Vehicle Description
The Lincoln Continental has always been a flagship car for those
who wanted the best in rolling luxury. It has been the car of
choice for Kings, Queens, movie stars and Presidents. This one was
the car of choice for an owner that built a new garage for it every
time he moved to a new house. It is a bit of a time capsule car,
and it is believed that the 60,000 miles on the odometer is the
actual mileage on the car.
The unique way the doors open is a defining feature of the look on
this car and came to be affectionately called "suicide doors". If
you open the rear door and step into the back seat, you will start
to wonder why all 4-door cars aren't built that way. But let's move
up to the front of the car to describe some of the other features.
Solid and stately could describe the styling. A rectangular front
end with a big chrome bumper underlining a grill flanked by quad
headlights with the iconic Lincoln emblem in the center leads the
way. The Red color of the car is complimented nicely by a chrome
strip that runs along the top of the fenders and doors all the way
to the back. Wheel wells and rocker panels are also trimmed in
chrome. The back of the car is super clean with the taillights set
in the bumper and markers on the ends of the fenders. A black vinyl
roof looks perfect and also contributes to the sound proofing that
is a hallmark of riding in a Lincoln.
Open one of those doors and you are greeted by a black button
tufted door panel with wood trim. Have a seat on those soft, power
operated seats and settle in. That was the gold standard of comfort
and luxury in the 60s, and it still is today for many people. A two
spoke, wood tone steering wheel with a half circle horn ring is
perched in front of a wood dash panel which is tucked back up under
cowl so that it prevents the suns glare from reaching it. It has
the speedometer at the top, with the ventilation controls just
below it on one side and the radio on the other. The passenger has
some A/C vents and a clock, and then nothing but space to stretch
out in. Opening that backward door and getting into the back seat
is just fun. Then you can throw your luggage in the massive trunk
that has plenty of room for golf bags and suit cases and settle in
for a ride with the other celebrities you may be traveling
with.
They seem to have enjoyed defying convention when they built the
Continental, because when you open the hood, you will notice it
hinges at the front. Underneath that hood you will find what
appears to be the original 460 cubic inch engine. The story goes
that there was a displacement war going on among the luxury
manufacturers, and bigger was better, so the Lincoln 460 with its
4-barrel carb was bigger and better than the 440 and the 429 in the
competitor's cars. History has proved this to be a solid and
reliable powerhouse, so Lincoln had done their homework well and
can be commended for it. The power it makes is sent back through a
3-speed automatic transmission to drive the rear wheels. Power
front disc brakes ensure that you can get this big car slowed down
from speed when you need to, and power steering ensures that you
can maneuver it around in a parking lot with ease.
Check out this low mileage Continental. For fun, for the
collectability of it, or just for yourself.