Vehicle Description
Lincoln is making a lot of homages to their heritage these days,
and I'm of the opinion that they could do far worse than building a
21st century version of this 1967 Continental Convertible.
Affectionately known as the "slab-side" design, the stunning
"suicide door" Continental convertible is a technological wonder
and an icon of '60s style.
It was quite a daring feat to put four doors on a convertible, and
especially so with those rear-hinged suicide doors. But Ford had to
put the Retractable's hardware to use somehow to earn back their
immense investment in the mechanism, so the Continental was born.
Although the car is elegantly massive in every possible way, the
angular lines and minimalist chrome make it seem trim and stylish.
Unique colors like the factory correct code K - Dark Blue Metallic
(one of the coolest shades I've personally ever seen on a classic
Linc) found on this example seem to suit them best, as they really
are formal cars that are almost the antithesis of 1950s
flamboyance. Now, because it's a an older paint it's obviously not
perfect, but it really still looks great and all four doors fit
with a solidity that seems hard to imagine in such a mammoth
open-topped machine, and the character line running the length of
the body lines up quite well from panel to panel. Good chrome is
critical on a car like this, and those big bumpers, simple
horizontal grille, and lovely stainless strip running along the
tops of the fenders and doors all sparkle in a way that's
consistent with the rest of the car.
Inside it's every bit as spacious as you'd imagine. Forget compact
muscle cars and imagine a limousine without a roof and you're in
the right neighborhood. Luxurious blue leather covers the seating
surfaces with an upright formality that would look right in your
living room, and by the comfort marks and some of the signs of
wear-and-tear, it could easily be the car's original upholstery.
The brushed stainless dashboard with its interesting horizontal
orientation for the major controls is all about daring styling, and
in the 1960s, Lincoln could do no wrong. The seats are very supple
and still present well, particularly for a ragtop, and the dash and
carpets show zero evidence of UV damage, which means they're likely
fresh NOS pieces. Every piece of luxury equipment imaginable was
standard, including a retractable power top, power windows and
locks, a power antenna, power driver's seat, A/C, cruise control,
and an AM stereo radio. This Lincoln is definitely about no
compromises.
A car this big needs Ford's biggest V8, a recently attended-to 462
cubic inch behemoth that just laughs at the car's 2.5-ton curb
weight. It's not a 460, but a unique Lincoln engine that powered
the biggest luxury cars until the late-60s. It does wear correct
Ford corporate blue paint and shows off a lot of recent work top
and bottom, and because of that it's really running great today.
It's backed by a smooth-shifting C6 automatic transmission and
heavy-duty rear end, and a lot of folks will be shocked to learn
that this big convertible is actually a unibody car. The critical
floor areas are solid and despite this being such a massive
machine, there are lots of cleverly packaged components to
accommodate the top mechanism, including the stand-up gas tank and
tightly packed X-pipe dual exhaust system, which happens to sound
fantastic. Big 15-inch wheels with American Classic whitewall
radials give it the right stance with understated elegance.
These cars are rapidly becoming A-list collectables, and the gap
between nice cars and projects that would make any sane person run
away screaming is growing all the time. This is a great opportunity
to get a suicide door Lincoln at a price that will seem like a
bargain in only a few years. Call now!