The 1996 Lincoln Sentinel Was A Sleek Concept Car With Retro Flair – SlashGear

Upon seeing the Sentinel concept, it wouldn’t be out of line to say that it looks like the Batmobile from a Batman movie that was never made. It has an imposing grille that brings to mind the Lincoln Continentals of old that were driven by heads of state, funeral directors, or “legitimate” businessmen on their way to talk some sense into a client. According to the Henry Ford Museum, where the concept is stored today away from the eyes of the public, the front fascia was designed after the Continental from 1940. 

The design manages to look like it’s going incredibly fast while sitting completely still and all the sharp angles on the grill and rear trunk look like they could give you a serious cut if you weren’t careful. Like the Continental, the Sentinel had doors that opened from the middle in what are colloquially referred to as “suicide doors.” The rear features an exhaust that looks like it came right out of a Lincoln showroom circa 1955. 

Per the Henry Ford, the Sentinel was meant to capitalize on the 1990s retro car trend that famously flopped with cars like the Plymouth Prowler. Although it never saw production, it’s safe to say that the Sentinel’s design has aged a little more gracefully than the beleaguered Prowler.