1965 Lincoln Continental Concept Car

Based on a 1963 Lincoln 4-door sedan, the1965 Continental Town Brougham show car had a 131-inch wheelbase, 8-inches longer than the production car. Under the long hood was a 320 horsepower, 430 cu. in. V-8, connected to an automatic transmission. Featuring an open chauffeur compartment, the exterior was finished in dark blue. The blue/green metallic-tone leather interior was accented by walnut moldings and large Continental emblems embroidered into the seatbacks. There was a limousine-type division window to separate the driver from passengers, but an intercom keep them in touch.



Source: chicagoautoshow.com

1961 Lincoln Continental "Phantom" Prototype

Did you know that the styling exercise for what became the 1961 Lincoln Continental was originally going to be the 1961 Ford Thunderbird? It's true.

This has the Lincoln emblems on it, indicating this photo was taken after that decision had been made, and shows a planned 2-door hardtop which never made it to production, and which didn't exist in the Lincoln line from 1961-1965. Also planned was a 4-door hardtop, of which a handful were made early in production, all of which included the automatic retracting rear door glass, like the production Convertible models had.

Source: Vintage Automobile Dealerships and Automobilia

1930 Lincoln Model L Convertible Phaeton By Derham Body Co.

90 bhp, 384.8 cu. in. L-head V-8 engine, three-speed manual transmission, solid front and live rear axles with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel mechanical brakes. Wheelbase: 136"

• One of 20 Lincoln Model L Convertible Phaetons by Derham; three known survivors
• Continuous and fully documented ownership history from new
• Displayed and purchased at 1930 New York Auto Show

As one of the most successful custom coachbuilders, Philadelphia’s Derham continued operations until 1974. In 1928, the firm designed a striking four-passenger convertible phaeton body on a Hispano-Suiza chassis for Countess Holstein. While this car was displayed at Derham’s showroom, two further convertible phaetons were built by Derham’s craftsmen for Chrysler and Packard chassis. For 1930, the final year of Model L production, Lincoln added the Derham design to its custom-body catalogue. Of only 20 examples constructed, only three are known to survive.

Stylistically, Derham’s Convertible Phaeton was a perfect match for the 136-inch Lincoln Model L chassis. According to the coachbuilder’s own catalogue description, the body was designed from the outset as an open car and then closed, reversing the normal body-building practices of the era. As executed, the Derham convertible phaeton provided the best of both worlds—a true open phaeton and a rakish sedan with crisp lines flowing naturally into a sloping rear deck. The noiseless top was fitted over the tops of the front and rear windows. Once modern yet conservative, the convertible phaeton remains a triumph of handsomely tailored lines and proportions.

This example is accompanied by an extensive and fascinating historical file, with provenance carefully detailed by John Maitland, who purchased the Lincoln for $200 in March 1952 from the Estate of Daniel Cook, who was given the car by his elder aunts, who had reportedly acquired the car directly off the floor of the New York Auto Show when new. Interestingly, the Cook sisters were descendants of Thomas Cook, founder of the first organized travel and tour company in 1865. At the time of purchase, the car was in original condition with approximately 50,000 miles. Under Mr. Maitland’s care, the muffler, tailpipe, and running boards were replaced, the upholstery was preserved, the car was repainted, and it was fitted with a new convertible top and spare-tire covers. Mr. Maitland found the car to run well, being capable of freeway cruising at 50–55 mph, and following a transfer to New York City, he drove it daily from his home in Westchester to his local commuter-train station.

Following a transfer to Detroit in 1956, Mr. Maitland sold the Lincoln, and then in 1958, it was acquired by Lima, Ohio’s Norman Delaney, who had the engine overhauled, installed new rear-end seals, and retained the car through 1969. In 1970, it became part of the prestigious Tom Lester Collection and it was refinished in Light Tan with Coffee accents and Orange wheels. Subsequent ownership history is well-known to the present day.

Clearly benefiting from attentive care throughout its existence, the Lincoln is complemented by a newer convertible top. All of the mechanical elements are reported to function properly, providing an excellent driving experience. All of the original details have reportedly been retained down to such minute items as the cigar-lighter cover. With its luxurious, handsome, dual-purpose Derham body, this example marks what many collectors regard as the pinnacle of Lincoln’s Model L from the last production year of this chassis. In testament to its enduring quality, this Derham Model L won the prestigious Lion Award at the 2010 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. Rarely does such a stunning and correct classic era car come available with this much ownership documentation. With its stylistic excellence and abundant passenger comfort by virtue of its roomy interior and roll-up windows, it will certainly provide a most wonderful touring experience.

 

Estimate: $140,000-$170,000

One of 20 Lincoln Model L Convertible Phaetons by Derham ever produced, this is one of only three known survivors. Not only has it managed to to see the 21st century, but this pristine antique has a fully documented ownership history since the day it was born. It was displayed and purchased at the 1930 New York Auto Show.

The Continental Conundrum - Lincoln Mark II

How do you explain a Mark II convertible? Ask the Secret Service...

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Feature Article from Hemmings Classic Car

October, 2007 - Daniel Strohl

When an ex-Secret Service agent starts to tell you about your car, you should probably listen.While not a common or an expected circumstance, that's exactly the situation Barry Wolk, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, found himself in while preparing his Continental Mark II convertible for a showing of Lincolns and Continentals in 2003 in the lobby of Ford's Dearborn, Michigan, World Headquarters. "At the time, I didn't care much about the history of the car," Barry said. "As a long-term art collector, it was just another work of art. I bought it strictly for my enjoyment."Thus, he never questioned the Derham badge on the car. The only authenticated custom-bodied Mark II convertible known at that time, a different car now located in Iowa, had come from the Derham Body Company in Philadelphia, and most folks--including the restorer who placed the badge on the car in 1994, eight years before Wolk bought it--simply assumed that this car had been converted in Philadelphia as well.But Rick Bondy knew otherwise. "That's not a Derham-bodied car," Rick said. He introduced himself as not only a former Secret Service agent who worked with Hess and Eisenhardt's presidential limousines, but also as the man then in charge of Ford's Ballistic Protection Series (bullet-proof car) division. Rick told Barry he was sure Cincinnati-based Hess and Eisenhardt had built Barry's car.All Barry knew for sure at that point was that Ford Motor Company never built a Continental Mark II convertible Why they didn't remains one of those frustrating mysteries of life. A Mark II convertible would have had gorgeous lines with the top down, all perfectly accentuating the Continental's length and prestige without making it look like a tuna boat. Besides, convertibles naturally complement a ritzy car, especially one that sold for just shy of $10,000 new.And it's not as though Ford didn't consider a Mark II convertible. Preliminary plans for the Mark II in the early 1950's called for up to four different body styles: a coupe, a soft-top convertible, a hardtop convertible and a four-door sedan. Design sketches by Ford designer Charlie Pfaneuf show that the soft-top convertible would have shared most of the coupe's bodylines, with a delicate folding canvas top gracefully taking the place of the steel roof.The hardtop convertible, a more ambitious project, sprang initially from the mind of Gil Spear in Ford's Advanced Styling Studio. Ford thus allocated $2.19 million to its Special Products Division specifically to study the feasibility of building a hardtop convertible Continental Mark II. The project eventually resulted in a full mechanical prototype car, designated MP #5, which debuted at a Ford board of directors meeting in January 1955.However, William Clay Ford, Sr.--the general manager of the fledgling Continental division--and his staff rejected all body styles save for the coupe when they realized that the economics of the Mark II's planned limited volume dictated just one body style.Interestingly enough, Ford later wanted a soft-top convertible Mark II to take on the show circuit, and thus commissioned Derham to remove the roof from a production-line coupe. That car debuted at the Texas State Fair in October of 1956 and toured the show circuit for a while, until the company gave it to William Clay Ford's wife.But throughout the years, the presence of a second convertible--which would eventually become Barry's car--stumped historians. Some called it a fake; others dismissed it as nothing more than a customized Continental. Barry joined the Lincoln Continental Owners Club, which had little to offer in solid evidence of the car's history, but which still invited him to display the convertible in Dearborn.Barry thus began to investigate Rick's tip on the Hess and Eisenhardt connection. With some sleuthing, he found Art Sears, Hess and Eisenhardt's chief production manager during the mid-1950's, who said he was 99 percent sure that the company built the convertible. Discussion with fellow former Hess and Eisenhardt employees confirmed Sears's recollections, and William Hess, the son of one of the company's founders, vouched for Sears.Unfortunately, while all of Hess and Eisenhardt's records from that time still exist, the person who owns those records has not made them available for research. Barry was able, though, through continued sleuthing, to uncover a bit more of the convertible's history.First, the convertible's serial number, C-5681126, indicates that Ford originally built the car as a coupe and, more specifically, as one of about 300 cars that Continental designated as special introductory cars, meant to entice prospective customers in dealership showrooms until actual production could meet up with demand. Because Ford couldn't justify forcing each dealer to take a chance on the expensive cars, the introductory cars remained in Ford's possession.The production order for that serial number shows that Ford shipped the car, then painted black with a two-tone gray interior, on September 23, 1955, to Madison Street Motors in Chicago. But the serial number pops up again in a memo sent three days later from the Continental Division's Midwest Chicago office back to Dearborn, stating that three introductory cars headed to the Chicago area suffered damages during transport. Specifically, a flapping cover damaged No. 1126's paint."These cars were shipped in a sort of sock," Barry said. "They were essentially big bags lined in fleece, but early on, they didn't figure out how to tie them down properly. Chicago was basically asking Detroit what to do with the cars."As far as Barry knows, Detroit never answered the Chicago office. According to Art Sears's account, Chicago shipped two of the cars mentioned in the memo--No. 1126 and No. 1120--to Hess and Eisenhardt shortly afterward for conversion into convertibles. "But the crazy part is that there's no record of who at Ford had the cars made," Barry said. "After that, they both fell off the map."But No. 1126 resurfaced in 1963, when Bill Hogan, who owned the car at the time, applied for membership in the LCOC. By that time, it had 18,000 miles, but still wore its black paint. Three years later, Bill had the convertible repainted green with a tan interior and a tan top. He also fitted a metal boot to the car at the same time, replacing the canvas boot, and removed all the power convertible top mechanisms. Bill sold the convertible in 1969, after which it passed through a few hands and resided in a museum for a while. During the 1994 restoration, the convertible became its current blue with blue and white interior.Barry told us that even though he hasn't been able to obtain the Hess and Eisenhardt records on the convertible, he remains undeterred in investigating the car's history and continues to show it at numerous concourses. "When I take the Willard Hess Award for Design Excellence at the Ault Park Concours, and the award is handed to me by Willard Hess's daughter, wouldn't one think that should be provenance enough?" Barry asked.

Source: hemmings.com

1962 Lincoln Continental Prototype Coupe

Passengers Side View


This beauty is from the estate of a prominent car collector in Texas. This is the information given to us : " 1 of only 2 examples to have been built for Lincoln by the Derham Body Company and the only known survivor. This Lincoln Prototype has been fully restored. The wheelbase was shortened 22 " and the reardoors were removed from the design. Sporting Derham badges , this example features a bench seat , a black vinyl top , powerwindows and locks and shows just over 57000 miles." A wonderful car indeed and a true eyecatcher that looks very classy , and runs and drives great. If anybody has any information regarding the history of this car we would welcome it very much.


Rear View


Front View and Drivers Side


Badging on Vinyl Roof


Interior View From Drivers Door


Engine Compartment

Source:

Today being Presidents Day, it’s only natural we turn our attention to Lincoln, the company named for the famed president. Perhaps the most unique Lincoln on Hemmings.com right now would be this Derham-shortened 1962 Lincoln Continental that will cross the block at the upcoming Collector Cars of Fort Lauderdale auction by Auctions America by RM. From the auction description:

1 of only 2 examples believed to have been built for Lincoln by the Derham Body Company and the only known survivor, this Lincoln Prototype has been fully restored. The wheelbase was shortened 22 and the rear doors were removed from the design. Sporting Derham badges, this example features a bench seat, a black vinyl top, power windows and locks, and shows just over 57,500 miles.

- See more at: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/02/21/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1962-lincoln-continental-prototype/#sthash.o9HpJnJ3.dpuf

Eugene Bordinat Lincoln Designer

Eugene Bordinat, Jr. (10 February 1920 – 11 August 1987) was a Ford Motor Company styling executive whose career spanned several decades.

Early career:

Bordinat was educated at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and University of Michigan. He joined General Motors in 1939 as a trainee. During World War II he was a supervisor at Fisher Body for tank production, and later served in the United States Army Air Forces. Bordinat briefly returned to work at GM as a senior stylist after the war.

Ford career:

Bordinat joined Ford in 1947, quitting General Motors. He supervised styling at the Lincoln-Mercury division, influencing the implementation of many automotive designs. Bordinat was promoted to vice president for styling and a chief designer in 1961, the successor to George W. Walker. He ultimately served 19 years, longer than anyone in Ford Styling before or since. His favorite designs during his tenure included successful cars like the Ford Mustang and Lincoln Continental Mk III, as well as the Pinto. Bordinat was an enthusiast of the wire-wheels-and-stand-up-grilles school of design, as reflected in the Mark III and a number of other cars he styled. He retired from Ford in 1980 following his 60th birthday.

Personal life:

Bordinat is quoted to have said "Beauty is a good 10-day sales report", a methodology that made him versatile and adaptive. He was a member of the Industrial Designers Society of America from its founding in 1965. In his retirement he wrote a light-hearted autobiography manuscript entitled My Days at the Court of Henry II. Though it had been finished and accepted, it was being edited at the time of his death to accommodate a more "anti-Iacocca slant" as suggested by the publisher and of which Bordinat approved. Eugene Bordinat died suddenly of an undiagnosed lung ailment at the Henry Ford Hospital on August 11, 1987. Although his widow Teresa said that she would finish it, the work was never published.

External Links:

• David L. Lewis and the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2005). 100 Years of Ford. Publications International, Inc. ISBN 0-7853-7988-6.
• Archived New York Times obituary, retrieved 24 July 2008
• IDSA page on Eugene Bordinat, retrieved 24 July 2008

"Suicide Door" Lincolns

1963 Lincoln With "Suicide Doors."


1962 Lincoln With "Suicide Doors."


1968 Lincoln With "Suicide Doors."


1969 Lincoln Continental With "Suicide Doors."


Lincoln With The "Suicide Doors" Open


Presidential Lincoln With Suicide Doors.

Source: Internet