Vehicle Description
If you've been paying any attention at all to pop culture, you know
that the iconic Lincoln Continental sedan is red hot right now.
Everyone from pro athletes to rappers to movie stars are snatching
up the stylish cruisers the same way young hipsters are dressing
themselves in skinny ties and tapered suits to emulate the hottest
shows on TV. Slick big-body coupes like this 1966 Lincoln
Continental are hard to come by on the market these days, so make
haste or drown in FOMO.
What's immediately evident the moment you gaze upon this Lincoln is
how the design offers a clean, chiseled look that still looks great
today. A few years back, Lincoln rolled out a concept car (the MK9)
that borrowed a lot of this car's styling cues, and we have to say,
they might be in a better place by running with that particular
ball. Two-door coupes have made a roaring comeback in recent years,
and they owe all that renewed goodwill to the iconic designs of
cars like this '65. The Code Q Medium Blue Metallic paint is likely
an older respray, but it still looks right on the chiseled flanks
of the big Conti. That's a lot of sheetmetal to prep, and yes,
there are a few areas that might benefit from a cut-and-buff, but
at this price, our advice is to just get in and enjoy being the
center of attention. We really dig things like the chrome strips
that run along the tops of the fenders and doors in an unbroken
line, the highly detailed horizontal grille, and, of course, the
gigantic doors that turn the door handles into design statements.
The chrome is in very good original condition, including both front
and rear bumpers, the glass in limo-tinted for added privacy, and
all the Continental emblems are intact, just in case people don't
recognize the iconic shape.
And if you think the body is the peak of retro-cool, wait until you
see the interior. The handsome two-tone upholstery is almost
entirely original, with cloth and leather decorating the seats,
ornately detailed door panels with awesome chrome and wood accents,
and stainless steel and chrome accents throughout the entire cabin
that look expensive and upscale. Every time I sit in one of these
beautifully appointed Conti's I feel the need to pour an aged
bourbon and read a little Norman Mailer, the restrained opulence
can be intoxicating like that. The carpets are plush, too,
insulating the air-tight cabin, and although you'll find some
slight wear inside in some of the higher-traffic areas, there's
nothing major that would cause concern or diminish the aesthetics.
The cockpit ahead of the driver is the brain of the operation,
featuring a wide speedometer, a row of 'idiot' lights, the
temperature controls and radio that look symmetrically identical,
and that elegant thin steering wheel atop a tilt column. Controls
on the driver's armrest are a nice touch, and as a top-of-the-line
luxury car, everything is standard, from power windows, locks, and
seats to A/C (needs to be serviced) and the aforementioned original
radio. The dash pad doesn't appear to have been cooked in the sun
and only has one crack down the center, the chrome only has minor
pitting, and the headliner above is taut and in great shape as
well. Out back, the rear seats show only slight wear and the
cavernous trunk is beautifully tailored with matching carpets and a
full-size spare.
Power is delivered by a 462 cubic inch V8, the largest in Ford's
arsenal in 1966, and it was specifically picked for the newly
designed 4th generation Continental to rival the Imperial Crown
Coupe's and Coupe de Ville's slightly smaller respective
displacements. Believed to be the original block, it's a
torque-heavy monster that runs great with a smooth disposition,
clearly the result of good service and care throughout the years.
It isn't detailed for show, of course, but the proper Ford Blue
paint on the valve covers and air cleaner gives it a purposeful,
no-nonsense look that we can certainly appreciate. It fires up with
a muscular rumble from the updated Magnaflow dual exhaust system,
and pulls effortlessly on the highway where it glides over bumps
like a hovercraft. It shifts well and the underside, while not
shiny and perfect, also shows no signs of critical rust, which is
very important in the unit-body Continental. Flashy 20-inch US Mag
chrome wheels wonderfully contradict the typical Lincoln
understatement, and it sits on newer 245/35/20 low-profile
performance radials.
This is a heck of a lot of car for the money, and as it sits it's
turn-key ready, or it could easily be kicked up a notch or two into
the showcar stratosphere. Call today!
