1967 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL CONVERTIBLE

The story of Lincoln, the rival to GM’s Cadillac made by Ford, one of the American “Big Three”, started in 1919 when Henry Martyn Leland set up Lincoln Motor Company. Aiming to manufacture Liberty plane engines after the World War I and to manufacture a very good automobile, Leland completed the first automobile on September 14, 1920. It was named after Abraham Lincoln, of whom he was a great fan.

The 1961 Continental featured suicide rear doors, and was produced in Sedan and Convertible body, designed by Elwood Engel from Continental. A 1961 special ceremonial vehicle codenamed SS-100-X was carrying the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, when he was assassinated. This sad incident influenced the classic story of the 4-door Convertible Continentals. SS-100-X was restored after the incident, with the grille from the 1962 model replaced, and was used by the White House for many years. Currently it is preserved in the Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

One of the Convertibles designed in the 1966-1969 period, this 1967 Continental in our Museum is one of the final 4-door Convertibles. Featuring the uni-body, which had been in use since 1958, this Continental has front-end styling inspired by the pre-war Cord 810, which had been designed by Arnott (Buzz) Grisinger. With its 461.7 cu.in. 340 bhp V8 engine, it can easily reach 124 mph, despite its glamorous looks. 2,276 numbers of the 1967 Convertible Continental were built.

The price for the most luxurious automobile of the year was 6,449 Dollars.