- Documented President John F. Kennedy parade car
- Only three owners from new
- Nicely restored with new interior and top in 2023
- Iconic Lincoln suicide doors
The Continental model became a mainstay at Lincoln with the original run lasting from 1939 to 1948. It disappeared from the lineup, only to make a grand return in 1956 as a standalone brand - placed at the pinnacle of the American market. The Continental Mark II was hand-built, featured revolutionary styling, and was priced at approximately $10,000, about the same as a comparable Rolls-Royce. Sales were slow and after only two model years, the plug was pulled on the Continental brand.
In 1958, Continental returned to the Lincoln umbrella and became known as the Mark III. The Mark III was a large, four-door luxury sedan or two-door convertible, built on the regular Lincoln line to keep costs in check. Styling was ornate, some might say heavy-handed, and a far cry from the elegant minimalist lines of past designs. For 1961, the Continental was redesigned again and the "Mark" series moniker was dropped - it was now simply known as the Lincoln Continental. Styled by Elwood Engel, the new car was a drastic departure from the Mark III. It was originally intended as a design proposal for the new Thunderbird but was wisely chosen by Bob McNamara to go to Lincoln and the design was tweaked to suit the brand's image. Gone was the frenetic style and excessive detail, and in its place was an elegant, low, slab-sided sedan or four-door convertible complete with rear "suicide" hinged doors.
Though still a fairly large car, the new Continental was a full 14-inches shorter than the outgoing car, and it carried its bulk much better than before. Crisp and elegant, the Continental became an icon of 1960s style and enjoyed a successful run from 1961 through 1969, with over 360,000 units sold in total. The unique four-door convertible body style was discontinued after the 1967 model year. In 1962, only 3,212 Continental convertibles were produced and less than half of those had air-conditioning.
This elegant 1962 Lincoln Continental has the historical distinction of carrying President John F. Kennedy during his trip in a parade celebrating the 'Niagara Frontier' in 1962. The White House presented a brass plaque to the car's owner in 1962 to commemorate the occasion, which was proudly mounted in the car where President Kennedy sat and is still mounted in the car today. Documentation includes photographs of President Kennedy sitting in this car and the aforementioned plaque. The car's original owner can be seen in the photograph. The car's second owner was actually the person who took the photograph, who then purchased the car from the original owner decades later and eventually sold it to the present owner.
A restoration commenced on this significant Lincoln about seven years ago and the owner states it has never had any rust or rust repairs and the 430-cubic-inch engine and automatic transmission were rebuilt about two and half years ago. During the restoration, all the electrical relays were rebuilt as well. In 2023, a new red leather interior and a new black convertible top were fitted. The result of all this careful restoration is a car that not only looks beautiful but drives exceptionally well. Everything works as it should on this Lincoln, including the power top, cold air-conditioning, power accessories and original radio with power antenna. No detail was overlooked, including the original undercoating applied at the dealership which was present on most Lincolns of this era. In 2024, a freshening of the paint transpired, and four new classic Bias Ply tires were fitted.
Handsomely finished in Ermine White with red leather, this gorgeous and historically significant 1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible would be a stellar addition to any stable and is ready to be driven with confidence.
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