Time to say goodbye to a legendary part of New York history that has taken the city resident for a great long ride. For the past 25 years the Lincoln Town Car full sized luxury sedan by Ford has been the automobile of choice by the livery and limo industry. In the car service business there are 2 recognized cars which are the yellow taxi cab and the Lincoln town car or better known as the black car.
In 1982 the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission created the For Hire Vehicle category for the the car service industry. At the time everyone had to hail a taxi down which caused congestion problems at peak travel times. The For Hire / Black car differentiated from taxi’s because they can pick up a customer from scheduled appointments and charge a flat rate.
The well built Lincoln town car soon became the overwhelming choice to NYC drivers and chauffeurs. It proved to preform well and customers had the prestige of a luxury ride. Drivers enjoyed its powerful V8 engine, rear-wheel drive, and large trunk. Passengers felt the comfort with the extra leg space. Executives throughout Manhattan enjoyed the perk of having being driven around town in black car.
This automobile was made to charter the concrete jungle, rolling over pot holes, long shifts and plenty of wear and tear. The beast of a car can run 500,000 miles or more when well maintained.
In August 2013 this legend will be discontinued. What is next when the Lincoln town car get discontinued. Ford has the new Lincoln MKT ready to replace the outdated town car.