ABOVE: Ken Madden’s prized 1997 Lincoln Town Car frolicking in a field of fresh flora.
By Ken Madden
Originally published in the March-April 2025 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 383)
Photos courtesy of the author.
Let me tell you what brought me to Lincolns. Lincoln builds cars for the affluent and successful members of our great country. These are people who have worked all their lives, building estates worthy of leaving a legacy for the children to enjoy for generations. A Lincoln was, and still is, a big part of that.
On the other side of the tracks was me, in 1995. I was broke and soon to be a dad. Unmarried and working at Wizard Custom Studios in Andover, Minnesota. We restored cars and built very cool custom cars as well as motorcycles. At the time, I was driving a 1968 Ford Ranchero GT with a four-speed and a 302! It sounds awesome, but this was the epitome of a beater.
So, I had no money and needed a better and safer way to haul around my newborn daughter. Alas, a friend of the shop had a car for me- a 1982 Lincoln Town Car. It was brown with a tan velour interior and was rusty, but it ran and drove perfectly…almost.
I was in New Hope, Minnesota, and the car was in Ripon, Wisconsin, about five hours away. Here is the “almost” part. The exhaust was gone from the driver’s seat back. Let’s just say it was a rather loud ride back, but for $350, I was not complaining! I drove that poor old girl for many years, and all I ever needed to fix were rust-related things like all the brake lines.
Sometimes, you look back on the things you did in your youth and wonder how you survived. Consider the gas lines on a car exposed to many salty upper Midwest winters. It was -15 degrees F, and I needed to replace the high-pressure line from the tank, along the frame to the engine, in the driveway. So I found a bunch of cardboard, placed it around the bottom of the car to stop the wind, pointed a kerosene torpedo heater under the car, and went to work. How that didn’t explode is truly an act of the almighty God!
All that said, what a great car! I was hooked. In 1997, my father retired and bought a brand-new black Town Car. I instantly told him that if he ever wanted to sell it, I would get first dibs, knowing full well that he would have it for many years. That was good, because I had no way to buy that car for years.
In 2015, he called and asked if I still wanted “that old Lincoln,” as he had bought a newer 2007 Town Car that caught his eye one day. Of course, I jumped at the chance. He gave me the car with the caveat that he would get half of the proceeds if I sold it. He knew I would never sell it. Over the years, we drove the 1997 Town Car from Wisconsin to Arizona, where my folks live many times. He passed away in October 2022, knowing his prized car was in good hands.
Dad’s Town Car is how the LCOC found me. I attended a couple of our shows over the years, and finally, in 2023, I joined up! To be honest, I didn’t think the Club would be as accepting as they all are! I mean, this ’97 isn’t a 1956 Continental Mark II or a 12-cylinder Continental. It’s just a ’90s Lincoln. Heck, they made a ton of these! But there I was, and the Club has been so welcoming, treating me like they have known me for decades.
I wanted to give back somehow. I helped at shows and co-admined the Northstar Region’s Facebook page gladly, but wanted to do more.
I am, first and foremost, an artist. I have an unrelenting passion for cars, so automotive art is my focus. I have done hundreds of portraits of some great cars of all makes and models. If you read this far and are interested, take a look at my website, maddkstudio.com. What you will see is 40 years of practice and love for the craft of illustration. Then it hit me- I can do an original painting of the “Best of Show” winner at our annual Northstar Region show in Hugo, Minnesota!
This past year’s winner was a spectacular 1948 Continental. What a car! So, I created a 16″ x 20″ acrylic painting on stretched canvas. And I felt like I at least made one man’s day with something very special, more than a nice trophy and handshake. This is something that tells a story. A painting spurs conversation and evokes memories of great and not-so-great times. It tells the story of a life just from an image.
I write this to tell everyone who reads this that so often, a car club is just a car club. I’ve been in dozens of them over the years. When you find a club like the LCOC, where fascinating folks with similar interests and hobbies meet, you also find a community that stands the test of time.
Speaking of time, I want YOU to take the time to talk to the younger Lincoln enthusiasts and encourage them to join our merry band of highway cruising, luxury riding, freedom machines. I am relatively new to the LCOC, and finding a home in the car world is priceless, so let’s spread the word!
INSET ABOVE: The artist’s 1997 Town Car on canvas.The author created this stunning painting of the “Best of Show” winner at the Northstar Region’s show in Hugo, Minnesota.
ABOVE: The author’s ‘97 Town Car in repose.
Ken Madden is an LCOC member from Baldwin, Wisconsin.