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1965 Lincoln Continental – The Last Great American Luxury Car

120K views 98 replies 27 participants last post by  mervinwindsorwj1 
#1 ·
1965 Lincoln Continental – The Last Great American Luxury Car
Curbside Classic
by Paul Niedermeyer
April 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.



Much more at the link.

Can't wait to see what will Omega Cadillac bring to the table.
 
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#2 ·
One of my favorites...especially in convertible form. Truly a milestone. One of the few automobiles to be awarded by the Industrial Design Institute.
 
#3 ·
Why can't Lincoln make that car....those proportions....add in whatever steps necessary for safety regulations and just bring that design back...

What would be sooo difficult...?

Seems like it would be easy to style for contemporary times as far as cleaning up a few older styling aspects and build that car..

Seems to me to be a fast track to stardom (SP) for the brand...

Thanks for posting up such an american icon ....and corresponding photos..
 
#6 ·
That is a class-looking machine. A neighbor drove by a couple of days ago with his two-tone jobbie. It commands attention.
 
#8 ·
Could Lincoln utilize an aluminum intensive Navigator frame to create a modern body on frame Lincoln Continental?
 
#11 ·
these Continentals were originally unibody, 'case you didn't know (I didn't know until recently)
 
#10 ·
The last great American luxury car? No. But absolutely classy, distinctive, and timeless...from a time when Lincoln and Cadillac were both going at each other to be the producer of the world's best luxury cars and were without rivals except themselves
 
#18 ·
Would it perhaps be within reason to ask for a bit lower, and also for a wheel revision?

 
#20 ·
NAIAS a couple years ago had a convertible that was tastefully customized inside and out. Prolly some pictures of it somewhere...

And they'd prolly just use the FWD unibody platform they build everything with lol. While unibody technology is pretty much perfected these days I can't imagine that building a unibody 4 door convertible in the '60s yielded much structural rigid-y
 
#21 ·




Look up like "Modsteel Continental convertible." Original? No. But to me, perfectly customized. I wouldn't change a thing inside or out
 
#24 ·
The 60's Continental was a nice car.

Problem is, it won't work in 2013. In the early 1960's, Lincoln was effectively the only alternative to Cadillac in the US-market luxury game. Part of the reason why it worked so well in the early 60's, was that it represented a profound design-break from the overwrought and garish Cadillac designs of the time. So, if you didn't like Cadillac at the time, Lincoln was the only other available option. Now, we have 10+ credible luxury brands and mainstream brands pouring out product across the luxury board. Even a multi-billion dollar effort for a single vehicle wouldn't make a splash, due to all the existing noise in the market.

Another issue is the large sedan market is shrinking. People who in earlier times would have bought a large prestige sedan are diversifying their selection to SUVs, executive sports sedans (E63, M5, etc...), roadsters, and so on.

Final point to make, is that a car very similar to the original Continental is currently being sold today. So, for people "clamoring" for an updated Continental, just to your local Chrysler dealership and pick one up, if indeed you're willing to put your money where your mouth is.
 
#26 ·
So because there is more competition Lincoln shouldn't make a car like this that stands out? You're right they should just keep making cars that you can get at the Ford dealer for thousands cheaper, that will help them regain some respect to their name. :rolleyes: Do you even look at what you type? The 300 is not "very similar" either, that Continental is much more sinister and attention grabbing of a design.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I would consider the new continental as a very cool luxury vehicle that is decidedly American ...

There are many Americans who are buying the Cadillac XTS where your logic would dictate otherwise.

The new continental would crush the upcoming Cadillac ciel and would offer a vision of supremacy for the Lincoln brand.(at the very least compete well with)

Much like the original did many years ago.

Competition notwithstanding I believe it would be worth more than all the Abe Lincoln advertising at the super Bowl or otherwise.

Make a great product and the customer finds you...plus the brand gets a ton of FREE MAGAZINE COVERAGE..

JMO

(edit) Chinese market for LARGE LUXURY VEHICLES would make this vehicle doable....
 
#35 ·
There are many Americans who are buying the Cadillac XTS where your logic would dictate otherwise.
Well great... so why not offer an XTS-style vehicle (albeit longer, lower, and wider) around the same price range to appeal to all the Americans considering it?
 
#29 ·
That Lincoln did so relatively well in '61 and into the early '60s was not because of Cadillac designs, but because of '58-60 Lincoln designs that preceded it. --shudder--



Cadillac of the same year was quite restrained & classy :



Even excluding Cadillac's '61-62 models, (which IMO stepped outside Cadillac's established design 'zone', if you will), the designs were completely appropriate to the time and not 'garish'.
Lincoln hit on the '60s clean look a bit earlier that the rest, and I have no doubt was widely influential, but never translated to impressive sales numbers :

'60 : 13,734
'61 : 25,164
'62 : 31,061
'63 : 31,233
'64 : 36,297

To put those in context,
'60 Imperial : 17,719
'60 Cadillac : 142,184
'64 Imperial : 23,295
'64 Cadillac : 165,909

• • •
Doing a '61-inspired modern Lincoln is interesting, and it could certainly be quite unique in a sea of 'worn bars of soap' (Cadillac excepted here, obviously), but again, Lincoln needs to drive sales. It didn't do it in the early '60s, would things be different today?
 
#30 ·
Doing a '61-inspired modern Lincoln is interesting, and it could certainly be quite unique in a sea of 'worn bars of soap' (Cadillac excepted here, obviously), but again, Lincoln needs to drive sales. It didn't do it in the early '60s, would things be different today?
Even worse, to do a true modern version, it would be a quite bland bar of soap.

Another problem is that people simply do not remember (or choose not to remember) Lincoln's historical place in the market, and the types of cars it sold.
 
#31 ·
I own a 300C today, and I can emphatically assure you although it embodies certain qualities it is certainly no Lincoln Continental. But it would stand to reason that a car like the MKZ should appeal to those driving near luxury sedans as aspirational, and as a car to move up to but in many ways for me it would actually be a move down. I feel as if Mercedes, Cadillac, and Lexus now occupy the space that Lincoln once did, and they are able to balance traditional luxury cars with notable sports sedans.
 
#34 ·
Needs to be LWB for sure. I disagree that this kind of retro styling is restrictive. We have come to a point in time where designers are capable of great things, but it takes consideration. This would be a great day if Lincoln were to make this. I would probably consider it highly if I could get a high output motor. :)
 
#38 ·
Since this car doesn't exist you are correct. The design language is timeless and would truly bring Lincoln to the top of the luxury class.

A halo vehicle in the finest sense.

No guts...no glory for Lincoln.
 
#44 ·
excellent use of the "ribcage", Monaro!!
just wish Lincoln would make their badge look like a STAR again

&
umm...
any way to persuade you to post at FiN?
&
I've been dying to do a tweak (since you've done the hard part!) but have had puter problems...


MonaroSS said:
...Now imagine that Ford, GM and Fiat/Chrysler do a joint venture where GM builds in the one factory three variants of Omega; 1. Cadillac Fleetwood; 2. Lincoln Continental; 3. Chrysler New Yorker or Imperial. All with unique sheet metal and interiors and base engines.

The base engines for these will be TTV6 which all three have their own of. But they need an OHC V8, so a joint engine team could develop a 4.5 TTV8 version of the Ford V8. The GM V8 could still be used supercharged in a performance model.

And Fiat/Chrysler could provide a limited de-contented, long stroke version of a Ferrari engine for a 5.0 TTV12 that all three would use as their top engine...
utterly ... FASCINATING!!


what about Voltec from GM and a 'regular' hybrid from FLincMoCo
+ the Barra straight-6-turbo/EB and a blueprinted Hemi for a v8?
(doesn't Feerari make v8s too?)
 
#43 ·
I have a Vague memory as a Kid, of one of my Dad's sponsered fishing trips (the big wigs of the Company he worked for) Would come up to N.W.Onatrio to party and have a Good Time.

The Ice Fishing time would mean renting Every Available Snowmachine in town, and Dad going everynight for the next week, and towing the sleds off of the ice. Left where they got stuck or quit. The client would just jump on another sled and go.

I was in Grade 1 or 2. I was too young to drive the sleds off of the ice, but I could steer them while Dad towed them off of the ice. Or maybe it was His turn to Babysit me. Either way it was Excess of a Company.

Anyways, there was one lake, my Dad's friend had a cabin on. His Inlaws had a Tourist Camp on it as well. There was 40-50 miles of dirt road to get to it. The Company's Big Wigs, came for a Summer Fishing Trip, to that lake.

In a 4 door Convertible, Me thinking it was a Lincoln. I still remeber the top came off, The first Convertable I had ever rode in, and it had 4 doors. That would have been 1971-72, And a Rental, But I can still invision that red car.

The Company that my Dad worked for No Longer Exists, It went Broke. EATON'S A Canadian will be able to remeber it. Much like J C Penny. The Catalogue branch payed for all of this Fishing in the NorthLand. The Bean Counters said that Catologue isn"t making any money. So they closed it down.

Oh Man, you know what, I thought the Big Wigs were really cool at the time, but My parents were the actual Cool Ones.
 
#50 ·
Aston Martin's Duratec derived V12 is already utilized in the Rapide, and Rapide S. It would make an excellent flagship luxury sedan engine in almost every way if weight was kept in check. Chrysler is already ahead of the game, and they are positioning the Quattroporte as a luxury sedan in the vein of the S Klasse, and the Ghibli as the athletic sports sedan.
 
#51 ·
While Ford still owns a small piece of A-M, David Richards' consortium and the Italian private equity fund Investindustrial might not want the engine used in such a project. The other thing is that the A-M V12 does not (as everyone knows it’s 2x Ford V6) hold the cache that a Ferrari built V12 engine would. The thing about obtaining a Ferrari engine is that Fiat wants cash and would probably sell a 5% stake in Ferrari each to GM and Ford to make such a deal happen.

I will wait to see how the Quattroporte develops, but it needs more refinement in its drive train and suspension to move from sports sedan to extreme luxobarge...


;)
 
#59 ·
Ford has been playing with some pretty wild technoligy with Direct Injection, reverse flow (ie Exhaust in the Vee) and Turbo Charging.

Who is to say that they couldn't adapt DI to the 6.8L V10 they already have, or a W12 version of thier Eco Boost.

Buying an engine from Ferrari would be shooting thier foot. 20,000 km overhauls isn't what Lincoln is about.

A refined 6.8L Triton, or maybe a DI 5.0L Coyote, with low end grunt would make better sense.

Sorry people, and not to bring up the whole OHC/OHV debate again, but I believe Ford has the edge over GM for a High End Luxo Cruiser's Plant.
 
#60 ·
Ford has been playing with some pretty wild technoligy with Direct Injection, reverse flow (ie Exhaust in the Vee) and Turbo Charging.

Who is to say that they couldn't adapt DI to the 6.8L V10 they already have, or a W12 version of thier Eco Boost.

Buying an engine from Ferrari would be shooting thier foot. 20,000 km overhauls isn't what Lincoln is about.

A refined 6.8L Triton, or maybe a DI 5.0L Coyote, with low end grunt would make better sense.

Sorry people, and not to bring up the whole OHC/OHV debate again, but I believe Ford has the edge over GM for a High End Luxo Cruiser's Plant.
You do realize that GM preceded Ford in all of the aforementioned, and bolded areas?

GM also has a V12 that actually came to fruition in prototype form that they have access to as well.



With a shared platform each manufacturer can decide to move forward with an engine of its choice. Because the Quattroporte has now been positioned as a large more luxurious sedan, and the Ghibli can now take on the sports sedan role Fiatsler is already ahead of the game.
 
#65 ·
Let's not get crazy.......just slap an ecoboost 400hp v6 that they already make...turn up the boost and call it a day...

Need more power...use a forced induction v8....

The chassis could be a low volume iteration of the f150 for all any of us care...or a unit body ....whatever it takes.....( Hydroformed steel frame rails like the solstice or c5 corvette could work low volume first generation as well)

Just build this thing...it's a luxury statement at it's best..

Doesn't have to cost over 80 grand and it would do battle with the best the world has to offer.....

The continental is so cool...it never made a profit in it's original 1st generation form but it successfullyl launched lincoln
 
#66 ·
Regarding engines..does anyone now if Ford or GM has any engine in plans bigger than V8 (for sedans/sports car and similar... not for truck)?
I don't see Ford having v12 in plans since i don't think Ford will push Lincoln to go against luxury class cars such as Mercedes S, BMW 7.
But GM and Cadillac...rumors suggest they are going against luxury class cars like S class and BMW 7.
Mercedes S class has its 6.0 l V12 TT and will offer v12 in future..BMW also has v12 6.0 l. Will Cadillac put Omega against that class (so high) or will they go with other approach and maybe compete against less powerfull and "cheaper" s class etc. I know rumors were (from about 2 years ago) GM was thinking about engine bigger than V8 for their luxurie sedans..any news on that.
 
#68 ·
If the ecoboost could power an f150 I think it could power this luxury car.

I'd suggest a forced induction v8 could easily be available with 662 hp as well.

A turbo diesel option would be cool too.
 
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