Lincoln is Testing a New Vehicle Option: Human Drivers That Aren't You

Say you’ve just gone through the hassle of buying a new Lincoln. It’s out there, sitting in the driveway, but you’ve got things to do. It doesn’t own you. You’re busy, and worthy of love.

Well, for a fee, Lincoln will set you up with someone nice. (No, not that kind of setup.) The automaker has created a pilot program called Lincoln Chauffeur, which delivers just what it states: a driver to ferry you around as you work on your tablet, drop you off at the airport and return the car home, or run out to the Safeway for sprouts.

According to WardsAuto, Lincoln Chauffeur is already set up in Miami, and the automaker has plans to move it to the San Diego area shortly.

As an introductory offer, buyers will get the first eight hours free, Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra told the publication. After that, the cost is $30 an hour. Right now, drivers are provided by third-party company RedCap, and the hourly fee could drop once the program expands further.

Lincoln claims that the drivers are screened and trained, lessening the likelihood of finding a weirdo at the helm of your Navigator or Continental. Buyers would sign up for a membership to the app-based service. Pull out your phone, open the app, and you’ll soon have a human giving you the Miss Daisy treatment as you tinker around with buttons in the back of that Black Label.

Certainly, pulling up at your destination and having a gloved driver open your door for you is a sure-fire way to add imaginary dollars to the MSRP of your chosen vehicle — at least, to uninformed onlookers. In this case, it would endow the Lincoln brand with some added clout. (And you, as well.)

The automaker already offers a valet service for Lincoln models destined for dealer servicing, making this a natural extension of that customer service push. So far, there’s no word on a nationwide launch, or whether the program will become permanent.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]