If you have been a Curbside Classic reader for even just a little while, you have most likely gathered that I am a fan of Lincoln motor cars. Well, how could I not? I was an impressionable little preschooler when I rode in my Grandpa Bob’s 1977 triple-navy blue Continental Mark V for the first time, and the subsequent Rose Quartz 1987 Continental firmly cemented any lingering doubt. When I got my driver’s license in September 1997, I followed my parents into Volvodom, but I finally succumbed to the twenty-odd-year inevitable and bought a Lincoln of my own. But we’re not here today to talk about my Town Car; we’re going to talk about my friend K V Dahl and his dad Vinje’s 1956 Lincoln Premieres.
The 1956 Lincolns were a big step forward. For some reason, Earle MacPherson decided to go up against the Oldsmobile with the “Road Race” 1952-55 Lincolns. They were fine cars in their own right, but as attractive as they were, they never quite reached Cadillac levels of luxury or presence. But in 1956, that would all change.
Perhaps the biggest driver of what would become the 1956 Lincoln was William F. “Bill” Schmidt, who was a long-time Lincoln stylist by the mid-Fifties. He designed the 1956 Futura dream car, which previewed many ’56 Lincoln styling cues. He has been quoted that scuba diving in the Bahamas had a large hand in the design, especially the movements of fish and manta rays under water. Such undersea life can certainly be seen in the smooth lines.
I was a lucky passenger!
I got to know K V Dahl during my short automotive sales career at Dahl Ford. K V and his family has run the dealership since 1937 in Davenport, Iowa, so they know a thing or two about cars–and acquiring fine examples of classics over the years.
K V at the helm of one of the great Fifties instrument panels.
I was perhaps the last person in the greater Quad City area to join Facebook. Shortly thereafter, I viewed some pictures of K V and his dad Vinje at the Mecum auction in Indianapolis.
They wound up at Indy in a rather roundabout way. As you might expect, they are Ford fans, and when they got word that a collector of 1930s Ford V8s had gone on to his reward, and his collection auctioned off, they were intrigued, for it was rumored that he had one of every body style of 1932 Ford. Sedan Delivery, roadster, phaeton, you-name-it. So they went. But unfortunately, the cars were, uh, less than ideal? Think bondo, think rust, think missing parts. Some of them had ’80s wire wheel covers instead of real wire wheels!
Yeah, it was a bust. And not a good one. They were already in the Buckeye State, how to salvage the day? Simple, cancel their hotel room, call their buddy at Mecum, and head to Indianapolis. Their passes were waiting at the front gate, and, wouldn’t you know it, both K V and Vinje found something to take home!
While Vinje got a beautiful 1938 Buick Century convertible in midnight blue with saddle tan interior (I actually thought it was black until a recent visit to the Old Car Home), K V found something to warm the heart of any self-respecting LCOC member: a 1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible, one of only 2,447 made.
Many pictures of the Premiere were posted on K V’s Facebook page, and I recall mentioning that I would just HAVE to write this car up for CC when I read the car was coming home with them. I mean, come on? Who wouldn’t love to read about such a beautiful Lincoln?
The standard 1956 Lincolns used the same 285 hp 368 cubic inch engine as the vaunted, $10,000 Continental Mark II, save for colors, valve covers and some other minor things. Everything else, however, was very different. And very different from the outgoing 1955 Lincoln.
If the exterior isn’t enough, these cars had one of the most fantastic instrument panels. So clean, yet so intriguing. So simple, yet so luxurious. A luxury spaceship to whisk you and your friends off for prime rib, martinis and baked potatoes with butter and sour cream! Those were the days, my friend.
The luxury-car buying public responded too. While Cadillac was still king in 1956, Lincoln sales were nearly double that of the 1955 model. And why not? In 1956 the Cadillac was largely the same as the ’55, notwithstanding some lovely trim and interior updates. The Imperial had been all-new in ’55, so also sported minor revisions, primarily straighter quarter panels and the addition of a four-door hardtop to the line.
And Packard? For those who were still paying attention, Packard was still a fine car, but 1955 quality glitches had scared a lot of people off. It has been suggested that a lot of ex-Packard owners might well have found themselves in a Lincoln showroom during 1956.
It certainly was a cohesive design. Everything looked like it belonged, even the ample chrome trim. From the smooth flanks to the simple yet elegant wheel covers, everything about the 1956 Lincoln was attractive.
The Premiere convertible was the beauty queen of the line, and the only convertible cataloged. The 4,452-lb. drop top went for $4,747. The less-fancy Capri was offered only in two-door hardtop and four-door sedan body styles.
Plenty of Fifties cues here: bumper-mounted exhaust pods, ample chrome, smooth lines, pastel coloring, plenty of stretch-out room, luxurious al fresco motoring. It has it all!
When cars were cars, men were men, women were women, drinks were drinks, and cars had COLORS!
And just look at that door panel. It’s just a door panel, and yet, even it is a work of art!
And the levers for the heating and ventilation are just as amazing. So much detail here. “Dad, can I turn on the heat? Can I? Can I? Pleeeeease?” Something you will never hear from within the confines of a beige Camry LE.
I also especially liked the transmission quadrant, well-integrated into the steering column. It appears to be a part of the steering wheel itself, but is actually stationary.
The back seat is an equally nice place to be, I am sure. Can’t you picture some Hollywood swells riding down to the studio in one of these? I can.
What an instrument panel. Who wouldn’t be proud to ferry this luxury car down a country lane, top down, on a sunny spring day?
And yes, a genuine analog clock. Not only functional, but an attractive addition to an already attractive instrument panel. Details, man! It’s all in the details.
Now that’s a radio! On/off/volume knob, tuning knob, and six pre-selector buttons. Touchscreens? Perish the thought!
Of course, being a car nut, I had to ask K V if he’d take my picture behind the wheel. “This might sound strange K V, but would you take my picture behind the wheel?” “Hell yes!” K V’s a good guy.
I love that Lincoln script. Why do most new cars just have block letters? BOR-RING!
And just look at that trunk. Just think how many people you could smuggle into the drive-in! The spare tire looks a little lost…
Yes, it was a beautiful car, and getting to ride in such an amazing car just made for a topper of a day! My Town Car rides wonderfully, but this 1956 Premiere is in a whole other category of smooth!
But wait, there’s even more! For the lovely convertible is not the only 1956 Lincoln in the fleet. Technically this one is Vinje’s car, as he bought it back at the tail end of the Sixties, but hey, it’s all in the family!
You have to give the nod to Bill Schmidt when even the four-door pillared sedan (a hardtop sedan, the Landau, would not arrive until MY ’57) looked amazing. And so it is with this car: Amazing!
This car has a pretty interesting story as well. K V’s dad, Vinje, grew up in the river town of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where there was a Dahl dealership. His neighbor bought this 1956 Premiere sedan brand new, and he always admired it. How could he not? It was beautiful.
Time passed, and in about 1968 or 1969 the neighbor traded it in to Dahl for a brand-new car. Vinje wanted it–had to have it, you might say. So he went into the business office and told them he wanted that car–NOW! The answer came back: “Vinje, you can have the car, but you have to at least pay what we gave for it in trade, so we can even it out with the accounting guys.” What price Lincoln loveliness? Seventy-Five bucks. I know, hard to believe, but there wasn’t exactly a run on 1956 Lincolns in LaCrosse in late 1968. It only had 50,000 miles on it at the time.
There was a bit of rust in the front fenders behind the front wheels, but some new sheet metal and a lick of paint on the rockers put the Premiere back in Bristol fashion in no time. The rest of the paint and metal is factory applied. And 45-odd years later, she still looks good–and is still driven several times a year. All for $75. Lucky man, that Vinje…
There’s those amazing HVAC levers again. Long love the Fifties, and their Buck Rogers-inspired design!
Such details. You can still see the modern Lincoln star in the “sunburst” star below the knight’s head of the hood ornament. Such history…
Again: Such detail! When fine materials were inexpensive and labor was cheap.
Chrome, black lacquer and lovely trim bits. I love it when a Premiere comes together!
The black-and-white interior was no less lovely than the cream yellow and black trim of K V’s convertible. I’m already spoiled with my Premiere convertible ride, but I’d love to go round the block in the sedan sometime too!
The rear compartment. Don’t call it as plebeian as a “back seat!” This was the lap of luxury. Note the Lincoln emblem on the inside of the C-pillar: A mirror image of the exterior C-pillar trim.
Did my car sales career pan out? Nope! But I still have no regrets, for I made friends with a couple of die-hard car guys as a result, and have gotten to ride in some fine vintage steel as a result! And you know, there really is nothing like a Lincoln…
Those are very, very good looking cars. The Futura front end works really well with the profile and the rear end. I’ll take both.
Are those optional fog lights or something on the convertible? For an otherwise very clean design, I’ve always felt that the front end is the weakest part, and those lights are not helping.
There were an awful lot of underappreciated good looking cars in ’55 & ’56.
+1 55 and 56 American cars from most manufacturers were generally more elegant than the flashier 57s.
Yeah, or something.
A friend of mine had a ’56 Lincoln 2-dr hardtop. The split lights under the headlights were turn signals and driving lights. I am not sure what the added round lights were all about.
Thanks for a great read Tom.The 56 Lincoln is one of my favourite American cars of the 50s,what had they been smoking when they came up with the 57 and monstrous 58?Like so many US car makers Lincoln got it right first time with the 56 and later models weren’t as nice.
Unfortunately, everybody was going louder and flashier, and Lincoln felt it was expected to follow. The ’57 was an attempt to take the ’56 body and “update” it. Never mind whether it really needed it or not, but we’re talking the American 50’s so the car HAD to be “updated”. As to the end result:
1. 1957 was the only time that Imperial outsold Lincoln.
2. I believe Studebaker-Packard attempted to buy the 1956 body shells to turn into a ’57 Packard; as a result of the financial and sales collapse during the ’56 model year ensured that the Predictor wouldn’t become the ’57 Packard. Says something about how well the ’56 was thought of.
Thanks Syke,I never knew Imperial outsold Lincoln,I’d also read about the 56 Lincoln/ Packard.The Predictor had many styling features that would turn up on future Edsels,Mercuries and Lincolns
Very nice article Tom – absolutely beautiful Lincolns – the 56’s are just perfect. Whoever approved the tacked-on fins for 57 should be charged with a crime. I read that Walt Disney loved the 56’s and refused to own a new Lincoln until the 61’s came out.
I’m always amazed that the 56’s are still priced fairly reasonably today.
And a very minor point but I’m sure you won’t mind a fellow LCOC’er mentioning the ’56 used the 368 cu in engine.
That’s my bad; I added the engine specs, and mistyped. Fixed now. Thanks.
I’d buy it just for the “*-PREMIER” script on the rear quarter panels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INcflt9zdwc
This post made me feel lost in the 50s… 😛
Lovely cars but I cannot avoid noticing the similarity to the Packards which ahem, were introduced a year earlier. A little later though the styling metamorphosed into the Soviet GAZ 13 Chaika and the even bigger ZIL 111…
This was my thought too, but the executive class would have been well aware of Packard’s problems by ’56, and would have perceived a Lincoln as a safer bet.
+1 Mr. T.
I was 5 years old when these cars came out. In the ensuing years, through the very early 60s, I would see these occasionally and try hard to distinguish them from the somewhat rarer Packards of the same era. I finally figured out that the greenhouse on the Lincoln looked more like a Ford, and the greenhouse of the Packard looked more like a Buick, and that is how I could tell them apart from a distance. Little kids are smart; I don’t know what has happened to me since! 🙂
I agree with those here who opine that 1956 MY was a styling pinnacle of sorts, before Mopars went all lower, wider and trashy, and before Lincolns got beat half to death with an ugly stick.
The Russian cars, ZIL in the foreground
There is a lot to love here that would just be as loved if found in a new Lincoln.
Such a spectacular heritage, it is amazing how Lincoln today seems to be uninterested in harvesting it for their cars now. Today’s Lincolns are not like these cars at all. The elegant touches found in these Lincolns put most luxury brands to shame.
Presence. These Lincolns have it. I wish today’s did.
^X2
I must be the only one who liked the “Continental Grille” on the Navigator better than the recently redone “Lincoln face” that was just tacked on. At least the Continental grille was a callback to their heritage.
i like the Continental grilled much better than that whale baleen maw of the present one. very classy
Liked it on the Navigator, liked it better on the MKX, liked it best on the Mark IX Convertible concept…
Awesome cars and great storys! I would gladly give $150 for the sedan. Hey, he would be doubling his money 🙂
Though not much of a ’50s Detroit car fan, I think these are among the very prettiest of all cars from that era. Truly a fine motorcar, and at least on par with any other high-end automobile from the time. I’d gladly have one of these in my collection.
1956 was the high water mark for FOMOCO styling in that decade, in my opinion. Along with the ’56 Continental Mark II, Lincoln really had it going on that year (I know, Continental was officially a separate division). Starting in ’57 FOMOCO styling lost the plot, along with most other Detroit makes which fell into late ’50s styling bizarro land, and wouldn’t recover until the debut of the ’61 Lincolns and Fords.
You, TK, are a lucky guy! Like most others, I drool over the 56 Lincoln. Unfortunately, it was a one-hit wonder, with Lincoln going off into the wilderness from 1957-60. The 57 model, particularly, is a nearly complete fail, particularly that bizzare front end. But this one is almost perfect – really, the only one that Lincoln put out during the entire decade.
Your picture of the radio, does your description omit the coolest thing about it – the automatic signal seeker? I think Ford called it a Town and Country radio, hence then labels on the two seek bars.
Also, were Lincolns painted with lacquer? I know that Lacquer was used by all of the GM Divisions (including Cadillac) but I know that everything else from Ford was enamel, which was a harder and more durable finish.
Years ago, I harbored the idea of finding a 56 convertible or hardtop, but they have remained out of my price range. Perhaps if I had started looking before the late 70s . . . .
A few weeks ago, I saw a Capri two door hardtop at a auto repair place on US 41 about 12 miles east of Janesville, WI. From a distance it was obviously far from mint but it was being driven. I could make further inquiry in the event I am again in the area.
I think the “Town” and “Country” buttons are just “Local” and “Distance” buttons.
Which, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen on a radio in years.
So for you youngsters out there: “Local” (or “Town”) was pushed when you were in a city with a lot of stations. It would actually cut down on the reception a bit so the weakest ones wouldn’t come in at all (because there was nothing more annoying than tuning in a weak AM station just to hear it fade away two minutes later).
They are both beautiful cars. Did anybody else notice the CONELRAD indicators on the radio face? 🙂
I think the ’57 Lincolns look good too, except for the front end. The stacked quad headlights look like an afterthought.
The “Conelrad” markings were at 640 & 1240khz, the plan was that those two frequencies that stations on that dial position had no more than 1k or less power transmitters. The idea was in case the “Russkies” planned a an attack, all normal high powered broadcasting would stop. That was because it would be harder for them “Russkies” to home in on U.S. stations as a direction finder. All A.M. radios sold in the U.S. from 1955-1963 had those CD markings on the dial.
go here for more Cold War info:
http://www.conelrad.com/index.php
Gorgeous cars! I was surprised, however, to see what looks like painted metal on the upper door panels – I would’ve thought Lincoln could offer a fully padded door. Would love to see a closeup of the power window switch on the driver’s door, which seems to be not on the door itself, but on the wraparound part under the windshield. Interesting design.
The door panel of the convertible makes me wonder if this is the last gasp of Art Deco car interiors. The dash design makes me think of a streamlined locomotive rather than the jet-age rockets that quickly followed.
+1. The dash actually seems rather plain for a fifties car and the streamliner locomotive versus jet-age rocket comparison is an apt one.
But that door panel is one of the most artistic I’ve ever seen. Someone at Ford’s interior studio really used their design school training on that one.
Packard was negotiating with Ford to use the ’56 Lincoln body for the ’57 Packard when they couldn’t get funding to create their all new body.
That’s pretty amazing that there was any talk of using a Lincoln body for a ’57 Packard. It would have given Packard some design continutity, but it was certainly a one year only solution given the huge changes that started in ’57 and and were completed by ’59 with most of the Big Three offerings.
If the design proposal shown is what Packard was considering, Ford really had to turn it down. The body side is more cohesive than the ’57 Lincoln, is generally better looking, and the front certainly bares more than passing resemblence to the ’58 Edsel – raising the question, did Studebaker-Packard essentially style the front of the Edsel?
the Packard Predictor showcar came out in ’56 I believe, the “beak” front end was somewhat a hot item and I don’t know who had it first. There was an Oldsmobile showcar around the same time with a blade front end, and the Kaiser Henry J had a blade front grille, so i don’t think the idea was exclusive to Packard
The Predictor is on display at the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, IN. It is a striking car in person.
Various design explorations into vertical grille themes were kicking around the industry studios in those days.
1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket. BTW the original styling sketches of the Edsel had a blade grille, it was later hollowed out into the horse collar or toilet seat.
These are two remarkable examples of a beautiful car. I would have chosen either of these over a contemporary Imperial or Cadillac, especially the white convertible. And then came 1957, when Lincoln turned into the Creature From the Black Lagoon. Change for the sake of change…Madness!
All the black model needs, IMO, is a “Period Correct” below dash air conditioner unit, with a modern sanden compressor mount & drive on the engine.
(Living in the Heat & Humidity capital of the country, New Orleans, has influenced my mind set.)
Very sharp cars to look at this morning!
Gorgeous cars I prefer the sedan but thats only because its what I prefer to drive but both are beautiful cars, being in the right place at the right time sure paid off $75 for a mint car what a deal I got beaten to a similar deal on a one owner 38 Chev my dad knew it was being sold, told me I said yes grab it for me,but the workshop foreman got in first that car was judged best in show a few weeks later after a clean and a polish.
Hey Tom K-you mentioned “Hollywood Swells” in the article where you showed the back seat of the car. My question-whats a “swell”?
This is nit picky, the analogue clock has a seconds hand. The modern trend reintroducing them to luxury cars is great, I like them. But they never have a seconds hand, thus look less substantial and even cheap. I had a car with the seconds hand, and would time my miles with the markers on lonely interstates at night to stay awake and for something to do. Do any of you wise ones know why? Is it for safety, they think you shouldn’t do what I did? Or people may tend to stare at them? Most of you are smarter than me, please tell me why…
That shift quadrant is amazing! Such a contrast to the Maverick shifter and Pinto steering wheel used in the 70s Lincolns. That’s what happens when the finance guys have too much power.
When I go to car shows and look at old T-Birds I fantasize about which I’d rather own, a well keep original or something fully restored. This ’56 Lincoln makes a strong case for restored but there is something odd on top of the binnacle. Not sure if its a dash mat for protection an overly modern material used in the resto.
Terrific write up.
Beautiful cars. Amazing the level of design put into the little details. What a shame that no longer happens! Are the pictures of the sedan taken inside their garage?!
Their museum, actually. I wrote it up a couple of years back.
“….the new 285 horsepower Lincoln V8 engine, combined with Turbo-Drive automatic transmission, gives you the power your need, when you must think…and act in today’s busy traffic.”
“……and later, after a day of filming, I arrived rested, relaxed and proud! Proud because when I met friends at the Beverly Hills Hotel for dinner, my new Lincoln was accorded the respect and admiration it so richly deserves.”
Julia Meade, spokeswoman for Lincoln-Mercury, co-host with Ed Sullivan.
What beautiful cars! The steering wheel is a work of art all by itself, with the contrasting colors at 3 and 9, and that really striking chrome horn ring. if I had to pick a favorite year for US cars in general, it would be either 1955 or 1956, and these Lincolns are one of the reasons why.
One of the best steering wheel designs I’ve ever seen!
Beautiful cars; you don’t see many of these today. As has been noted, too bad Lincoln went off the rails with the obligatory facelift in 1957, followed by the bloated monstrosities of ’58-’60.
Didn’t Elvis have one painted in Wisteria (lavender) and white?
Good looking Lincolns, though I like the 1956 Imperial more. Notice the illustrations make the car look better than the reality, not that that’s unusual.
And yes, a genuine analog clock. Not only functional, but an attractive addition to an already attractive instrument panel. Details, man! It’s all in the details.
I always prefer analog, but what’s so unusual about that in 1956? Was there an alternative?
Not unusual in ’56, but a breath of fresh air from the cheapo digital radio-mounted units in modern cars.
While I do love the behemoth ’58 to ’60 cars, the ’56 was truly Beautiful. With a capital B. Manages to be flashy and restrained all at once, and I do see some echoes of Art Deco at play along with the height of mid-century modern style.
Simply breathtaking!
The 1956 Lincoln had an entirely new and much larger body, but the frame was the old straight through style, so it didn’t have foot wells even in the back seat so it was relatively tall. In 1957 Fords and Mercurys used a new frame design that curved around and allowed rear seat foot wells and a lower car. Odd that they didn’t get this new design going a year earlier for the new Lincoln.
Anyway, the 1956 is an amazing design. Given the numbers, Ford couldn’t have been making much if any money on a car with so many unique parts, and a design that only lasted two years. The lever controls? It was eleven years after WWII. A lot of purchasers would be ex-WWII military, and lever controls were used on planes, which also just made them cool in general.
While not the same kind of beautiful, the often maligned 1958 Lincolns are pretty great in their own right. And another excellent steering wheel and dashboard.
I actually like those. Best done as a mild custom.
I really enjoy the “pagoda” 1958-60 Lincolns and Continentals too. Sometimes on CC, I feel like a man without a country. 🙂
Good to know there are others out there!
1958 Lincoln Interior (if this works)