(first posted 4/17/2013) What defines a true luxury car? Not comfort and convenience, as was proved so convincingly by the Broughamization of mundane Chevys, Fords and Plymouths. A genuine luxury item is recognized as such because it has sufficient exclusivity, style, quality and prestige to set its owner apart from the masses. What’s more, it must have presence-–the ability to at once command attention and instantly make others aware of the fact that this is something truly out of the ordinary. This Lincoln Continental was the last American luxury car that did just that.
The Great Depression killed the great classic American luxury cars such as this 1932 Lincoln KB V12. The luxury brands that didn’t die were forced to adapt to greatly changed circumstances, such as sky-high top marginal tax rates (91%) that started an era of unprecedented income equality: “The Great Income Compression” had begun.
Successful movie and TV stars of the 1950s like Ronald Reagan lived in 4,000-square-foot ranch homes, not 56,000 square foot palaces. And strong income growth among blue-collar workers made it possible for them to afford tract houses that didn’t look all that different from theirs–not to mention shiny new Chevys that looked very much like new Cadillacs. It was America’s great experiment towards a classless society. Even if reality fell a bit short of perception–especially for some–the optimistic hope of sitting with the elite at the Formica table of the American Dream was about as high as it’s ever been.
At the dawn of the 1950s, these were the forces shaping the luxury car market. Gone were the unique and rarefied top-tier models of the past as manufacturers’ flagship models began sharing bodies and/or other major components with their lesser corporate siblings. The company that tapped into the zeitgeist most successfully was, of course, Cadillac. Together, Harley Earl’s brilliant ability to gauge evolving popular taste, and GM’s ability to deliver it at the right price, gave Cadillac a dominant share of the luxury-car market.
But was Cadillac a true luxury car? This 1950 Series 61 coupe (CC here) was priced at $2,761–just 59% more than a 1950 Chevy Bel Air hardtop coupe. The Great Luxury Car Compression was also underway. If Average Joe wanted one badly enough, he could swing it–even if it meant buying used–which might make this calling this era “The Great Luxury Car Debasement” a more accurate term.
But the Cadillac was a huge commercial success, especially when it came to GM’s bottom line. It certainly didn’t cost the company 59% more to build a basic Cadillac versus a Chevy–especially in 1959, when all GM cars, including that Chevy, shared the same basic body. Where’s the true luxury in that?
The 1959 Cadillac (CC here) may have set new heights with its fins, but otherwise it was a nadir. Advertising could place it in “old money” settings, but the truth is that old money wasn’t exactly likely to climb into a pink ’59 convertible. The term “kitsch” wasn’t invented recently, you know.
Despite these factors, the true-luxury car market in America was by far the world’s biggest, and top-tier European brands were now eying it hungrily. Although cars like Mercedes and the big Jaguars often cost twice as much as a Cadillac, they were nonetheless making inroads despite a comparative lack of certain amenities (and fins). What they did exude was superb quality and timeless elegance–qualities that in themselves justified the cars’ premium prices to a relatively small number of buyers in search of genuine exclusivity and willing to pay the price.
Presumably, Detroit knew they were vulnerable at the upper end of the market. The Lincoln brand struggled throughout the Fifties, fighting a recurring if not endless battle to differentiate itself from a Mercury or Ford. This is not a luxury car.
Thus Ford took a giant step into the rarefied niche of true luxury cars with its 1956 Continental Mark II and the creation of the exclusive Continental Division. Priced at $10,000 ($85,000 adjusted–and two-and-a-half times as much as a Cadillac), its hard to say whether the Mark II was more a halo car and PR effort made at the very time Ford was going public with its stock or a serious attempt at a commercially-viable undertaking. Since Ford ended up losing $1,000 on each of the 3,000 made, hopefully the PR value wasn’t a loss either.
The Mark II (CC here) was relatively conservatively styled to recapture some of the timeless elegance of the original 1939 Continental, named in homage to the elegant coach-built cars of Europe. It was decidedly all-American, but in an understated way; it wouldn’t look totally out of place on the continent, except for its size. Despite the throwback spare-tire hump, it wasn’t exactly neo-classical either; a trend that would appear some years later. But the controversial decision to incorporate what now came to be known as the “continental spare” was clearly a first shot in that direction, and one that would reappear with a vengeance.
Although the Mark II was a commercial flop, GM was not about to be left behind in the all-important war of public perception. Its 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was priced at an even loftier $13,074 ($110,000 adjusted), although it was fundamentally less distinct from lesser Cadillacs than the Mark II was from other Lincolns.
The Eldorado Brougham’s styling was the result of Earl’s carefully calculated feedback from several Motorama prototypes and as such, reflected popular taste rather than the breaking of any new ground stylistically (although it did premiere GM’s X-frame, which allowed a lower roof line): The Brougham was an über-Cadillac with leaky air springs–and an even bigger sales bust than the Mark II.
The most significant design aspect of the Eldorado Brougham was its suicide rear doors, which undoubtedly were chosen to improve entry into the rear compartment, into which the large C-pillar intruded substantially. In that regard, the Brougham was really a forerunner of today’s four-door coupes, as well as the 1961 Continental. Note the lack of a B-pillar.
images:aaca.org
Continental was also working on a four-door version, to be called the Mark III. The earliest proposal depicts it as just a lengthened Mk II given rear suicide doors and a new roof. With a 132″ wheelbase, it would have been a huge car.
The Mark III design was developed further, but still on a lengthened Mk II frame.
But when Ford decided to switch the 1958 Lincoln and Thunderbird to unibody construction, the Mark III program (also dubbed “Berline”) got the order to start over with a unibody-based design. Although there is certainly some design continuity, it was heading in a much more angular and flat-planed direction. The Mark III program was killed along with the Continental Division, but it foreshadows the ’61 Continental’s basic configuration, as well as aspects of its styling.
image: remarkablecars.com
There was a production 1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III, but it was only the top-line version of the giant 1958 Lincolns (CC here). It was such a disappointment that Ford had no compunction about re-using the Mark III name again in 1969. That would makes this one the Mark III Mk 1.
The oft-told 1961 Continental design genesis story goes like this: Elwood Engel was working on an alternative design proposal for the new 1961 Thunderbird (CC here); however, Joe Oros’ more overtly sporty version was picked, resulting in the Bullet Bird. Ford President Robert MacNamara ran into Engel’s slab-sided proposal almost by accident. He took a shine to it (as had some other execs), and wondered if it couldn’t be adapted for the new 1961 Lincoln.
And so it was. Although now lengthened to fit a 123″ wheelbase for the rear doors, and widened a bit, it still shared certain key unibody structural components with the Thunderbird in order to save costs. Not to take anything away from Engel’s fine design proposal, but it would hard to deny that the Mark III concept by John Reinhardt was also a contributing factor, right down to the suicide doors. Thankfully, the continental spare hump wasn’t included.
That goes for the front end too, which was still very much showed its Mark II roots. The ’61 Continental was spared any attempt at design continuity with the past–and why? In the wake of Lincoln’s near-death experience there was no point in carrying any continuity forward. The approach was exactly opposite to Cadillac’s, which nurtured design continuity and avoided drastic changes. Now Ford had a unique opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.
The result was nothing short of brilliant. It was a radical departure from the norm, and a true harbinger of a new decade of change. The 1961 Lincoln Continental utterly eclipsed its competition with the first new design direction of the 1960s. Just like the 1960 Corvair was highly influential on European and Japanese design, the ’61 Continental showed the way forward in American luxury car design–nor was its influence limited to the U.S.
It was a group effort that brought it to completion, and Eugene Bordinat (Design Chief), Don DeLaRossa, Elwood Engel, Gale Halderman, John Najar, Robert Thomas and George Walker were collectively honored with an atypical (for a car) award from the Industrial Design Institute. They noted its “outstanding contribution of simplicity and design elegance”.
And in another break from the GM-initiated annual design-change tradition, it was clearly stated that the Continental would not be playing that game. No changes for the sake of change alone. Heresy!
The Continental was a total repudiation of everything Harley Earl and Cadillac stood for. The era of fins, chrome-slathered sides, rocket exhausts, jet engine intakes and fighter-cockpit greenhouses was over the moment eyes set on the new Continental. Has there ever been such a paradigm shift in automotive taste, and one that happened so abruptly?
It didn’t take long for the Conti’s influence to be felt; by 1962, Cadillac offered a formal four-window roof as an alternative to their traditional six-window sedan. And perhaps influenced by the Continental’s tidier dimensions, this Park Avenue model also featured a shorter trunk.
By 1965-1966, Cadillacs had become decidedly more slab-sided.
And after Engel’s move to Chrysler, it was no surprise to see the Conti’s key design aspects reappear on the ’64 Imperial (save for the carryover 1957 windshield, which Chrysler was too cheap to update). Following the Continental’s design genes as they scattered across the globe would take a whole article by itself, but since we’re quite familiar with the recent Chrysler 300, we know it certainly hasn’t ended.
Undoubtedly, many wish it would reappear on a proper Lincoln.
The 1961 Continental was unique in other ways. It was available only as a four-door sedan and four-door convertible, in one level of trim. The sedan was priced about 10% higher than a Cadillac DeVille, and was very well equipped for the times. What’s more, each car was subjected to rigorous quality testing, something very atypical for a production car at this price level. Even the lighter was given a workout. Imagine that today.
The new Continental encompassed all the qualities of a true luxury car: Exclusivity, style, quality, prestige and presence, at a mere 10% premium of a DeVille. What a bargain, given the Mark II’s towering price. And what exactly did the Mark II and Fleetwood Brougham have that the Continental didn’t, other than the spare tire hump and leaky air springs? Lincoln staked out a new niche just above Cadillac, and it was embraced heartily by those looking for that.
There were a number of reasons this generation is commonly called the “Kennedy Continental”, including the obvious fact that he was riding in one at the time of his assassination. But the ’61 Continental arrived at the same time Kennedy was elected. Fifty new Continentals were sent to the Inaugural parade, further cementing the ties. And a new presidential limo soon followed.
Jackie Kennedy brought a new era of tasteful refinement to not only the White House, but the entire nation, and it was hard to picture her riding in anything else. This generation of Continental truly lived up to its name. Maybe too much so. The French adored Jackie, and the Continental too. Was the Continental a bit too to rarefied and “continental” for the Silent Majority? If so, it certainly cemented the Conti’s image as being one definitive step above the Cadillac in exclusivity and prestige.
I arrived in the U.S. at almost exactly the time of the ’61 Continental’s debut. As with all of us, the cars of our childhood tend to leave the deepest impressions. Ironically, when it comes to the Conti most of them came from LIFE magazine and TV; I struggle to conjure up a memory of seeing one in Iowa City during those years.
Undoubtedly there must have been some sightings, but I knew of none anywhere in my part of town, even though I did see several Cadillacs. That certainly added to the perception of exclusivity, and perhaps warped it. But any Continental sighting in Iowa back then, likely at a University of Iowa football game (where I prowled the parking lot) was a memorable moment indeed.
A chance to feast on its many superb details, like the symmetrical door handles.
To peer down the pointed peak of its belt line, like a gun sight.
And feast on its cast-metal taillight housing.
Take note of what seemed like the world’s longest wipers, which were operated by a hydraulic motor fed from the power steering pump: whoosh, whoosh.
Mustn’t forget to check out the huge tires. The early ones had 9.00 x 14s, a size almost unheard of on production cars. This 1965 originally came with 9.15 x 15s, also a highly uncommon size back then. Ford certainly didn’t wimp out on tires here. But then, they were carrying a bit of weight; all these Conti’s typically topped the 5,000 lb barrier; the convertible was solidly over 5,500 lbs.
Under the hood, the biggest engine in the land, the 430 cubic inch MEL V8, murmured quietly to itself in the engine room, until the “full-speed ahead” order was received from the helm. The rather unusual two-barrel 1961 version (full story here) later went the way of a four-barrel, with a 320 hp rating at an easy 4600 rpm. With 465 lb-ft. of torque, the redline was probably rarely seen.
Except maybe when LBJ took some members of the press on a tour of his ranch in his Continental convertible and topped ninety mph. Those are the kind of tidbits from the news back then that I remember.
It’s no secret that the ’61 likely was Lincoln’s last chance to survive as a brand; Ford lost massive sums on the fiascoes of the 1958-1960 models and the Edsel. While its sales results did not fully match its acclaimed aesthetic reception, and given that 1961 was a recession year, the Continental did increase its market share compared with the competition. And it permanently moved into the number two slot above the Imperial. It was an encouraging if not overwhelming start, and certainly more than enough to give Lincoln a reprieve. Nothing like a near-death experience to really sharpen the focus and creativity; it’s a lesson Ford would re-learn more than once.
One of the key design features of the 1961 Continental is its use of curved side-window glass, and the pronounced tumblehome of its roof. This reflects its origins as a coupe; in fact, a bit too much so, as egress to and from the rear seat was less than ideal, and certain interior dimensions were not overly generous.
This shot makes that quite clear, and certainly reinforces the benefits of the rear suicide doors.
Thus, in 1964, the Continental received its first significant changes, adding additional space in the rear passenger area by extending the wheelbase to the rear by three inches, along with a wider roof structure to reduce tumblehome and increase shoulder room. The Continental was now a true luxury sedan instead of a four-door coupe (1965 shown above). But there was a price to pay.
Gone were the delicately-curved side window panes, replaced with flat ones. It’s a bit retrograde. There has been speculation that there were water intrusion issues, or that it was just a cost-saving measure, but the wide “gutters” that run between the tips of the peaked belt line molding and the actual greenhouse are still very much there, and rather impressive.
I’m a purist, and as such I once regarded the changes for ’64 and ’65 as sacrilegious, but I’ve since changed my mind. The length of the roof of the ’61-’63 feels like it’s just a bit too short relative to the long hood and trunk; the additional length in the rear door and roof make for a well-balanced design. And the flat-paned glass works well-enough with all the other flat planes and edges. Still, if I had the choice, I’d take a ’61-’63.
Ideally, there would have been a two-door coupe, like this one imagined by casey/artandclour with the shorter wheelbase and narrower roof, as well as a longer sedan from the get-go, but that wasn’t in the budget. Too bad.
I do prefer the earlier front end designs, even the slightly modified version of the ’64 (above). It was already iconic.
The 1965 front end was the first substantial deviation, a deliberate effort to give the starkly simple original design greater depth and complexity: a foreshadowing of things to come.
Sorry, brougham lovers; no loose-pillow, crushed-velour Barcoloungers here. The Continental’s interior was available in a choice of leather or cloth of restrained patterns and design. The influences of sleek international modernism had not yet been overpowered by over-the-top “luxury for the masses”.
(dashboard missing its padded cover)
That would come soon enough. As would Mercedes, whose sleek and modern leather interiors and high-quality materials created a general ambiance not all too different than a Lincoln’s. Live and learn: That’s really the gist of this whole post.
The Great Brougham Epoch made the trappings of luxury available to the masses. By the time cars like the Plymouth Valiant Brougham appeared in 1974, it had long become obvious that any connotations of genuine luxury, prestige and exclusivity were now history, color-keyed wheel cover centers and all.
Of course, it was none other than Ford that ushered in the Brougham Epoch, starting with the 1965 LTD (CC here). Here were all the perceived trappings of a genuine luxury car, at a Ford price. And where did that leave the real luxury cars? Ironically, Cadillac, Lincoln and Imperial began to cheapen their products in the late Sixties, which was of course exactly the opposite of what needed to happen.
Instead, Lincoln started chasing Cadillac. The 1966 refresh added length, new curved hips and larger wheel openings. A 10% price reduction didn’t fully reflect the drop in exclusivity and some de-contenting, but it succeeded in pushing sales upwards. And also in looking a lot more like the 1966 Ford LTD.
Instead of taking the Continental upmarket against Mercedes with a modernized trimmer unibody, independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, fuel injection and more modern technology, Lincoln, by 1970, (CC here) had become nothing more than a tarted-up LTD. Presence? Exclusivity? Prestige?
Stephanie called me excitedly when she spotted this black ’65 Continental; she had recognized it instantly. I can assure you she would never have noticed the blue 1970 blob above, let alone known what it was. Tell a non-car person standing across the street that the ’70 is a Mercury or a Ford LTD and undoubtedly they’d believe you. Try that with any Mercedes or BMW. Or with any Gucci shoes, Louis Vuitton bag, Hermes scarf or so many other luxury goods. If it isn’t distinctive, it might as well be…a Mercury.
With the 1961-1965 Continental, Ford created an icon, one as instantly recognizable as any Mercedes or Rolls Royce–and without even copying them! It was an all-American original and timelessly classic design. And then they proceeded to throw it all away, watering it down for 1966 before completely melting away in 1970.
Presumably, Ford must have seen that problem coming, so they did do something highly original about it: slap a faux Rolls Royce grille on the front of a glorified Thunderbird, and resurrect the Continental spare hump in the back. Bingo: the 1969 Mark III, with genuine copy-and-paste luxury creds on both ends. And the Great Brougham Epoch now had a new standard-bearer. Not a bad-looking car, but certainly not a very original one.
Many love these Marks; to each their own. They have their charms, undoubtedly; a rolling, wallowing testament to an era of unbridled excess. And they certainly sold well, making Ford tons of money. But they were also a dead end, because the real luxury car market had already moved on to other things. Like the car behind it.
And no, not this. But this is what the Marks spawned. And it’s not exactly something Jackie would have been caught dead riding in.
For what it’s worth, she bought herself a BMW Bavaria, a clean, simple and elegant design if there ever was one. Now this post isn’t about the cars of Jackie O., but her choice makes a convenient (and predictive) end point to our story about the “Kennedy” Lincoln Continental, the last great American luxury car.
Vintage brochure images from oldcarbrochures.com
Related reading:
CC Unicorn Hunt: The Missing 1961 Lincoln Continental Pillarless Hardtop Sedan T. Halter
CC 1956 Continental Mark II: Caught in the Pincers PN
CC 1958 Continental Mark III T. Klockau
A most comprehensive reading about what is luxury and what is not, and most illustrative. I liked the pink Cadillac ad. That car is something to behold.
Thanks for the perspective, Paul, and I’ll join the others in saying that this is a very well done article. It’s top ten, if not the best.
I am a couple of decades too late for this car, so all I have to go on are pictures and seeing them at shows. The pictures of JFK and Jackie in the back of the presidential limo is inevitably what I think of when I see one of these. That image is one of those timeless scenes in American history. It’s as powerful as the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, only more haunting because we know what happened next.
Paul said it best: Cars from our childhood. I don’t know how or why, because ours wasn’t really a Lincoln neighborhood…but somehow several of these four-suicide-door sedans were in our briar patch on a regular basis. They were…different…obviously different. The suicide doors. The four-door convertible. The wipers hinged “backwards” – in those days, even the Beetle hinged the wipers from the left side, not the right.
And it was always older, patrician ladies or obviously stern, serious gentlemen…driving them. No little boys like me scampering out those doors that opened funny.
Yes…truly…the essence of a luxury car. Something a tad different; a different reach style-wise. Substantial. And, price no object. So different from my household…with a company Impala, a rusted Rambler, and later, something as gauche as a Jeep Wagoneer. My mother was horrified – afraid the neighbors would think we owned a gas station!
My, how things change. The guys with the SJ Wagoneers…they own businesses, but not ones that pump gas. And the Wagoneers still roam the Earth…
…but the slab-side, suicide Lincolns are gone. And shall not pass this way again.
I don’t think Ford ever really expected in 1961 that they would outsell Cadillac with the Continental. However, I do think they expected to do better than a number that would be a rounding error in Cadillac sales figures. On that level, the Continental, despite its elegance, did not succeed. Based on what rolled out of the factories, it doesn’t look like Ford had a Plan B. Hence the 1970-74 Lincolns which were a holding action, tarted-up Mercurys that were cheap to build and thus kind to the brand’s bottom line. The 1975 restyle was part of Ford’s mid seventies strategy to out-brougham GM model for model — hence the Mustang II Ghia, the Elite, the Versailles, the Mark IV and V, the huge Mark-based T-Bird — and the incredibly baroque 1975-79 Lincolns, shamelessly marketed after ’77 to devotees of road-hugging weight dissatisfied with GM’s downsized offerings.
MadHungarian, The planning for the new Lincoln, the ’61, began around ’58. The decision was made, from R. McNamara on down, to embark on a highly-serious quality control campaign… to make the eventual ‘new’ Lincoln to be exceedingly good, quality-wise: both in materials and in assembly. This goal was decided because of well-known problems with a number of 1950s Lincolns.
I believe that this unprecedented quality-control program [which came with the significantly-increased total-car warranty] eventually paid off for Ford Motor Co. with the 80s Town Cars: a “bread & butter” luxury car.. that proved very reliable, and hence, desirable. Yes, the Mark Series in the 70s made FoMoCo a level of money that it needed; but it wasn’t until the sales success of the 80s Town Cars… did the public perception become established that there truly was an alternative to a Cadillac…. that a Lincoln Town Car was truly a worthy consideration as an automobile, having finally overcome the leftover fears of former Lincoln purchasers in the 1950s, when Cad had that market all sewn up.
It took a very long time to overcome this lead of Cadillac; but Lincoln DID overtake them. Witness the surveys of 20 – 25 years ago, when people were asked what car they would choose if money was not an object: far more people in the Nineties said they would choose a Town Car—period. That would never have happened.. had not McNamara and others at the Lincoln Division committed the entire division of FoMoCo to an expensive-at-the-time sheer quality program.. “way back then”.
Even in the 60s, Cad sold 8 or 9 cars for every Lincoln sold: just to show their sales lead in that market segment. It was also true in the 1950s. But Cad started to cheapen their cars.. ironically beginning with their ‘new’ perimeter-frame ’65s, which “cut some corners” from THEIR quality zenith of their ’64 models. Compare the carpeting in those two years, for example.
Wonderful article Paul, certainly among your all-time Greatest Hits! I remember when these cars were new, and I agree that the ’65 represents the end of an era.
Your first (and last) photos are sublime – the beautifully proportioned car in front of a tidy, well-kept classic home under a typically gray Eugene sky.
Echoing JP’s comments earlier, and with full appreciation of all of CC’s contributors, when you’re firing on all cylinders Paul, you are the original and best!
That was one of the best CCs ever, great job Paul. Your original photography is better than even the archive stuff, although that shot of LBJ is super cool.
I hate it when folks put modern monster wheels on classic cars except maybe this one. The 61-65s actually look pretty nice with the right 20s. lowered a bit. The black car in Paul’s article is lowered by the perfect amount. For me these cars define the words stately and timeless, that’s why the 20s work.
I too am a fan of the 64 front end styling. Hated the 65. Like the 61 but not the 62 or 63 (what’s with those orange turn indictor lenses anyway?).
There is so much eye candy on these cars. The way the hood opens and that gigantic air cleaner over the carb. The streamlined courtesy lights on the inside C-pillar of the 64 and 65s. And as Paul mentioned those glorious wipers. If they’re going to show you might as well style them.
In fact until I saw the head rests I wasn’t sure that was a Bavaria Jackie was driving. The driver’s side wiper is downright Beetlesque even with the little airfoil. I’m a bit of a wiper freak actually.
I always noticed different wipers on different cars, LBJ had a bunch of cars on his ranch, including an Amphicar and Fiat 500, along with Lincolns and Cadillacs, he gave one of his daughters a Sting Ray convertible too while he was President.
I liked how the 64 grille was a riff on the Continental Mark II grille. In my opinion the 65 grille looks too Mercury.
The guy who got the VP styling job at Ford over Elwood Engel was a man named Eugene Bordinat, he kept it until the 80’s I think. He was a competent designer and a good executive but he lacked flair and panache, and his revisions to the Continental over the years reflect that as the original concept got watered down. That combined with them poaching the Continental DNA and using it on nearly every Ford product created the why buy a Lincoln problem when you can have an LTD/Marquis for less money.
Funny thing is he really didnt like Engle, and thought he was a second rate intellect. I think it was Bordinat who went hard for the flat side glass and straight line on the 64/65 greenhouse rear side window. “Doesnt ruin anything at all, and saves money”.
The Lincoln Continetal look was a team effort, but Engel was the lead, and I think his work at Chrysler shows he had a bit more flair for the three box design language then say Bordinat.(of course Fords outsold Chryslers anyway so he had his own victory) You can see it In the way a 65 Chrysler has a lot more presence than a 65 Mercury does.
I think the 64 Imperial vs. the 64 Lincoln is a fasinating comparison. Engel gave the 61 Continental a sense of motion, the tumblehome of the greenhouse, the angle of the backlight, and the way the grille meets at that strong center mounted second bumper. By 64 the Continental had lost it’s sense of motion, the flat side glass, the straighter greenhouse, the elegant but more conventional grille, and everything about the 64 Lincoln is in repose, the lines pretty much all return to the vertical or the horizontal. For the most part this is the direction the Continental would take in the later 60’s and 70’s. The 64 Imperial is dynamic(except for the borrowed a-pillar and windshield), it is still a three boxer, but the fender peak is a gentle uninterupted curve from front to back, with a character line just below.(that would show up on lincolns in 1967, but to be fair was on the Continental Mark II) The Imperial has a slight lunge to it, the way the front of the car is canted slightly forward, and the the rear of the car is steeply slanted forward, this is also reflected in the greenhouse and the daylight opening. It is all very subtle but the whole theme is canted, forward motion. It will always read as a riff on the stunning 61 Continental, but it still has a remarkable individuality that I think upon closer inspection makes it an equal of say the 64 or 65 Lincoln and definitely superior to the post 67 Lincolns.
Scott KC, The Imperials were wonderful DESIGNS… but ugh, the poor level of actually quality & workmanship: can’t “hold a candle” to Lincoln.
On top of that, Chrysler engines AFTER their excellent 50s Hemi, became abominable. I had at least five 60s Imps… and every one of those 413 / 440 engines became “oil-burners” after only 125,000 miles. Every one! Lincoln engines lasted FAR longer.. even longer than Cad.
Finally, when those lovely 60s Imperials became 30+ years old, they had developed water leaks into the body so bad.. that you might have thought that you needed to consult with a swimming pool contractor for a layer on gunite on ’em. Truly, “leaked like a sieve!” Yuck!
Amazing writing, Paul!
This is the best CC I have ever read.
Amazing article! The 61′-65′ Continentals are my favorite American luxury car of all time. In my mind no other American car says ‘class’ quite like these.
I never cared too much for Lincolns beyond this generation. Later models always said less ‘class’ and more ‘pimp-mobile’, especially the Mark III and IV’s with that chintzy faux Rolls Royce grill.
After spending way too much time looking at this CC yesterday, I popped out for an errand and saw a Fiat 124 sedan cross the intersection in front of me, giving me several seconds to watch it pass by. Don’t laugh, but it was surprisingly Continental-like, with it’s slabbish sides and nearly symmetrical front and rear profiles.
I absolutely love these cars. The 1960s Continental was the coolest luxury car of the Big Three, and while I love the Imperial and Caddy too, the Connie is the one I’d most want. My grandfather had a dark green ’66 sedan with dark green leather interior (just like the ’66 pictured in the post, but without the vinyl roof). They drove it on a family vacation from Rock Island to South Padre Island back in ’66 or ’67; there are pictures of that trip–and the car–somewhere. It replaced (I think) an early ’60s Electra 225. Grandpa Bob never drove anything but Lincolns from that point forward.
My dad remembers sneaking it out of the driveway for unauthorized joyrides late at night when he was a teen. Their driveway was on an incline, and Dad had to put it in neutral to get it out of the garage, then kill the motor and let inertia carry it back into the garage when he returned. It was extra difficult because my grandparents’ bedroom was directly above the two-car attached garage! But Dad managed 🙂
Thanks Paul!
Hey! That black ’58 Continental 4-door is my car! I took that picture in 2005, I think, at a playground up the road from my parents’ house in New Haven, CT! remarkablecars.com must have stolen it from a post I made on the aaca.org bulletin board.
Absolutely elegant. The car and the article 😉
To bad today’s Lincoln’s look like crap!
navigator is classyest lookin lincoln ever.
Talk about baby Lincolns today! A friend of mine had one Continental, 1964, I believe. He once told us sometime in 1979 that one day he was driving on a main avenue in the city, and accidentally broke up a funeral motorcade. His car was black, and he told us (a bunch of believers) that when he turned right in some street, the rest of the motorcade followed him instead the hearse. I don’t think it happened but these cars were something rare and exquisite to view. Thank you, Paul, for a post so rewarding!
Dad bought a ’64 sedan on a whim for $400 in the 1970’s. It was metallic aqua, inside and out. Yes, metallic finished leather. Maybe not as “pure” as the ’61, it wasnt until ’65 that the front end of the Mercury and Continental merged into the same basic look, a shame.
Mechanically, an out-of-warranty luxury car is always a risk, and not sharing much of anything with ordinary Fords turned into a liability. The cast iron trans was not as common as the C-6, hard to find parts. The power door locks were vacuum, yet the wipers were hydraulic. Both systems were electric on most cars. The hydraulic pump for the steering and wipers was driven directly from the crankshaft, another oddity.
IMO, 1961 was a landmark year in automotive styling. Look at the Continental, XKE, and even Pontiac as examples.
Your experience mirrored my own with a 1963 Cadillac. The low stance and X frame required 3 universal joints, and two of them were CVs. Instead of a $20 repair at a shop for a standard U joint (around 1979), the CV cost $100 to fix. This was my story with the Cadillac. Everything that needed done seemed to cost $100, which was big money for a college student in 1979. Just as with your family’s Lincoln, there was not a lot of parts sharing with lesser cars in those years.
Cavanaugh, Cads & Lincs DID have some “constant-velocity” U-joints in their driveshafts: a relative rarity (though a few Buicks may have had ’em).
What really turned it into a “nightmare” was Ford’s decision, for the ’66 MY to go to the so-called, “sealed-for-life”, U-joints—without any grease fittings! So, what happens is that when a ’66 or later Lincoln U-joint fails, one must find a re-buildable driveshaft “core” that still has the “centering pin” intact…. and not grounded off completely because of no grease after 18 or 23 years. “Double-Cardan” constant-velocity U-joints were chosen by the Lincoln Division, starting in ’61, to reduce “noise, vibration, & harshness”, which is more likely noticeable in a uni-body car—all else being equal.
Smooth, yes. But a very expensive re-build.. when eventually necessary. It was for my ’66 four-door convert. My re-build was done properly, and lasted for years… still functioning perfectly when I sold it.. with over 200,000 miles.
And that 462 engine was the BEST that I ever owned!
My 74 Impala also uses those double cardon CV joints at the rear. I dread when I have to replace it. It ain’t going to be fun.
i like the lincoln navigator. I think its the most classy best lookin lincoln ever made. mine is a 2005 candy red metallic with 22s. the interior was boring gray but i redit in totone tan and red insert leather with 12 inch sony monaters in seat back for dvd. audio is sony with surround sound 21 speakers and 2 19inch pyle ported subs. total output is 13000 watts 7 amplifyers. Engine mods is kn air induction high perfermance fuel pump flow masters i raced mustangs and cameroes and won.i get lots of thumbs up and people want to talk about my navigator cause it makes people envoyous.
Great, well written article. There is a slim chance of me, at age 18, getting a ’64 convertible as first car. If it all works out, I will probably give this car to my grandchildren. Fingers crossed.
Nearly everything about the 1961-1969 Continentals was top drawer. The ad copy spoke so quietly, so softly, as did the product brochures.
The 1961-1963 Continentals were the subtlest, the finest, the cars closest to Elwood Engels’ original design. This was a rare car, a car of quiet self-assurance that had no need of flash. It was—and is—the car that knows itself. And it shall always be so, because the Continental is so close to the truth.
One of the best Auto articles ever written, well presented, incredible graphics. as immediately classic relative to Auto writing, as the Car being written about. Bravo and Thank You.
Just found the best article ever on the early Conti. Talk about detailed. How did I miss this the first time? I would have never realized the 64-65 changed to flat glass and extended the cabin size without reading this. And the childhood obsession many of us have had with these cars is quite amazing. Since Dad had a 67 2 door, silver with black vinyl top model, that’s probably why I like the slimmer 66-68 version the best. Paul must have been going for the Pulitzer prize with this one! Am I the only one who also used to grab the National Geographic magazine of these years just to check out the Lincoln ad’s that frequently appeared? After this post, I’m going to re-read this article. Good luck topping this one, Paul, although I’m sure you can.
The 430ci two barrel MEL engine is here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/lincolns-two-barrel-carb-mel-430-engine-taming-the-thirsty-beast/
Recently I had the pleasure of riding in a friend’s fully restored 1964 Continental convertible (baby blue, white leather, nicknamed “Mrs. Kennedy”) and the experience–like this article–was absolutely sublime.
Great article, Paul. Your automotive histories are always interesting reads, and this one was no exception.
Today, Ford ought to seriously think about wiping the slate clean and making a new start with Lincoln again. The vehicles in the current lineup are all too much like their Ford brand siblings, only with marginally nicer interiors—not exactly the stuff of exclusivity and presence.
The Continental concept that appeared at the 2015 New York auto show looks promising but, in my opinion, it should be based on either a lengthened version of the RWD Mustang platform or the RWD Australian Ford Falcon platform. In the luxury car market, front wheel drive isn’t perceived as exclusive (although, for some reason, Audi is an exception to this).
Indeed the Continental concept and it’s subsequent spy foto of the production one, seems to show that Ford finally gets it, it’s 99.9% there. Be interesting to see what the final production one looks like. And I agree they shoulda leveraged the cost of the S550 mustang platform onto this (that’s that .1% they didn’t get) And looks much better than the ucoming Caddy CT6.
Curious. The interchangebility study for the 4d MkII uses the same front doors as the 2d, but they would have been disproportionately long and don’t match the study (even though it’s not to scale).
Superb piece Paul
Quite interesting this. Massive fan of Continentals, prefer the Mark III. Particularly like the pic of preposterous white car which looks a bit like a Stutz
I had a dark green ’65 (w/ soft black cloth seat upholstery—-infinitely better than the oh-too-typical, lousy velour we’re tortured with these days), when I was in my early 20s. It was a great car, with lots of pure quality. Lincolns from the 1960s are very expensive to maintain, however—-far more than a similar-vintage Cad or Imp. Finally, their V-8s were so heavy that such cars under-steered.. a LOT!
With the bungalow in the background, it could really be 1965! Lots of memories, that Lincoln.. And well proportioned compared to modern equivalents.
One of the most stately cars of the 1960s. The other day I was enjoying this photo of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s visit to Ottawa for Canada’s 100th anniversary in 1967.
Still a great article, years later.
The 2017 Conti might not hold a candle to this one, but I’ll admit that a week ago or so one passed me when I was walking downtown and it caught my eye- “what is THAT?” I also got a ride in one a month ago or so (as a livery car) and the interior was amazing- easily rivaled an E-class in materials and design. I really do think Lincoln is back on the right path.
I do hope that Lincoln is on the right path, but I wish their ads today were more upscale, like the ones seen above. That guy in their recent ads just doesn’t cut it. Does he own a razor? Does he own a tie? And why is he always alone? Not a very upscale image for a luxury car.
You must not watch many movies! Their current spokesman is Matthew McConaughey, a rather well-known actor. He’s a bit of a quirky guy, and the ads are somewhat idiosyncratic themselves, but they’ve got a consistent look and feel.
And the new Continental? Also an impressive effort, at least to my eye. Clean, distinctive, powerful (the base engine makes 305 HP and the top option 400), and very nicely detailed. The door handles being integrated into the chrome molding at the base of the windows is one of my favorite little details that one might not notice at first. And while I haven’t had the good fortune to ride in one, the interior *looks* phenomenal. And you can get it in blue. Not just the seats, but pretty much the whole interior. Welcome back, color…
I spent a good chunk of the afternoon oozing around town in the new Continental. Even in base “Premiere” trim, it’s a fine car. Very comfortable, plenty of power and really turned heads.
The recent Continental, while way better than the ones since the 19670’s, didn’t do that well and is now over. The unique door handles integrated into the chromey strip at the beltline were cool for now, but nothing new. Sedans were dwindling but it was still another example of Lincoln once again not displaying the design nerve it did back in 1961. Or even the rebodied ’66.
Here’s an earlier example, from 1951. Since Packard continued the same basic body to the bitter end of real ones in 1955, they are all like this.
Ugh, what happened to “Edit”? S/B 1970’s, obviously.
I knew this article was a revisit…
Carmine was still posting here. Lol
One other thing that made the 1961-65 Lincoln Continental exclusive…
No corporate twin!
Superb article. And the car is one of the best-looking American behemoths of all time. They really wrecked the whole thing in 1970 by adding like a foot of extra front overhang.
The 1961 wasn’t a behemoth among cars at the time. A Ford was longer. Compared to the last Crown Vic it was almost exactly the same length, over an inch wider, and over three inches lower.
Weighed a lot more though.
If ever a car had the million dollar look – the 1961-65 Lincoln Continentals had it.
I have two 1961s and wish I had more!
This photo really shows off the stunning styling.
My two 1961s are both sultana white with blue interior – one sedan and one convertible.
I should have used a Dean Martin song in the background, but oh well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyywJOzxorw&t=1s
My convertible is close to identical to the one in the brochure.
photo from brochure
Which is photo from a brochure?
For some reason it did not attach.
I will try again! I made it smaller.
Still smaller…
OK, maybe it was not a jpeg
After this, I give up.
While they didn’t have today’s performance and safety technology, back in the day, even cars like the Falcon and Valiant were solidly built. But by 1970, the plastic revolution was well underway. With all their advances, today’s cars, like so many other consumer items, are products of regulators and bean-counters…. designed to be disposable.
The ’61 Lincoln is so gorgeous, but it’s also sad reminder of how far we’ve fallen.
Happy Motoring, Mark
Well gosh, it is really unfortunate that the dash and door are completely apart in the ’65. 1965, IMO, had the best looking interior and especially the dash. I had a ’66 a ’68 and a ’77 Coupe’, then went into the ’80s. Sad for the wrong reasons, I never was able to get the one I wanted. My favorite is the ’65 followed by the ’61. 1961 sure favored the Thunderbird, but that is another story. I also have s soft spot for the ’59 Mark and the ’69.
Thank you for posting this. – Mike
It’s interesting that this post popped up today, after I’d been watching a review of the new for ’18 Navigator Black Label. I have experience with a ’63 and ’66 Lincolns and I feel that the interiors were of good design and high quality compared against the Cadillac. Recently Lincoln has really stepped up their game when it comes to their interiors. The ’18 and newer Nav, and new Aviator have very high quality, high style, interiors that have no traces of Broughammy excesses. Just solid quality, good taste, and unlimited conveniences. The smaller Lincolns have been pretty nice, but pale in comparison to the new flagships.
I have an ’05 Navigator, which I consider a classic model, it combines the upgraded interior of the ’02 model with a much simpler and cleaner exterior design. The interior is just as good as the ’63 that I knew.
The new Navigator and Aviator have an even higher level of quality and design. I don’t know if the new Lincoln Nav has an aluminum body like the F150, but the price escalation has been breathtaking. My top level trim Nav was priced in the high 50,000s, when new, the new top level Black Label is priced at over 100,000 dollars. That’s quite an increase! Though the Black Label cars are better trimmed and equipped than my ’05.
I think that Lincoln is taking the right track for their marque, a true luxury interior makes their vehicles highly attractive. My dream car is a new Aviator, though that is still out of reach. I’ve just got to give it a few more years. I would also consider a nice low mileage Continental, this design has started to grow on me over time. They will never be as iconic as the ’61-’65s but they will certainly be more attainable.
“Has there ever been such a paradigm shift in automotive taste, and one that happened so abruptly?”
For cars I can only think of the shift to pontoon style fenders, but that was rather gradual.
There was an equivalent in the bike world, however – the Suzuki Katana. Designed by the Brit Jan Fellstrom at Target Design in Germany, it instantly made everything on the market seem dated and revolutionized bike design.
“Has there ever been such a paradigm shift in automotive taste, and one that happened so abruptly?”
The Katana is an excellent choice.
The Triumph Speed-Twin is another from a much earlier era. Suddenly all the single-cylinder British motorcycles were out-of-date and out-of-fashion. It’s a wonder that Velocette, the Norton Manx, the BSA Gold Star, the Panther 100, held on so long, but their death was foretold in 1938. The Honda 750 likewise performed a similar role in 1969.
Another that comes to mind is the Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit in 1974. That looked like the future, even if it was a future various folks didn’t want. Suddenly straight lines were in, hips were out, and the future looked to be all front-wheel-drive 2-box hatchbacks.
Agree on the Golf – Giugiaro’s “origami” style was hugely influential and changed the look of ’70s car design. It still looks fresh and agile today.
I hope one day someone comes across a Lehmann Peterson Lincoln.
Pablo Picasso was a true car connoisseur,his last personal car,a white 1963 Lincoln Continental is still owned by his family, in 2018 Artist Sylvie Fleury presented “the last Picasso car @Grand Basel in Switzerland, “I was thrilled by the chance to present Pablo Picasso’s last personal car in my frame, she said
My car a 1966 Lincoln Continental with 13,000 miles, it won’t be for sale any time soon
Jackie certainly had style and taste in just about all things.
Cadillac’s first “formal” (non-flattop) four-window sedan of the 1960s was the 1961 Fleetwood.
>> It didn’t take long for the Conti’s influence to be felt; by 1962, Cadillac offered a formal four-window roof as an alternative to their traditional six-window sedan.
How traditional 3-box proportions have evolved over the decades. Would 35 ride in a MKZ?….