Before we delve into that difficult choice, how about a big tip of the fedora to Tom Klockau, who spearheaded Lincoln Week, and put in a huge effort to make it happen. Thank you Tom!
So now comes the decision: which Lincoln will grace your “Living Garage”? Value is irrelevant; you’re going to keep it and cherish it. And of course drive it.
I have to admit, the sheer eccentricity of this white 1958 above is really talking to me this morning. It’s positively surreal, and in my favorite color, no less. I had never seen a picture of one of these before moving to the US in 1960, and the first one I saw in NYC upon our arrival hit me like a jolt of White Lightning. It was simply unbelievable; what planet am I on? It made a ’59 Caddy look like downright ordinary, if that was possible. So yes, I’m fickle. And tomorrow my choice would be undoubtedly be different, probably a ’39 Continental or a ’61. But there is no other Lincoln that ever got my jaw to drop quite as far as this one, so bring it on. Of course, it wouldn’t fit in my living room even if there was a door big enough.
The 1972 Continental, because it ran on regular gas and was fast, quiet, and unpretentious. It still offered the elegance of simplicity, before half-vinyl roofs and pillar lamps and opera windows and full-width rear-deck filigree and huge bumpers. Even the interiors were simple and elegant, including the standard tuck-and-roll (cloth or leather) upholstery pattern duplicated in the door panel inserts.
Actually, forget about the car, I’ll just take a high-backed black leather rear seat from one of those babies.
I recently got the chance to drive a friend’s ’62 Continental hardtop, and was pleasantly surprised by its nimbleness and grace. Really! I’m more into ’70s and ’80s cars, but I think of all Lincolns, this would be my choice. I love the size — it’s almost Versailles-like in its footprint (and that’s a good thing!)
Any ’61 to ’65, but a ’65 sedan would be easier to live with, since it came with front disc brakes and no complicated “hidden” top mechanisms.
A ’95-97 Town Car for me please, in the gorgeous ruby red they offered, with factory alloys and sunroof. Why? Because they look great, and I can just picture myself cruising along in comfort, window down so I could listen to the V8 burbling away. I suspect that it’d be a comfy, quiet, reliable machine – of course there are hardly any down here in the antipodes, so I haven’t seen one in the metal, and they may actually suck for all I know! But they’re perfect in my dreams!
’37 Zephyr
’65 Continental Convertible
’57 Mark II
’87 LSC
1930’s K
1968-69 Mark III