As a nearly stand-alone entity under a recently revived Lincoln Motor Co. tag that had been retired way back in 1922 when Edsel Ford bought the marque from founder Henry Leland, a completely redone MKZ now hitting dealership showrooms is the first of four new Lincoln models set for release over the next four years.

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“Befitting this new chapter in the life of Lincoln, we are making a complete new start in every aspect of consumer communication to emotionally welcome our new target customer into our brand,” says global director Matt VanDyke. The MKZ midsized sedan and MKZ hybrid, which is priced equal to the gasoline model, are being highlighted in an aggressive advertising campaign that includes airing spots starring comedian Jimmy Fallon during February’s Super Bowl broadcast.

“We are announcing a new beginning for a brand that has been part of our company and the American fabric for more than 90 years,” says Ford CEO Alan Mulally. “The new Lincoln brand will be defined by great new luxury vehicles, such as the new MKZ, that feature quality, unique style with substance and innovative technology. These elements, coupled with a new level of warm, personal and surprising experiences, will enable Lincoln to appeal to today’s new luxury customer.”

Among the elements is a sophisticated push-button transmission that had Executive Vice President Jim Farley jokingly reminiscing about those found on old Plymouths during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” plus an optional retractable panoramic roof that “opens up the journey for you and your passengers, making the vehicle seem as though it’s alive.” A “surgically precise response and a glass-smooth ride” are delivered via the new Lincoln Drive Control system.

Optional rain-sensing wipers automatically activate when sensors detect moisture on the windshield. A heated leather steering wheel is also available along with adaptive HID frontal lighting. “At the turn of the steering wheel, the headlamps follow, and the swiveling action helps make more of the road visible around curves,” says Farley.

 “The ‘Great Recession’ changed people and their view of luxury,” he explains. “Now, there is opportunity for a fresh, new alternative in the premium market; luxury consumers make decisions based on what appeals most to their passions and not what they believe will impress others,” Farley continues. “Lincoln’s renaissance is built on our new product lineup and is a personalized experience with designs that deliver on our promise of a personalized motor car — beautiful, elegant, and most of all, surprising. We know we need to continually surprise and delight these new clients.”

Dealership enhancements include a 24/7 concierge service complete with a personal guide who “stays with the client through ownership, creating a customized relationship.” The Lincoln Date Night program lets a potential customer “spend a weekend with a new vehicle and take that special someone for a night on the town,” Farley reports.

A new Lincoln Design Studio in Dearborn, Mich., unveiled in October, is the line’s first fully dedicated development center in four decades.

Creating an environment “where designers and engineers truly collaborate,” the loft-like studio replaces walls with glass. “Cubicles are banished in favor of open workspaces where designers sit across from one another,” says design director Max Wolff, who previously worked on Cadillacs. “The entire space is configured to allow product development team members to drop in, have ad-hoc discussions and make impromptu innovative brainstorm sessions the order of the day and not the exception,” he points out.

“We also made it a priority to fit interior and exterior design teams into one space because often they are two separate work streams and therefore, two different sensibilities,” says Wolff. “Now everyone collaborates on one harmonious vehicle.”

Long the limo of choice for presidents and other VIPs since the days of Calvin Coolidge, it has been celebrated in song – as in “Hot Rod Lincoln” – and it was even cited when the “national nightmare” of Richard Nixon’s Watergate-tainted presidential turmoil concluded with incoming President Gerald Ford proclaiming that he was “a Ford, not a Lincoln.”

The nameplate grew stodgy over the years, however, viewed as the marginalized marque of Frankie, Sammy, Dean, Joey and the rest of the Las Vegas Rat Pack. (If you recognize these names, you know what we’re talking about. If you DON’T recognize these names, you also know what we’re talking about.)

In a Bloomberg Businessweek profile of Wolff’s work with Lincoln, journalist Keith Naughton describes a previous MKZ edition as being a dud, especially when placed alongside an Audi, BMW or Lexus: “The boxy, narrow model had doors identical to the Ford Fusion, the carmaker’s family sedan for the common man. Its prominent grille with cascading chrome ribs had the look of your grandfather’s mustache, and its square headlights evoked Milton Berle’s eyeglasses.”

Wolff’s arrival resulted in an extensive retooling that makes the vehicle lower, longer and wider. “The most striking change comes on what Wolff calls the ‘face,’” notes Naughton, “which he contends can make or break a design. Gone is the geezer grille. In its place are side-by-side chrome apertures bisected by horizontal ribs that stretch like an eagle’s wings into swept-back headlights that flow into the front fenders.”

Mulally, Ford’s CEO, says the seeds for Lincoln’s rebirth were planted when “the company divested itself of other luxury brands (as in Jaguar and Volvo) and made the decision to continue to develop the Ford and Lincoln brands. Since then, a major rejuvenation of Ford occurred and now the time is right for Lincoln to stand on its own and move in the same direction.”

Wolff, who joined Ford in late 2010, had been posted all over the world during his previous career with General Motors and Cadillac.

“Hiring a Lincoln design director with global experience was a given,” according to a Ford executive who has since retired. “Max Wolff brings a fresh perspective,” he says, that will challenge the staff to embrace new concepts “and take Lincoln to new levels of prestige.”

“Max’s drive, talent and knowledge of automotive design within the premium segment of the market make him a great addition to the global design team,” agrees Chief Creative Officer J Mays.

Says Wolf: “Working with a young, motivated and internationally experienced team with the opportunity of taking a brand to the next level is very exciting, as is the opportunity to work with J Mays and Moray Callum.”

Callum, Ford’s executive design director, reports that “Lincoln’s hallmarks will be refined, modern design; the most fuel-efficient premium powertrains; and industry-leading technology that create a unique driver experience both in the cabin and on the road. The future of Lincoln is building from a strong base.”

And with China’s premium segment being forecast to surpass that of the U.S. by 2020, Ford is already eying plans to start exporting Lincolns there in the second half of 2014.

“Lincoln is an important part of our plan, and introducing Lincoln in China marks the next step in our expansion in Asia and our commitment to serving customers in the luxury market,” says Mulally. “We recognize the growth potential for Lincoln in China, building on the growing appeal of our new Lincoln products and unique, personalized customer experience in North America.”

For more information, visit www.lincoln.com.

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