. Having said that, I like how both cars look, except they look HUGE to me. I guess everything is getting big. I parked next to a new Corolla the other day in the Grand Prix and it was about the same size!
 
^^Yep....as I dropped off my girlfriend at work yesterday I pulled up next to a brand new Mustang convertible. I was surprised by two things.....it seemed long and larger than I expected...and it didn't look much like a Mustang to me. Looked like a Fusion.

Especially that nasty looking rear around the taillights. Not my kind of styling at all.
 
Car designs are like songs these days. There are hundreds of thousands of variations stretched over many many years.

So many areas that a person finds inspiration from, all the others that preceded it from all different artists, entirely new material is difficult thing to come by unless one has been in entire seclusion.
 
Speaking of styling and Mustangs... The new Mustang is the first one whose styling compels me to want one. Beginning with the SN95 and especially through the next generation, they started looking (and legitimately getting) heavier and heavier. The new 'Stang finally returns to a much lower and trimmer look. Take the horsey badges off, and it has a distinctly Italian look to me. Very nice in my opinion.
 
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