Category: Lincoln

As it embarks on its 2nd century, Lincoln brand builds on storied legacy – Phobe Wall Howard @DetroitFreePress

As it embarks on its 2nd century, Lincoln brand builds on storied legacy – Phobe Wall Howard @DetroitFreePress

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Ford Motor Co. purchased Lincoln Motor Co. out of debt a century ago and established a luxury brand that would forever impact automotive design and pop culture.

Henry Ford, with a nudge from his wife, Clara, and son, Edsel, acquired the company from engineer Henry Leland for $8 million on Feb. 4, 1922.

A photo from 1922 when Ford purchased Lincoln showing Henry Leland on far left, Eleanor and Edsel Ford next to him, then Clara Ford and … Show more   
PROVIDED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY

“Lincoln is really a chance for us to stop and think about Edsel Ford, who, too often, is overshadowed by his father,” said Matt Anderson, curator of transportation at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn.

“Edsel Ford had free rein at Lincoln, where he could spread his wings and leave a legacy apart from his father,” Anderson said. “Edsel gave the cars a sense of design and style, and built the company into one of America’s leading luxury automakers.” 

Edsel and Eleanor Ford with a 1922 Lincoln car.  
PROVIDED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY

High style

Ford introduced the Lincoln Zephyr in 1936, pairing style and aerodynamics

The 1936 Lincoln Zephyr is introduced, Lincoln’s first mid-priced vehicle, with a streamlined, unique design and alligator-type hood.  
PROVIDED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY

“Its flowing teardrop shape suggests motion. Its V-shaped grille slices the air,” says thehenryford.org museum site. “Headlights blend smoothly into the front fenders. Rear fenders hug the body and fender skirts hide the rear wheels. Even the tail lights are streamlined.”

Then came the Continental in 1939, a car so gorgeous that the Museum of Modern Art in New York City selected it to display as one of eight cars that epitomized design excellence, according to the 1951 MOMA catalogue.

“Henry Ford’s only son played a key role in the creation of what many feel was the most beautiful automobile ever designed,” Ad Age said in 2003.

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Once ridiculed, the Lincoln Blackwood predicted the luxo-truck future – Mike Austin @Hemmings

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Lincoln’s first attempt at a luxury pickup didn’t go so well. The Blackwood was basically a cross between the Lincoln Navigator and Ford F-150, sporting fancy trim in the cargo bed with a power tonneau cover. The 2002 production version was a follow up to a warm reception for the 1999 concept, but things cooled off considerably on dealer lots. Parent company Ford planned to build 10,000 of them, but only a few more than 3,330 actually sold. There was no 2003 model in the U.S. market.

It’s hard to say exactly why the Blackwood flopped. In 2002, at least in terms of marketing, trucks and SUVs still had to pretend they could do truck and SUV stuff (regardless of whether or not the owners used them that way). Maybe nobody really wanted a giant trunk instead of a cargo bed. Maybe the rear-wheel-drive-only configuration wasn’t in keeping with the give-me-everything idea of a luxury truck. Or maybe Lincoln buyers who wanted lots of interior space and a giant trunk were already happy with the Town Car.

Whatever the case, the Blackwood was unintentionally rare and now, nearly 20 years later when luxury trucks are part of the standard lineup, could be considered an idea before its time. And yeah, we’ll go out on a limb and say the Blackwood is now cool. This one, up for bids on Hemmings Auctions, has been both enjoyed and preserved well. From the auction listing:

The selling dealer says it was taken on trade, but he became so enamored with it that he drove it for the next three years, racking up 13,000 “trouble-free” miles on the distinctive and rare Lincoln truck. It’s one of only 3,356 produced and the seller notes it “runs and drives like new.”

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Pick of the Day: 1940 Lincoln Zephyr convertible in all its V12 glory – Bob Golfen @ClassicCars.com

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The gleaming classic looks to be in exceptionally fine condition

The glossy Lincoln stands on an impressive set of wide whites

With evocative aerodynamic styling and powered by an L-head V12 engine, the Lincoln Zephyr was conceived by Edsel Ford as a midsize luxury craft for the very well-to-do, with hand-crafted production beginning in 1936. 

The Pick of the Day is a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr convertible, widely considered to be among the most elegant model years, and which represented something of an end and a beginning for the Ford division before the war years intervened. 

The Zephyr was the final pre-war design for Lincoln, with the Zephyr name dropped once production resumed after the war.   But 1940 saw the beginning of the Continental nameplate, another Edsel Ford concept, which became Lincoln’s longest-running brand.  Along with that came the rear-mounted spare tire on the Zephyr that became an enduring feature of Lincoln design.

“Edsel Ford rebelled against his father’s mass-market sensibilities by building a car for people in his substantial wealth class,” notes the Lutz, Florida, dealer advertising the Lincoln on ClassicCars.com. “He emphasized design, which means these first-generations show their boldness with sleek lines rather than adding chrome. This was the car he could have proudly driven in Europe with its waterfall grille, lowered stance, and deleted running boards.

“These were both beautiful and expensive, and so only about 700 examples were hand-built in 1940.”

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Which of these 1960s luxury coupes deserves to be restored, preserved, or modified? – Jeff Koch @Hemmings

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No wonder America’s luxury car companies did so well (and offered so much choice) in the ’60s. Far from the Sturm und Drang of the muscle car scene playing out on America’s streets, the complexity of a war being fought half a world away, and inevitable strife at home, America’s luxury cars provided a beautiful, silent, torquey buffer between you and all else that society was throwing at you. What better way to isolate yourself from the outside world – in all of its hideous, insidious forms – than in a two-plus ton luxury car stuffed with leather and sound deadening?We picked three American luxury barges here for you to consider.

Cadillac Coupe de Ville

All of them are from the second half of the ’60s, all are coupes, all are plucked from the Hemmings classifieds, and all are between $20,000 and $30,000. Which of these would you restore? Which would you preserve? And which would you modify? Tell us in the comments.

Lincoln Continental Coupe

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Lincoln limousines among Kennedy items in Bonhams presidential auction – Bob Golfen @ClassicCars.com

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Two historically important Lincoln limousines that carried President John F. Kennedy – one of which he rode in on day that he was assassinated – will be offered during Bonhams’ live/online American Presidential Experience Auction in New York on October 14, just three weeks ahead of the presidential election.

Auction also includes a display replica of the first Air Force One jet and a full-scale mockup of the White House Oval Office

The white 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible that was designated “Limo One,” and which carried the President and first lady on the morning of November 22, 1963, in Fort Worth with Texas Governor John Connally, has a pre-auction estimated value of $300,000 to $500,000.

The other Lincoln is a 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V Executive Limousine used by President Kennedy for personal trips in Washington, DC. The Mark V was specially outfitted by Hess and Eisenhardt for presidential use with bulletproof doors, divider window, passenger air controls and a two-way telephone in the back seat, which was an uncommon luxury for the period.

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Streamlines Make Headlines – 1938 – Ford Heritage @YouTube

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This film promotes the aerodynamic Lincoln Zephyr, first launched in 1936. The car was conceived by Edsel Ford and designed by Eugene Turenne Gregorie ,said to be inspired by the Pioneer Zephyr Streamliner train. At the beginning of the film we see other streamline designs in action, including the record-breaking SS Normandie.

Overview[From Wikipedia]

Introduced on November 2, 1935,[3] as a 1936 model, the Lincoln-Zephyr was extremely modern with a low raked windscreen, integrated fenders, and streamlined aerodynamic design, which influenced the name “zephyr”, derived from the Greek word zephyrus, or the god of the west wind. It was one of the first successful streamlined cars after the Chrysler Airflow‘s market resistance, and the concept car Pierce Silver Arrow, which never went into production. In fact, the Lincoln-Zephyr actually had a lower coefficient of drag than the Airflow, due in part to the prow-like front grille on the Zephyr, reflecting the popularity of leisure speedboats like Chris-Craft. The Lincoln-Zephyr succeeded in reigniting sales at Lincoln dealerships in the late 1930s, and from 1941 model year, all Lincolns were Zephyr-based[4] and the Lincoln-Zephyr marque was phased out. Annual production for any year model was not large, but accounted for a large portion of the Lincoln brand’s sales. In its first year, 15,000 were sold, accounting for 80% of Lincoln’s total sales.

Production of all American cars was halted by the Government in 1942 as the country entered World War II, with Lincoln producing the last Lincoln Zephyr on February 10.[5] After the war, most makers restarted production of their prewar lines, and Lincoln was no exception. The Zephyr name, however, was no longer used after 1942, with the cars simply called Lincolns.

The idea of a smaller and more modern luxury car to fill the gap in Lincoln’s traditional lineup was revisited in the 1950 Lincoln Lido (The Lido was the same size as other two-door Lincolns, though[6]), 1977 Lincoln Versailles, 1982 Continental, and 2000 Lincoln LS. The Zephyr name was resurrected in 2006 for the car’s spiritual successor, the Zephyr, which was quickly renamed the MKZ for 2007.

Clarke Gable in his Zephyr

This Gorgeous 1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe Is Headed To Auction – Chris Teague @FordAuthority

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The Lincoln Continental has been a part of some of the most impactful moments in American history and has also made its mark on film and television over the past several decades. Though it will soon depart the Lincoln lineup once again, there are plenty of great models to look back on. Take this beautiful 1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe, for example. It has all the panache we’d expect from an early 70s luxury barge, and it’s now headed to find a new owner at Mecum’s Dallas auctions in October.

This cream-white Continental has a 460 cubic-inch V8 under the hood and has only traveled 88,000 miles during tis 47-year lifespan. The original black leather interior looks to be in good shape and the car is equipped with several factory options, including air conditioning, power seats, and power windows. Even the details on this Continental are solid, like the working factory clock on the dash.

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Harry Truman’s 1950 Lincoln limo for sale – Larry Edsall @ClassicCars.com

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Pick of the Day is a former presidential limousine

Harry Truman’s 1950 Lincoln Limo

The White House ordered up nine specially built 1950 Lincoln limousines and one of them, a 7-passenger Cosmopolitan with coachwork by Henney, is being offered for sale by a private owner on ClassicCars.com.

“Leased to the Government by Ford Motor Co., the 1950 Lincoln Presidential Limousines replaced the aging pre-World War II White House fleet Truman inherited when he ascended to the presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in 1944,” the seller notes in the car’s advertisement.

“Truman chose Lincoln over Cadillac after GM had snubbed his requests for vehicles during his presidential campaign, which he had been expected to lose. The 1950 Lincolns remained in Presidential use well into the Eisenhower administration.”

Harry Truman’s 1950 Lincoln Limo

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Related – THE LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 80TH ANNIVERSARY

He fell in love with the Lincoln, but he loved the girl more – rep-am.com

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Herman Rogg of Goshen, Conn. first spotted his 1940 Lincoln Continental in 1951 and had to have it. He courted his wife, Nadine, in it and their took it on their honeymoon. One of 350 hand-built, it’s tale is told in My Ride.

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A LANDMARK RETURNS TO THE ROAD – THE LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 80TH ANNIVERSARY COACH DOOR EDITION

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Crafted with expansive center-opening doors in homage to the 1939 original, entering the Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition means going the way of presidents, royalty and superstars. It’s an extraordinary vehicle with an ownership experience to match.