Kyle Johnson
No Comments

ArtCenter College of Design Students Draw the Future of Lincoln Quiet Flight

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page
One of the Lincoln 2040 concept vehicles desgined by teams at the ArtCenter College of Design
ArtCenter students worked in teams to imagine the look of Lincoln Quiet Flight in 2040
Photo: Lincoln

Lincoln is well into developing the next evolution of its Quiet Flight DNA. The Zephyr Reflection preview car, which debuted in Shanghai earlier this year, paves the way for the aesthetic of the first-ever Lincoln EV set to arrive next year. But Lincoln is looking further down the road with Quiet Flight, and it’s tapping students at SoCal’s ArtCenter College of Design for help.


The Award-Winning Lincolns of Today: Corsair and Aviator win safety honors from IIHS


Students look ahead to the Lincoln of 2040

Transportation design students from the ArtCenter College of Design were recently tasked with imagining the look of Lincoln and the world at large in the year 2040. The project, which saw students teaming up with peers in disciplines ranging from film to animation, was the brainchild of Lincoln Global Design Director Kemal Curic.

“ArtCenter is known for great vehicle design, and it’s in the heart of Hollywood,” said Jordan Meadows, global strategic design specialist for Lincoln, and assistant professor at ArtCenter. “More than just the vehicles themselves, we were looking for that great narrative development, that rich storytelling. It’s so important to understand the future ecosystem in which a concept vehicle will live.”

The result of the project is a quartet of futuristic Lincoln concepts, each of which features in a short film. Concepts include a two-passenger sedan called the Lincoln Glider, a four-passenger vehicle, a second four-passenger vehicle with an elevated ride height, and a six-passenger vehicle. All four had to work within Lincoln’s CASE standards for future vehicles by being connected, autonomous, shared, and electric.

Watch: Quiet Flight 2040

The students behind these vehicles had a unique opportunity to share their visions with high-ranking names in Ford and Lincoln. Among those taking part in the Zoom call showing off the short films were Lincoln President Joy Falotico and Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley. The latter thanked the teams “for putting humans, not the technology, first.”


Lincoln Wants to Be Drivers’ Sanctuary: New Corsair makes list of best vehicle interiors under $50K