Want to own a piece of American history? Perhaps you should consider
35th President John F. Kennedy's limousine, a 1960 Lincoln Continental,
or the last car he safely rode in before his assassination, a 1963
Lincoln Continental convertible. Both of them will be up for sale at the
Camelot: Fifty Years after Dallas auction on October 24, a JFK 50th
anniversary auction in Boston.
Click Here for pictures of the 1960 Lincoln Continental.
The black 1960 Continental
was part of the presidential motorcade and is bulletproof. The body has
been restored to the tune of about $35,000, according to RR Auctions,
but the interior was left alone. That's okay, because the winning bidder
will be able to enjoy lounging in the well-preserved seats and stepping
on the original tan carpeting, just as President Kennedy did. The next
owner can even play President, with a divider window, passenger air
controls and a two-way telephone - if a chauffeur is hired, of course.
The starting bid for the Continental is $25,000.
The other car is more historically relevant (but in this writer's eye,
less beautiful), and commands a starting bid of $50,000. The white,
convertible 1963 Continental
was the last car President Kennedy rode in before his assassination in
Dallas - with a notarized document by the car's owner at the time as
proof. It was used to transport the President, his wife, Jacqeuline, and
Texas governor John Connally "from a breakfast and speech at the Texas
Hotel ballroom through the streets of Fort Worth to Carswell Air Force
Base, where they boarded a short flight to Dallas on the morning of
November 22, 1963," according to RR Auctions. Lincoln
specialist Baker Restoration in Connecticut restored the car, which
included an engine replacement, body work and paint. Most of the
interior, including the seats, are in original condition.
The
two cars are for sale amongst 290 other JFK-related items, such as the
controversial sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository
through which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy. Oswald's wedding
band is also up for auction, as is his United States Marine Corps
raincoat, stenciled with his name. Read more about the auction,
including other items up for auction, in the press release below.
UPDATE:
A previous version of this post incorrectly referred to the 1960
Lincoln Continental as a stretch – the text has been corrected.
Source: RR Auction