Gimmicky but Grand: Lincoln's Attempt to Class Things Up Starts With Your Ears

Great things can happen when you combine something that’s already good with a symphony orchestra. Procol Harum’s 1971 live recording of Conquistador is proof of that. For Lincoln Motor Company, a marque which just suffered another disappointing sales month, the vehicle on which it has placed so much hope isn’t leaving any luxury stone unturned.

Next year’s Aviator, a rear-biased midsize SUV that makes the MKX look like a minivan, plans to woo buyers by taking them out on the town. You won’t be able to avoid a night at the symphony in this vehicle.

Let’s say you’ve left your fuel door open like an idiot, or maybe attempted to drive off with the parking brake engaged. Instantly, the Aviator springs into action, booting up a live recording of a warning chime recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In all, Lincoln commissioned six different non-critical warning chimes from the orchestra, covering 25 vehicle functions.

Using these “distinctive musical alerts,” Lincoln hopes to make the Aviator stand apart from its premium rivals. Hard to believe, but some people don’t think Lincoln can cut it in the luxury field. With the Aviator, which uses the 2020 Ford Explorer’s modular CD6 platform, the brand isn’t leaving anything to chance. Driving a pricey luxury vehicle is all about feeling special, and it’s small, unique flourishes like this that can bolster a vehicle’s cachet.

Apparently, the musicians were made to sit in a Continental for inspiration. Make of that what you will.

“This is quite a departure for us – introducing music into the informational chime world,” said Jennifer Prescott, Lincoln’s supervisor of vehicle harmony, in a statement. “But we’re always thinking about luxury, and this was a way to take Lincoln to an even higher level.”

The brand held listening clinics to select the right recording for each chime. Lincoln’s media release makes sure to portray a team locked in an obsessive search for the correct chime sound, with some alerts drawn from a pool of 100 recordings. Unlike Chrysler in the 1980s, Lincoln cares about your ears and sanity, and don’t you forget it.

Following their introduction on the Aviator, these same chimes will filter down to other Lincoln models.

Lincoln’s reborn Aviator makes its debut on November 28th at the L.A. Auto Show, and not a moment too soon. With the exception of the new-for-2018 Navigator, all Lincoln vehicles — cars and crossovers alike — recorded year-to-date sales declines in the United States. Even with an extra selling day last month, the brand saw a 15 percent year-over-year slide. The first 10 months of 2018 brought a 9.6 percent volume drop.

[Images: Lincoln Motor Company]