Lincoln Continental retiring again in 2020?

This time, it could be for good.

Lincoln will euthanize the Continental once again, according to a recent report. 2020 could be the storied nameplate's last model year on the market.

Insiders who asked to remain anonymous told Jalopnik the Continental is not long for this world. It has received the green light for the 2019 and 2020 model years but its future remains murky beyond that point; there are no plans for a 2021 model so far. The same insiders added 2020 will likely be the sedan's last model year on the market. Ford's top brass can't justify keeping the car around because it's not selling well enough.

Jalopnik reports Lincoln sold 5,677 examples of the Continental in the United States during the first eight months of 2018, including merely 626 cars in August. At this rate, 90 percent of the cars needed for the 2019 production run have already been built.

Continental production at Ford's Flat Rock factory could end during the summer of 2020. Its replacement -- which should have shifted to rear-wheel drive -- has been canceled. While nothing is official yet, it could be replaced by the Transit Connect that Ford will use to test its autonomous software. Flat Rock would build the van while a new facility located across the street would install the hardware required for it to drive itself.