ABOVE:  The Boano Coupe as illustrated on the cover of Auto Age, November 1955

Originally published in the January/February 1996 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 207).

For years, stories have circulated in the automotive community that some, and maybe most of the 1950’s concept cars long thought destroyed, still exist. Joe Bortz, who collects and features concept cars in his Chicago “Blue Suede Shoes” museum, has at least one Ford Motor Co. concept car from the ‘50s that was supposedly found deep in the Michigan woods many years after plant employees certified it as having been destroyed. Because the ‘50s concept cars usually weren’t road worthy, or if road worthy, not thoroughly tested, they were often destroyed at the end of their perceived useful life. This was common practice at Ford Motor Co. It was felt best to literally “eliminate” any potential liability problem. Even at Ford Motor Co., however, no consistent policy was followed. The 1955 Lincoln Futura survived to become TV’s Batmobile and the 1953 X 100 is to this day on display at the Henry Ford Museum.

According to a popular version of the story, employees unable to watch these beautiful machines cut up for scrap, spirited them out the back door in the middle of the night, and ever since then have kept them hidden in the woods, or more likely in private garages. As these employees have retired, or so the story goes, a few of these long hidden concept cars have come out of hiding. Until more of these “lost” concept cars either show up or with the passage of even more time, fail to appear, there is no real way of substantiating or debunking stories about other concept cars that are said to still exist but haven’t yet been documented. Based on the concept cars certified as destroyed, but confirmed to still exist, the least that can be said is that there is some truth to the stories.

One of the concept cars long thought destroyed is the 1955 Lincoln Boano Coupe, also called the Indianapolis Sports Coupe. The Boano Coupe is one of the most unusual looking Lincoln concept cars ever built. Although most concept cars contain styling features later found on production automobiles, it’s hard to see where any of the styling cues on the Boano Coupe ever made it into production. It certainly doesn’t look like any production Ford Motor Co. product ever built. Because the Boano Coupe was built in Italy at a time that the Ford Design Studio was also turning out a whole series of concept cars that accurately predicted styling on future Ford Motor Co. cars, it seems probable that the Lincoln Boano Coupe was intended to be a fancy, sporty type car for the boss and nothing more.

Most of Ford Motor Company’s records on the Boano Coupe were destroyed in the Ford Rotunda fire in 1962. Records that do exist claim that the Boano Coupe was destroyed in the late 1950’s. Contrary to what these records say, and to  paraphrase Samuel Clemens, reports of the demise of the Boano Coupe were premature.

Since 1972, LCOC members Chuck and Rith Hannah of Hawthorne, New Jersey, have owned the one and only Lincoln Boano Coupe. As nearly as they can tell, they are the fifth or sixth owners. Although they have not been able to document what they have been told about what happened after it left Ford Motor Co., it was apparently owned, at one time, by movie actor Errol Flynn, passed on to his niece at his death, was for sale at another time on Ed Juris’ Nyack, New York Showroom floor, and was later sold by its New Hampshire owner to a friend of the Hannahs. The Hannahs’ friend bought the Boano Coupe to restore, but after getting the first bill from a local restoration shop, he quickly changed his mind and sold it to the Hannahs. Chuck has talked to a salesman at the Ed Juris dealership who remembers the car and to Errol Flynn’s niece, a lady named Smith, who confirms that she inherited it from the famed movie actor upon his death.

Built in 1954 but titled as a 1955 Lincoln, the Boano Coupe was at least the third special one-off car that Henry Ford II had built for his personal use. One of these earlier special cars was similar in looks to the post war Lincoln Continental V-12 but it was built on a Mercury chassis. See Continental Comments #184. The other one was a custom Model A Ford Sportsman designed by Bob Gregorie.

The Boano Coupe looks very vaguely similar to a 1984 drawing done by Bob Thomas, a retired Ford Motor Co. stylist, of a proposed 1949 Lincoln Continental. See Continental Comments #179.

The Boano Coupe was named after its builder, Italian designer Boano of Turin, a former partner of Ghia. It was built on a modified 1954 Lincoln chassis and has a 123” wheelbase like other 1954 Lincolns. The body is all steel. The car is also fully functional. It is powered by what appears to be a pre-production Continental Mark II engine, that even has cast aluminum Mark II valve covers. The power steering and brake assemblies look identical to those on the Mark II. The car, which has a metric speedometer and odometer, showed 12,000 km (about 7,200 miles) when the Hannahs bought it; the mileage appears to be original. The rest of the instruments are stock 1954 Lincoln. The engine has never been apart; the valve covers appear to have never been off. The engine and transmission numbers match original Ford Motor Co. records. The Hannahs have rebuilt the transmission and in the process were able to confirm that the transmission is the same as was used in the Mark II. Whether the engine & and transmission were with the chassis when sent to Italy for body construction, or were installed after the car was returned to Dearborn, is unknown. (The car was first shown at the 1955 Turin Auto Show and arrived in the United States in late 1955.) The electrical system is 6 volt.

By the time the Boano Coupe was built, plans for the Mark II were fairly well set, and thus it seems unlikely that it was ever considered as a prototype Continental.

From 1959 until he retired in 1985, Chuck Hannah operated a full time automobile restoration business. Chuck says he has always been partial to Lincolns. The first car he restored was his own 1948 Lincoln Continental coupe. In addition to Duesenbergs, Rolls-Royces, and Pierce-Arrows, Chuck has restored several 1941 Lincoln Continentals, three 1942 Lincoln Continentals, his own 1942 Custom, several Mark IIs, including his own, lots of Lincoln-Zephyrs and so many ‘60s four door
convertibles that he has lost track of the number. He admits to having owned at least ten ‘60s Lincolns. Since retirement, Chuck has limited his collector cars to a 1954 Lincoln Capri two-door hardtop, a Jeepster, a 1965 and a 1966 Corvair, two Cadillac Fleetwoods, a 1950 Cadillac Derham limousine originally built for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the 1955 Lincoln Boano Coupe.

Ford Motor Co. was surprised to find out that the Boano Coupe still existed, but was very helpful in supplying the Hannahs with the information still available. They also offered to buy the car back, if the Hannahs ever decide to sell it.

When the Hannahs bought the Boano Coupe, it ran well, but had been damaged by a dash fire. Heat or fire had scorched the dash and driver’s seat, and cracked the front windshield. The back window was apparently broken out to gain access to fight the fire. The carpeting was gone, probably removed as a result of fire damage, but there was evidence that the carpeting had originally been orange.

Right after the Hannahs brought the Boano Coupe home, Chuck began its restoration. The orange paint was removed right down to the metal. The metal finishing on the car is fantastic. All butt welds on the hand constructed body are finished so well, very little filler was originally used or was necessary during restoration. Chuck was able to match the original paint to a stock Lamborgini color. The car’s custom Italian made radiator was rebuilt, and all the chrome and 24 carat gold plating were redone. The original detailing was fabulous.

After months of trying to find replacement windshield and back glass, Chuck contacted a glass manufacturer in Wisconsin who agreed to reproduce them. Molds were made by putting stiff mesh wire into the rubber moldings in place of the windshield and back glass, and then making the form rigid by applying fiberglass resin to the wire mesh.

Because someone else’s car always came first, the Hannahs have never completed the restoration of the Boano Coupe. Consequently, it’s spent most of the time since 1972 in the shop and out of public view. Right now, it’s being repainted again. As soon as that’s done, and the car is back together, the Hannahs plan to get it on the road and to an LCOC national meet.

Contemporary articles published when the car was new don’t do a very good job of describing the car. Just above the front bumper in the center, the name Lincoln is spelled out in small block letters, and on the front just below the hood is a gold plated Lincoln crest identical to the crest used on the 1948 Lincoln Continental. The front and rear bumpers, the headlight pods, tail light pods and the front fender chrome strips were all custom made as were most of the other trim pieces. The roof is fixed; it cannot be removed. The gas filler is located in the center of where the trunk lid would otherwise be and is released by an interior lever. There is no exterior trunk or outside rearview mirror. At the openings at the back of the front fenders are fake exhaust pipes. The openings at the front of the back fenders are also fake. (Contemporary news articles explained that if the car was put into production the front fender openings would be used to exhaust engine heat, and the rear fender openings would be used to cool the back brakes.) The full wheel covers on the car are made of spun bronze with smaller Mark II type fins separately attached. The wheel covers are attached to special hubs on stock Lincoln wheels by “spinning” them on.

The hood is hinged from the back by chrome plated cast hood hinges. When opened, springs on the hood hinges hold the hood up without need for other support. The fan shroud is about 15 inches deep and made of finned and polished aluminum. The firewall and fender wells are covered by polished aluminum panels.

There you have it. A very unusual one-of-a-kind Lincoln long thought lost is really alive and well and awaiting completion of its restoration. If the truth be known, the Hannahs are probably a little puzzled by all the fuss others are making over the car that, to them, has never been lost.

What about the other “lost” concept cars? If they are out there, how do we encourage their owners to go public? There’s probably not one answer that fits all situations, but there are solutions. After 30 or 40 years, Ford Motor Co. is probably as happy as hobbiests to learn that these national treasures may still exist.

Webmaster Note:  A special thank you to David Moyer for sharing this color photo of the Boano Coupe taken at the 2007 Greenwich, CT, Concours d’Elegance.

Originally published in the November-December 2003 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 255).

News from the Norway Region

By Birger Hoelstad, President (2003), Norway Region

Originally published in the November-December 2003 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 255).

Introduction to the 1982 Lincoln brochure.

The Lincoln legend.  Sixty-one years of elegance and luxury. Providing outstanding comfort and relaxing room. A quiet, stately ride. And a commitment to quality.  With the Lincoln for 1982, the legend lives on. Proud of its past. Responsive to the present. From its bold grille to its handsome roofline and distinctive deck lid, Lincoln makes a statement of elegance. The grand manner comes through when you open the door. A quiet world of gracious room awaits you and your passengers. With tailored, rich, luxurious seating. And generous space that extends to the huge luggage compartment.  Take the wheel and enjoy the smooth, stately Lincoln ride. Luxurious. Quiet in the grand Lincoln manner. But for all its proud heritage, part of Lincoln tradition is to respond to the needs of its time. The new Lincoln offers high levels of contemporary electronic technology, such as its optional Electronic Instrument Panel with Message Center. And under the hood is a standard 5.0 Liter (302 CID) V-8 engine. Electronic Fuel injection and Electronic Engine Controls meter fuel with precision, contributing to Lincoln’s overall performance and fuel economy. The engine is teamed with the innovative Automatic Overdrive transmission that employs an overdrive fourth gear that engages at around 40 miles per hour to reduce engine revolutions and highway fuel consumption. For your added reassurance, Lincoln incorporates a computerized Self Diagnostic System to provide faster, more accurate and more efficient servicing than before. This year, experience the Lincoln legend for yourself. Select from the Lincoln Cartier Designer Series, the distinctly personal Lincoln Signature Series, and the luxurious Lincoln Town Car. Lincoln for 1982. Rich in tradition. Responsive to the needs of today.

Originally published in the September-October 2003 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 254).

1946 Convertible, good condition with original V-12 engine, $1,650, Corona del Mar, California.

1947 Coupe, overhauled and painted yellow, $1,800, Miami Beach, Florida.

1947 Coupe, original V-12 engine, $1,200, 1948 Coupe, ‘52 Cadillac engine, $1,500, Roanoke, Virginia.

1940 Convertible, $2,000, Michigan.

1941 Convertible, rough but restorable, $100, Florida.

1942 Coupe, restored to showroom condition, $2,250, Santa Ana, California.

1946 Convertible, Mercury engine, prize winner, $1,500, Illinois.

1947 Convertible, Cadillac engine, $1,795, California.

1948 Coupe, supercharged Cadillac engine, $2,750, California.

1941 Coupe, Cadillac engine, $1,650, Los Angeles.

1941 Convertible, ‘53 Olds engine, needs bodywork and top, $500, New York.

1941 Convertible, V-12 engine, $800, Massachusetts.

1941 Coupe, ‘56 Ford engine, $1,200, Massachusetts.

1948 Convertible, V-12, $1,600, Texas.

Originally published in the May-June 2003 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 252).
The following is the production story behind the 1949-1951 Lincolns and Lincoln Cosmopolitans based on reports of management meetings, January 1949 and April, 1950 furnished by Charles Berry, Naples, Florida.

The establishment of the Lincoln-Mercury Division in 1945 was the first step in the company’s plan for decentralization under the new management, which replaced the elder Henry Ford and his cohorts. This was not simply a plan for designing and producing automobiles. It included all phases of production and distribution including accounting, dealer organization, plans for expansion, and marketing. All phases of the organization were under the leadership of Benson Ford working closely with Henry Ford II, Ernest R. Breech and the corporate executive staff. It is interesting to note that the Lincoln-Mercury Division executive offices were the same executive offices that Lincoln occupied since the beginning, 1922.

When the Lincoln-Mercury Division was created in 1945, only the production of Lincoln cars was separate from Ford; and even this was under the direct supervision of the Rouge Manufacturing organization.  All the accounting, the purchasing, industrial relations, sales, service, and financial control was handled by the same organizations that handled this work for the Ford cars.

During World War II, the Lincoln plant had been more completely converted to war production than any other Ford Motor Company plant. This all had to be reconverted to civilian car production. The Lincoln Office Building, with the exception of the first floor, was little more than a warehouse prior to 1946. So the offices had to be expanded and modernized for all of the functions of a full and separate division. Housed in the Lincoln Office Building after the war were offices for manufacturing, quality control, purchasing, administrative control, accounting, industrial relations and sales.

We mentioned in the previous article that prior to World War II Lincoln and Mercury had a weak sales organization, and this contributed significantly to Lincoln and Mercury’s poor market share. In 1934 the medium and high-priced car market amounted to 28 per cent of all passenger car business. By 1940 it represented 46 per cent. In 1941, there were 1,603,000 cars sold in these price classes, but Lincoln produced only 17,700 cars in 1941 and Mercury produced only 80,000. (Lincoln and Mercury together accounted for less than 6 per cent of the market.) By 1947, medium and high-priced cars accounted for 50 per cent of the market. It was Henry Ford II and Jack Davis, head of all Ford sales, who decided to really go after this market, and the only effective way to do it would be to establish a completely independent Lincoln and Mercury dealer organization. In the past, Lincoln and Mercury had been sold almost entirely by Ford dealers whose main interest was to sell the Ford line which was an easy sell against Chevrolet. Mercury was not an easy sell against the wide number of competitive makes in the medium-priced field and Lincoln was a very tough sell in the high-priced field. In fact, by the end of World War II there were only 38 separate Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the entire United States.

The first jobs of the Lincoln-Mercury sales department were to establish a separate dealer organization from Ford, to determine what their sales and merchandising policies would be, where the market was for these automobiles, how many dealers there should be, what kind of dealers they should be, and where they should be located. Lincoln-Mercury sales divided the country into 21 districts, as distinct from the 33 Ford sales districts. By January, 1947, there were 401 exclusive Lincoln-Mercury dealerships, and by January, 1948, there were 666. By January, 1949, eight months after the new models were introduced, there were nearly 1,000 dealerships. By the same token, by January, 1947, there were were only 395 Ford dealers handling Lincolns and Mercury s. While it would never be possible to eliminate all Lincolns and Mercurys sold through Ford dealerships, in certain parts of the country the population was too sparce for separate Lincoln-Mercury dealerships, the primary goal was to expand the number of Lincoln and Mercury only dealerships.

Their policy was to pick the very best dealers they could get. They wanted to make this franchise as attractive as possible, eventually expecting to parallel Cadillac with their exclusive Lincoln-Mercury setup. In other words, wherever there is a Cadillac dealer, and most Cadillac dealers even then sold some other GM car, usually Oldsmobile, there would be a Lincoln-Mercury dealer. Supplementing the Lincoln-Mercury dealers would be exclusively Mercury dealers.

Once the new dealer organization was in place and with a service organization trained to handle the new cars, the new cars were introduced in April, 1948. These were the first new 1949 cars presented by the new Ford Motor Company.

In 1946. the Lincoln-Mercury Division produced a total of 84,000 Lincoln and Mercury cars. This represented 13 percent of total Ford Motor Company production. In 1947 the division produced a total of 153,000 Lincoln and Mercury cars which represented 16 per cent of total Ford Motor Company production. In 1948, the division produced 240,000 automobiles or about 20 per cent of total Ford production.

There was no such thing as an industrial relations department at Lincoln from 1922 to 1946. Labor relations, employment, personnel records, medical, plant protection, employee rights, etc. was all new with the new Lincoln-Mercury Division. Also prior to 1946, all Lincoln-Mercury purchasing was done through Ford, which was hardly the way to buy parts and supplies most efficiently. But what was really needed was a completely new plant layout to produce the new automobiles.

Therefore, in June, 1946 a new program was started to rearrange and modernize the old Lincoln plant to build the new automobiles. But that was only the beginning. Plans were laid out to build three new assembly plants which would build the new 1949 automobiles. Ground was broken for new plants in Metuchen, New Jersey, St. Louis, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California. These plants were completed so rapidly that they were able to start production with the introduction of the new 1949 model cars. It is interesting to note as a sidelight that after February 1, 1948, the old Lincoln plant ceased producing 1948 Lincolns and only built 1948 Lincoln Continentals until the end of Lincoln Continental production in the spring of 1948. But this did not mean that the old plant ceased producing automobiles altogether. To the best of our knowledge, it continued to produce Lincolns until Lincoln completed its Wixom, Michigan plant in 1957. The old Lincoln plant never did produce Mercurys; they were produced in Dearborn and at five other Ford plants until the new Lincoln-Mercury plants were completed. Once the new Lincoln plants were completed all Lincolns and most Mercurys were completed at Lincoln-Mercury plants, although some Mercurys continued to be produced at the Ford plant in Dearborn. Once the new plants were completed, all Lincoln Cosmopolitans were produced in the modernized 1922 Lincoln plant. The 121 inch wheelbase Lincolns were produced at the Metuchen, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Detroit Lincoln plant. Mercurys were produced at the Metuchen, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Dearborn plants. The Chester, Pennsylvania plant handled the exporting of the 121-inch Lincoln and the Mercury.

The modernization of the old Lincoln plant, the construction of three new plants, and the tooling for the three new lines of automobiles represented an expenditure of approximately $75,000,000. The last department to be established was quality control, in December, 1947.

Lincoln and Mercury’s advertising agency for the 1946-48 models was J. Walt Thompson which also handled the 1946-48 model Ford advertising. Beginning with the new 1949 models, Lincoln and Mercury hired its own advertising agency, Kenyon & Eckert. One of their first major advertising adventures was sponsorship of the Toast of the Town, later renamed The Ed Sullivan Show, featured in the last issue of Continental Comments. Later, Lincoln went all out to sponsor cars in the Mexican Road Races, which was another aspect of Lincoln-Mercury promotion.

On January 18, 1950, Benson Ford, Vice President and General Manager of the Lincoln-Mercury Division, spoke at the management meeting of the Ford Motor Company in the Ford Rotunda Theater in Dearborn. Here, in part, is what he said:

“The last time that we of Lincoln-Mercury presented a report of our organization and objectives to the management group, we closed by stating that our goal was: ‘To continue penetration into medium and high priced market until we achieved sales leadership in our field. That’s all our goal—or part of it. And, as you will see today, we are making steady progress toward its attainment. I said sales leadership was only part of our goal. During the past year or so we at Lincoln-Mercury have—well, raised our sights. We had a little more experience in solving problems of being on our own. As a result, we’ve evolved a new ambition — almost a new philosophy to guide us in our future years. That new and expanded ambition is this —we at Lincoln-Mercury want to build a reputation not only as producers of the finest cars in the world, but to build a reputation as an organization unexcelled in the entire industry. We want Lincoln and Mercury names to represent the pinnacle of excellence from every possible aspect. That means product, policies, practices, and people. To reach that eventual goal there are four major things that we have to achieve. First, and most obvious, our cars must represent the finest in conception. Any quality product must be soundly —skillfully designed and engineered for sale in its particular market. Next, we know that to reach our goal, our cars must be built with the finest of materials.  Because, as everybody knows, no product can be any better than the materials out of which it’s made. Thirdly, our cars must represent the finest in automotive manufacturing craftsmanship. And, lastly, our cars must be backed by the finest possible organization of people. That means the right number of people who are highly skilled in their individual jobs of tool making, grinding, inspection, painting, accounting, selling, administrating, or whatever that job may be. Along with a skilled organization, we want to build a loyal organization of individuals who not only feel—but are given every reason to know that they are an important part of the whole—that they belong. I’m talking about people who are proud and happy in the feeling of security that goes hand and hand with well paid permanent, and important jobs, be those jobs on an assembly line, in an office, or out in the field. In other words, we want an organization of people—a complete payroll of individuals who know that ‘Nothing could be finer 9 than their jobs of creating and selling the products of Lincoln-Mercury.”

We will not reprint Benson Ford’s entire presentation. It covered improvements in purchasing parts from 1,500 vendors , scheduling the arrival of parts, the controller’s office, quality control, engineering, manufacturing and industrial relations, public relations, sales and dealer relations. He did make a few points on service that will of interest to Lincoln collectors today.

Mr. Ford said: “Here is just one of many examples of the way our Service Department is building customer goodwill. Late in 1949, we made quite a few changes in the 1949 Lincoln. Our dealers called all the customers who had bought earlier models of the 1949 Lincolns and offered to bring them up to date at no charge to them. That cost us a lot of money, but it was worth it in customer good will. We haven’t the intention of making this procedure a Company policy, but we feel it symbolizes the spirit of Lincoln-Mercury. Here is a letter, typical of the thousands we get from our customers. ‘You can well imagine our surprise when we where informed by the dealer that if we could bring the automobile in, at our convenience, they wished to bring it up to date at no cost to us. We have never heard of any other company who has gone this far in an attempt to establish owner satisfaction and good will. We have told many of our friends about your unusual service policy and feel such procedure will go a long way to make friends and make secure your present business and add greatly to your future.’ “

In the management meeting on April 19, 1950, Benson Ford concluded by saying: “The distinctiveness in design of the Mercury and Lincoln cars and the degree to which they are up-to-the-minute in technical development are the key factors in determining public acceptance. Don’t forget that if any one of General Motors middle-priced products fails to ring the bell in any given year, there are two other good alternatives for the public to turn to. Not so with our products. We can take no chances. Our cars must have their own character, and their own distinction. The importance of this point cannot be over-emphasized.

The Mercury car did not go from two percent of the total market to over five percent just by happenstance. The manufacturing organization had quality hammered into it.  It wasn’t too long before the American public found they had a new distinctive good-looking, fairly priced car, that possessed high quality, good performance, and efficient service.

We intend to keep giving them this kind of product. This, then, is the competitive position of the Lincoln-Mercury cars in the middle-price market. There is nothing static about it. Our product, our manufacturing facilities and our dealer organization taken as a whole, are the one big new factor in the middle-price field. The effect of this new factor on competition in the field is going to be tremendous. The ability to keep graduates from the lowest price field in the Ford family is already a big factor in the position of the Ford Motor Company as a whole.  It will be even more so as we climb to our rightful place in the middle-price field.”