• by Tanya Gazdik , June 5, 2026

Ford Motor Co.’s recently unveiled a special one-of-one vehicle to a small group of media at its HQ. 

The “Perfect Rose” Lincoln Navigator was custom made for none other than Serena Williams, a longtime ambassador for the brand. Created in close collaboration with Lincoln’s design team, the vehicle brings Williams’ vision of modern luxury, family and functionality to life, according to the automaker. 

Williams used the winnings from her first major tournament in 1998 to purchase her first Navigator, which she named Ginger, and she has owned several since. 

During the creation of the vehicle, Williams shared with Lincoln Global Design Director Christine  Cheng that she has always loved three things: pink, hearts and roses. 

The Lincoln design team created an elegant rose symbol, with one petal shaped like a heart, to merge her favorites together. The symbol appears on the B-pillar and as well as on the rear split gate, Cheng pointed out to the media gathered for the reveal. 

When Cheng asked Williams whether she had a meaningful mantra, she didn’t hesitate: “Keep going.” 

“She shared that life has its ups and downs, and she wanted this daily reminder for herself and her family to never give up,” Cheng says. “For someone at the top of her game, that humility felt deeply inspiring to me. We laser-engraved the quote onto the vehicle’s sill plates, using a custom font for a refined, sophisticated finish.”

While the exterior is a subtle shade of pink to match the rose theme, Williams’ favorite color is hot pink. Cheng’s team found a solution to use that color in a way that complements the overall design. 

"When Serena first opened the center console, she was thrilled to see hot pink lining the storage compartment and the glovebox,” Cheng says. “She told me, ‘I don’t just love it — I’m obsessed with it!’”

Williams just announced her return to tennis after almost four years away, so the continued alliance will pay off for Lincoln. 

It will be interesting to see which current brands elevate their deals with the tennis legend and which new deals she attracts, now that she is back in the sports spotlight. 

Heineken recently signed on with Williams, who appears in a fun social media spot for the brand’s 0.0 non-alcoholic beverage. She plays pickleball in the video, sporting a Heineken-branded paddle.

Meanwhile, Lincoln's deal with Matthew McConaughey quietly ended last year. He was also a longtime pitchman for the brand, starting in 2014, appearing in some of its most memorable TV spots (who can forget Matthew vs. bull?)

The relationship had simply “run its course,” according to a Lincoln spokesperson. 

His last creative for the brand was the “Road Rhythms” social media campaign that ran in January 2025 and in February 2025. 

In the Instagram video, McConaughey is shown happily driving his Lincoln Aviator. 

“I mean, I have a mailing address to my brick and mortar office, but this is the one I prefer,” he says with a chuckle from behind the wheel. 

McConaughey is credited by many for helping to revitalize the struggling luxury brand some 12 years ago by driving massive online buzz, tripling website traffic, and boosting sales by 16% in 2014. 

His moody, unscripted commercials recast Lincoln as a "cool" and modern brand, helping it shed its outdated airport-shuttle image, according to Hudson Rouge, Lincoln AOR and the creators of the campaign. 

The ads brought significant attention from younger, premium buyers, helping double Lincoln’s market share in a highly competitive luxury sector, per the agency.