Shinola X Lincoln Aviator Concept

A pair of luxury marquees both hailing from Detroit, lifestyle product brand Shinola and Lincoln team up to give the automaker’s mid-size SUV a little more finesse and flavour. The idea was to celebrate design and artistry, infusing Shinola’s iconic style and earthy tones into the Aviator — in particular, incorporating the company’s evocative leather silhouettes, recently released Canfield Sport watch, and their Runwell bicycle. (We’re really digging Shinola’s new Canfield Speedway watch.)

Introduced in 2019, the 3-row Aviator is a sleek, elegant offering out the box, with performance and smooth handling to match. But this one-off concept steps it up with Shinola’s aesthetic of approachable luxury with thoughtful details. 

As Lincoln puts it, “Shinola opened up their showroom to us as a playground – allowing us to explore how their brand’s lifestyle ethos could be woven into a new theme for one of our vehicles…The fresh insights our team gained studying popular design motifs make this new Aviator concept a true celebration of craftsmanship.”

The white exterior comes from Shinola’s mother of pearl stone watch dials, with touches of contrasting copper accents and rose-gold hue at the wheels and front grill, for a distinct look separating the Aviator from the lineup. 

But the real details are inside the Aviator, including that premium smell of whiskey leather Shinola customers are familiar with. The cabin feels brighter courtesy of seats with crème suede that matches the inserts; paired to the brand’s popular stripe design, a woven textile sewn into the seats in all three rows adding a textural look and feel. Lincoln added their signature blue into each stitch of the original stripe. As the automaker’s designer states, “This stripe is unlike anything I’ve ever seen sewn into a vehicle, so we wanted to make sure it was done with care.”

Other cool details inside the Shinola Aviator Concept includes a touch of industrial luxury with woven metal mesh, which also appears on the second-row console. All coupled with the warm copper accents found on the outside — all derived from Shinola’s classic watch band. Balancing the industrial details is soft materials found at every surface inside. 

The overall result is a distinct Aviator respecting Lincoln’s mantra of Quiet Flight, while successfully incorporating Shinola’s warm vibes and quality craftsmanship. The Lincoln Aviator Shinola Concept will be displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance late August 2021. And, no, this trim won’t be available for sale (yet!).