Tom McCahill Tests the 1957 Lincoln

Tom McCahill Tests the 1957 Lincoln

by Tom McCahill

Published in the March/April 2003 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 251).
Reprinted from Mechanix Illustrated, February 1957

Back in 1953, Lincoln swapped its stovepipe hat for a beanie and gobbled up all comers in the 1,900-mile Pan-American road race. The next year they did it again, as hundreds of little Mexican boys screamed out to the rest of the competition, “They went that-a-way, senor!”

One thing about the Ford organization (which includes the Continental, Lincoln, Mercury, Ford and next year the Edsel) is that these boys are not set in their ways. With their Mexican successes behind them—successes which were accomplished because their cars were not only fast, but roadable and the finest-handling automobiles ever produced in this country— Lincoln switched character. Like the guy who reaches for his carpet slippers after he’s won the girl, or the gladiator who sheaths his broadsword after successfully pigsticking the dragon, Lincoln took off its competition coveralls, slipped into white-tie-and tails, and emerged as a conservative, distinguished gentleman with discreetly concealed muscles. The only holdover from the hell-for-leather “Mexican” Lincolns was the car’s outstanding roadability and handling prowess.

If a big car has ever been built that can out-handle the Lincoln, then I’ve never had the pleasure of driving it. This, plus terrific brakes, makes Lincoln as safe a car as has been built to date.

Performance-wise—meaning top speed and acceleration—Lincoln no longer is making a serious attempt to be the Whiz Kid of the drag strips or the speed trials. Like a retired Derby winner, Lincoln now rests on its laurels. Size went up, engine capacity was increased, and the old champ acquired a smooth but horsepower-robbing new transmission. In 1956, Lincoln was a close contender for the finest-looking automobile ever produced in the land of Soapy Williams and Walter Ruther.  The cars were still fast, but had acquired an Ivy League look that made at least one of their competitors resemble the Limehouse Button King. With the addition of Ed Sullivan’s stumping, Lincoln enjoyed the best sales year in its history.

Superb roadability plus terrific brakes make this new 300 hp. white-tie-and-tails job “as safe a car as has been built to date,” according to Uncle Tom.

There are many types of buyers of cars in the Lincoln class, and they include the successful man who has made his pile and suddenly realizes he has forgotten to have fun along the way. Lincoln made its main pitch in ‘56 to this well-regulated character of taste who wanted superb and enjoyable transportation in a conservative package, a car that didn’t have to go in for hand-tooled saddlery and a garland of silver dollar decorations that shouted “money” in a loud voice.

From a performance standpoint, give or take a wheel turn or two, there has been no increase in over-the-ground rapidity from the ‘56 jobs. Zero to 60 still takes 12 seconds. When correctly tuned, these big Lincolns will just edge the 110-mph. mark. They do, though, have a way of slamming into a corner or whipping through a bend with all the steadiness of a bowling ball transversing a laundry chute at speeds that would dump some of the competition head over teakettles.

When I tested the ‘57 Lincoln it was under rather odd circumstances. I had been hired by the General Tire Company to rip  their new Dual 90 tires apart (if I could—and I could not.) The car selected for this test, by me, was the big Lincoln Premiere. Though my main job during my first runs with the ‘57 Lincoln was to test these tires, I also had quite an interest in saving my fat neck, which was one of my reasons for choosing the car I did. I’m happy to say I didn’t goof. One series of brake and tire tests called for standing on the brakes as hard as I could and bringing the car to a full stop from speeds up to 105 mph. This was on rough concrete. These tests were so severe that the brakes burst into flames, but the Lincoln brakes grooved a straight line down the roadway like a bullet from a tournament rifle, and literally stopped the car in its tracks. It doesn’t take a wagonload of imagination to figure the stress such a test creates, not only on brakes, but on the frame, wheels and every component part. I made nine of these stops, and then went to the highspeed turning area. Here, in a 360 degree turn, less than 120 yards in diameter, I kept this Lincoln going at rollover speeds for more than 40 miles, trying to rip the tires off. (Although I was being paid to test tires, this 1957 Lincoln was getting a helluva test, too.)

Frankly, in a lot of cars I know, I wouldn’t have had the guts to try the tire test I made with the Lincoln. Afterward, I made wetted-hill stopping tests on grades of more than 30 per cent with the car running at a good head of steam. On the  road race circuit (or road-handing course, as they sometimes call it), I gave the Lincoln everything it had. As to handling in safety, there’s very little more I can say, but that for these professional tests of tires I selected Lincoln to pull me through.

Style-wise, the ‘57 Lincoln has been sharpened up considerably over ‘56. The car is two inches longer and now boasts four headlights which give it the appearance from head-on of Paul Bunyon and his brother challenging you with over-and-under shotguns. The rear fins have been flared out and tail lights now remind you of a fire in a Gothic chapel. The long, uninterrupted hoodline could easily serve as a picnic table for the Notre Dame football squad, and the four-pronged star from the ‘56 Continental has been respoked and now appears not only on the hubs but the tail, front fenders and hood. The rear fender line, which starts just aft of amidships, produces a lowering illusion, as do the flattened-out front fenders. Anyway you slice it, this car is not quite as conservative in appearance as it was in ‘56, but the added garnishes do not detract from the overall dignity any more than a good custom-made striped shirt detracts from an expensive blue suit.

As Ford’s Engineering Division can rustle up more men on it s proving grounds on 20 minutes notice than Nassaer could produce last November for the Canal Aquatic Sports, I wasn’t too surprised to find out that some of these boys had their heads under the hood during the long summer months. The ‘57 Lincoln sports a new Carter carburetor, which is smooth but unexciting, and some other goodies which are too frivolous to note. For my little bag of dough, this is a great automobile, conservative on the performance side, but capable of becoming a wildcat with the addition of a few such things as a hot cam and a transmission that is less of a calorie-consumer. While doing this piece, I had to pinch myself into realizing that Lincoln, once the hottest road car in America just a calendar page or two ago, is reaping a bigger, heavier harvest now by appealing to the man who would rather hear the sound, substantial thud of a Chase Manhattan Bank vault door than the strains of You Ain’t Nuthin’ But a Houn’ Dog.

Lincoln’s 2002 Concept Continental

Lincoln’s 2002 Concept Continental

by Charles Barnette
photos by Rusty Thompson

Originally published in the March/April 2002 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 245).

“Appearing at the 2002 International Auto Show in January in Detroit was the Lincoln Continental Concept. The car had also appeared at the 2002 Los Angeles Auto Show where it was introduced for the first time. It is a formal design intended for use as an executive car. To see the return of the so called “suicide doors” from the ‘60s was uplifting. It is good to see Continental embrace the design features from Lincoln’s past. Of course, Lincoln prefers to call these four doors “center opening” doors.

The car is a fantastic vision of the future Lincoln. The wheels are 22-inch polished aluminum. A Lincoln star badge divides the large LED lamps. The cabin of the car is centered within the wheelbase. The concept vehicle is powered by a 6.0 liter V-12 engine. The four round headlamps use an innovative remote light generator technology where a single source transfers light through fiber optics to each lamp.

Inside the car, the seats are covered in reach aniline-dyed leather. Rear built-in laptop tables stow in the console. The console houses controls for the window lifts, power door openers, the display screens, and other functions. The instrument panel is built around reconfigurable screens that display vehicle systems, including the concierge services, navigation, telematics, and the THX-certified audio system.

Unique to this car is the decklid that traces a parallelogram as it opens to maintain its horizontal orientation. A large luggage tray slides out to present luggage and golf club cases. We cannot finish describing this car without mentioning the cigar humidor and umbrella holder built into the interior of each rear door. And, oh yes, a drinks cabinet dispenses water and other beverages with the cabinet being fitted between the rear seats.

The vehicle is 214 inches in length, 76.7 inches in width, and is 59 inches in height. It is a beautiful car worthy to be called a Lincoln Continental. The Lincoln designers never cease to amaze and delight Lincoln lovers.”

Ford Product Development Center (PDC) Truck and Car Show

Ford Product Development Center (PDC) Truck and Car Show

The staff of the annual Ford Product Development Center (PDC) Truck and Car Show is pleased to announce its addition to the calendar of official events celebrating the Company’s 100th Anniversary of Lincoln!  The Lincoln Anniversary Team would like to invite all Lincoln owners to this exciting show, the only Company-sponsored, internal event of its kind.  The PDC Show is unique in that it emphasizes the product development aspect of the participant vehicles and includes a wide variety of models of many makes and types.  Company staff and management from all areas of product development attend to learn, and draw inspiration from, the heritage, features, and lessons associated with the field of vehicles on display.

The grounds in Dearborn cover nearly a half mile of Rotunda Drive along the PDC Staff Buildings’ lawn frontage.  All Lincolns – as all vehicle classes in the event – will be parked in a single area (includes Lincoln entries normally distributed between Pre-War Cars, Post-War Non-Ford FoMoCo-Branded Cars, and Trucks).  The PDC Show is comprised of vehicles owned by collectors and museums from throughout the United States and Canada (and occasionally from other countries, as well).

We are extending the invitation for Lincoln owners until May 31, 2022.  Details below:

When:  Friday, July 15, 2022 
Where: Product Development Center, 20000 Rotunda Drive (for GPS purposes), Dearborn, Michigan 

Schedule

Feature Cars (To Be Identified) Setup at 5:00am to 6:30am

–      General Arrivals from 6:30am to 8:30am (sharp)

–      Executive Tour at 11:30am (approximately)

–      Participant Raffle at 12:30pm (approximately)

–      Lockdown ends 1:15pm (approximately)

–      Most vehicles leave by 3:30pm (estimate) 

Amenitie

–          Complementary calendar of each vehicle in isolation (via photo station; photos taken by WHQ Archive photographers)

–          Pre-printed owner card

–          Dash plaque

–          Automatic entry in participant raffle (one chance per each participating vehicle)

–          Lunch for low purchase price

–          Trailer parking

–          On-site clean portable toilets and washing stations

–          On-site security

–          Separate dedicated lane on Rotunda Drive for entry to the show grounds

–          Others to be announced 

Vehicle requirement

–          Complete vehicles in presentable to concours condition to fulfill the primary goal of education and inspiration

–          Representative historical example of the model

–          Preferably in factory appearance, though not mandatory

–          Owners can nominate and, upon confirmation, participate with multiple vehicles 

Instructions for registration:

–          Simply send the following information, along with any questions, via email (DGLICKM1@FORD.COM) for each desired entry: 

o   Name

o   Mailing Address (kept confidentially)

o   Phone (kept confidentially)

o   Year

o   Make

o   Model

o   Any significant fact or equipment (optional)

o   One front picture minimum reflecting current appearance of vehicle 

–          Show staff will send confirmation within a week of receipt

–          Owner replies to complete the confirmation process

Thank you in advance for your interest in joining Ford Motor Company’s 100th Anniversary of Lincoln celebration at PDC Dearborn!

A Matter of Distinction: Custom Body Lincolns of the ’20s and ’30s

A Matter of Distinction: Custom Body Lincolns of the ’20s and ’30s

by Jim Raymond

Originally published in the March/April 2002 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 245).

Lincoln’s Custom bodies were build in lots of 25-100.  All Lincoln custom bodies were of higher quality than many of its competitors, such as Packard.  Lincoln utilized the work of America’s finest custom body builders of the day.

Individual. Unique. Distinctive. These terms are ones which many auto owners wish to have applied to their cars. Even in our modem age, aftermarket wheels, gold trim packages, “carriage” or “coach” roofs (supplied by individual trim shops) are not unusual to be found on late model vehicles. But this is not a recent phenomenon. It has existed almost since the beginning of horseless personal transportation.

Prior to WWI, many purchasers of luxury cars were not content with merely having a “standard” model offered by a luxury car maker. Yet it was not an easy, convenient matter to obtain a car that was “individual”, “unique”, or “distinctive”. The first step in the process was to obtain a chassis from the manufacturer (Cadillac, Packard, Pierce, etc.) of one’s choice. This chassis would include the frame, suspension, drivetrain, wheels and tires, and probably the fenders, hood, and running boards. If the modifications desired were not great, the customer might go ahead and purchase an entire car, as one does today. Next, the customer would have this chassis delivered to the custom body manufacturer. A visit to the custom shop ensued, to discuss the details of the final product. This would include decisions about color (and color schemes), type and pattern of upholstery, amount and type of wood trim in the interior, type of carpet, and shape of the body. Often, the shop would make most of the suggestions about these choices, as they were ordinarily more adept at artistic expression than the average car owner. More than likely, additional visits to the shop were necessary as construction progressed (much like having a house built). While there were numerous custom body manufacturers, there was not one on every corner (certainly not a good one) and each visit could entail an out-of-town trip.

1935 Lincoln K LeBaron Convertible Sedan

As noted previously, other combinations may have been the case. Some customers may have had the custom shop produce the fenders and hood also. Or, they might deliver to the shop a completed “factory” car, and have only minor modifications made. Regardless of which combination was involved, the car would properly be referred to as a “one-off’ custom. No other car would look like this one. But the process of acquiring a custom car would be radically simplified shortly after WWI by our beloved Edsel Ford.

Henry Leland produced his first Lincoln for the 1921 model year. In 1922, Ford purchased Lincoln from Leland and Edsel was made the president. Leland had recognized that his initial cars looked rather stodgy, and before selling to Ford, had begun soliciting the assistance of stylists from some of the custom body firms for suggestions on how to improve the appearance of his cars. Edsel continued this practice.

Edsel however, realized that the acquisition of a custom body car should be easier/less expensive for the customer. Edsel didn’t create the idea of catalog customs, as they had existed previously on a small scale with some other manufacturers. Rather, he chose to be an innovator of them. Edsel approached many of the well known custom body manufacturers and requested proposals for designs that would be made in lots of 25, 50, 100, or similar amounts. Designs approved by Edsel would then be displayed in the Lincoln brochure or “catalog”. (Thus the name “catalog custom”. “Series custom” is also used, as these lots of 25-100 constituted a “series” of cars. Either term distinguishes it from a “one-off’ custom.) All a customer had to do was go to the Lincoln showroom, point to which of the series custom cars in the catalog he wanted, select a color and upholstery, and place an order. While this car would not be quite as exclusive as a one-off custom it would greatly simplify the process of obtaining a car that was not like the standard factory edition. And as there were never very many made in any one year of a particular series, the odds of pulling up next to someone with a car just like yours were still extremely low. As well, since one-off customs were literally “one of a kind”, as they were quite expensive to produce. One might well have to pay $12,000 to $15,000 for such an article. In contrast, series customs could be had for as little as $5,000. By 1925 the Lincoln catalog custom program was in full swing.

Understand, there were not simply 25 of the 100 series custom Lincolns available in any given year. Rather, there would be approximately that number of customs for each of several different body styles. Some body styles might be produced by a couple of different manufacturers in a given year. For example, in 1932 both Judkins and Dietrich made coupes for Lincoln. But this duplication was rare. And as it were, each would look different from another, such that a buyer of a Judkins coupe did not have to worry about his car looking like his neighbor’s Dietrich.

A particular custom company would likely make more than one style car for Lincoln in a given year. Brunn made cabriolets, convertible victorias, and broughams in each year in the late ‘30s.

Most custom shops specialized in certain body styles. Locke normally made open cars. Willoughby focused on formal, closed types.

So what then, was a “factory” body car? It was one which was manufactured either by a volume producer of auto bodies, or in the Lincoln factory itself. From the mid 20s through 1934 the vast majority of Lincoln’s “factory” body cars were produced by Murray, a company that normally made bodies in large volume (i.e.- thousands a year for “normal” cars). From 1935-on Lincoln made the “factory” cars “in-house” . These factory cars were typically designed by Lincoln itself. And though not manufactured by a custom company they were nonetheless built to Lincoln’s (Edsel’s) high standards. As high, as it were, as those of a custom body manufacturer.

Some series custom cars were, in fact, only designed by the custom firm; the body actually being produced by the “factory” source. This was true for the 1931 LeBaron roadster, for example.

Was there a difference in quality between a factory body Lincoln and a custom? Richard Hopeman, the president of the Lincoln Owners Club, and Thomas Bonsall, the noted Lincoln historian, have both observed it is very doubtftul Edsel Ford would have allowed anything out of the factory that was not of the highest quality. In reading done by the author about Edsel, this is very easy to believe.) As will be noted in the quote below, in some cases, Edsel required of the custom shop a quality that was higher than they would otherwise have produced. A standard which was certainly equal to what he would have applied to the “factory” cars.

In a letter to the author dated July 12, 2001, Richard Burns Carson, author of Olympian Cars, made the following statements about the difference in factory and custom Lincolns:

“I think you are on to an important insight about the quality level of all classic era Lincoln bodies, production and  catalogued custom alike. Lincoln’s construction solidity standards were routinely the highest and most exacting within its field, and Edsel Ford had no qualms about applying such standards to custom coachbuilders’ catalogue submittals. Thus, a 1932 Lincoln Style #KB-241 Dietrich Convertible Sedan actually wears a more solidly constructed body than a Dietrich Packard of the same era and body type; Ray Dietrich admitted as much to me on several occasions.”

“Can we agree that constructive quality and ‘finish’ achieved their highest sustained levels on classic 1920-39 Lincolns, regardless of body origins? And if so, then where might we find a quality differential between ‘production’ cars and catalogued customs? I submit ‘distinction’ to be the key word here; Lincoln’s many series custom buyers received more ‘distinctive’, personally tailored automobiles, and this observation is not limited to their configurative and overall contour aspects.”

“For example, you are right in supposing the ‘production’ cars embraced the finest available grade of cloth upholstering fabrics as did the customs, however in terms of varieties and combination effects the results couldn’t have been more divergent. Single or duotone Bedford Cords; shorn weave stripped broadcloths; ‘distressed’ leather; leather and cloth combination schemes; radical two-toned rear compartments-none of these appeared on the ‘production’ cars.”

1937 Two-window Berline by Judkins

 

“Woodwork trim follows the same general lines. Lincoln’s standard wood trim was perennially well executed from quality stock (unlike Packard, they never stooped to ‘wood decal applique’ on pressed metal!), and yet the effect remains quite tame alongside some of the custom jobs. And just as Judkins was the most adventurously fluent concerning special upholstering schemes, Willoughby & Co. were the pre-eminent craftsmen of trim wood within America’s custom coachbuilding industry. They did it entirely inhouse in Utica, rather than buying from Linden and Hayden as others did.”

So how much more did this extra distinction cost? In the first box below are comparisons of the prices for selected Lincolns:

In almost all cases, it required more money to purchase a custom than a factory body. Some of the above body styles were, by nature, more costly to produce, and thus would be more expensive regardless of who made them. But simply, if one wanted a custom, it came at a higher price. And how well did the customs hold their value? From the November, 1935 Red Book Used Car Market Report, these card had the wholesale values shown in the second box [above].

The percentages make it appear the 1929 customs held their value. A ’29 Willoughby limo was worth 1.0% of its original cost and a ‘29 factory limo, 1.2%. But think of it this way: the buyer had to spend $900 more for a Willoughby but it was worth no more at trade-in time. And at almost three years of age the customs clearly did not hold their value. (Perhaps the cost striking aspect of these prices is how poorly luxury cars held their value back then. Even if one considers a 20% dealer markup, a ‘29 Willoughby limo would only have been $78 retail. To put this in perspective, imagine today (2002) being able to buy a 1995 Town Car, that cost $40,000 new, for a mere $500. Another feature of note: of the various body styles listed here, the one that had the best (or least unfavorable) depreciation was the factory 5-passenger sedan. Limousines and open cars were, for the vast majority of people, not practical for daily transportation. Thus they lost a greater percent of their original cost.)

And how has their value faired today? In the third box below and to the left are the values for the above cars from the 2001 Cars & Parts Price Guide, in #1 condition:

There appears to be a bit of an edge to the customs. But perhaps more revealing than anything else about the prices today, is the high value placed on open cars.

Edsel Ford had been a great sponsor of catalog custom cars and he retained a great passion for them all the way to the end of production of Lincoln’s super-luxury cars in 1939. As such, Lincoln offered far more custom models in a given year than all other luxury car makes, save Duesenberg. (That make did not produce any of its own bodies; all were done by custom firms.) In almost any year, fully two-thirds of the models Lincoln displayed in its catalogue were customs. And during the final three years of K production (1937-39), 17 of the 21 models offered each year were customs.

The effects of the Depression on custom builders were devastating. The demand for such cars was small by the mid-’30’s  and virtually non-existent by the end of that decade.

This then, was a custom body by Lincoln. Built to the highest quality standard, it embodied distinction and individuality, and offered the luxury car purchaser the opportunity for personal expression with a minimum of effort.

Alongside are the primary custom body manufacturers utilized by Lincoln from 1921-39. Listed are the location of the company, the years in which they made bodies for Lincoln, the number of series custom cars they produced for Lincoln, and the last year in which they were in business.

 

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