Lincoln Continental 1961-1969

[smxi]

Lincoln Continental #1

[Forever92]

I've always loved the 61 Lincoln Cont. It's from the Matrix too.

[Revo]

Lincoln Continental #2

[Revo]

Lincoln Continental #3

[Revo]

Lincoln Continental #4

[Ferrer]

Big, elegant, imposing, understated, charismatic.

Just what an American luxury car should be.

Perhaps the greatest one ever made.

[csl177]

Thanks for those, Revo...

As mentioned in the "just saw a" thread in response to NSX, the '61 Continental owed alot to Pininfarina's elegant Florida/Aurelia
saloon presented 6 years earlier. Hard to believe that the 1960 Lincoln was still like Chrysler or Cadillac, until finally getting a completely
fresh design for '61. Both of the other American luxury marques retained vestigal fins and fussy details well into the 1960s.

Ferrer, I agree. Fleet may take issue with us though.

[Man of Steel]

The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edsel Ford, who commissioned a coachbuilt 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr convertible, developed as a vacation vehicle to attract potential Lincoln buyers. In what would give the model line its name, the exterior was given European "continental" styling elements, including a rear-mounted spare tire.

In production for over 55 years across nine different decades, Lincoln has produced ten generations of the Continental. Within the Lincoln model line, the Continental has served several roles ranging from its flagship to its base-trim sedan. From 1961 to 1976, Lincoln sold the Continental as its exclusive model line. The model line has also gone on hiatus three times. From 1949 to 1955, the nameplate was briefly retired. In 1981, the Continental was renamed the Lincoln Town Car to accommodate the 1982 seventh-generation Continental. After 2002, the Continental was retired, largely replaced by the Lincoln MKS in 2009; in 2017, the tenth-generation Continental replaced the MKS.

As part of its entry into full-scale production, the first-generation Continental was the progenitor of an entirely new automotive segment, the personal luxury car. Following World War II, the segment evolved into coupes and convertibles larger than sports cars and grand touring cars with an emphasis on features, styling, and comfort over performance and handling. From 1956 to 1957, the Continental nameplate was the namesake of the short-lived Continental Division, marketing the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II as the worldwide flagship of Ford Motor Company; as a second successor, Ford introduced the Continental Mark series in 1969, produced over six generations to 1998.

Along with the creation of the personal luxury car segment, the Lincoln Continental marked the zenith of several designs in American automotive history. The Continental is the final American vehicle line with a factory-produced V12 engine (1948), the final four-door convertible (1967), and the final model line to undergo downsizing (for the 1980 model year).

Production of the Continental and MKZ, its only two sedans, ended in 2020 thereby making Lincoln a crossover/SUV-only brand.

Fourth generation (1961-1969)
For the 1961 model year the Lincoln range was consolidated into one model. Following the $60 million in losses ($524,881,890 in 2020 dollars) to develop the 1958–1960 cars, all models were replaced by a new Lincoln Continental. Making its first appearance since 1948, the fourth-generation was available only as a four-door sedan and convertible until its 1966 model year refresh.

Although shedding nearly 15 inches in length and 8 inches in wheelbase over its 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V predecessor, the new model was nevertheless heavier than its Cadillac or Imperial counterparts. Its solid construction and rigorous post-build inspection of each vehicle reflected Ford corporate management's commitment to making the finest mass-produced domestic automobile of its time – an enviable reputation it achieved.

The 1961 Lincoln Continental and its designers received a bronze medal by the Industrial Design Institute (IDI) of New York, NY. This institute rarely gives awards to vehicles. It also won Car Life's 1961 Engineering Excellence Award.

Development
The fourth-generation Lincoln Continental was styled by Ford design vice president Elwood Engel. In mid-1958, Lincoln was struggling against Cadillac, with its lack of profitability putting the future of the division at risk. In 1958, Engel developed a proposal for the 1961 Ford Thunderbird with staffers Howard Payne and John Orfe in 1958. While the proposal was not selected for the Thunderbird, the design interested Ford executives to the point of desiring the vehicle as a four-door Lincoln.

At the time of the approval, Ford product planners had come to two conclusions critical to restoring the Lincoln Division to profitability. First, to instill design continuity, Lincoln would adopt a model cycle distinct from Ford or Mercury, moving from three years to eight or nine. Second, the 1958 Lincoln model line was too large for a standard-length sedan; consequently, the 1961 Lincoln would have to decrease its exterior footprint.

Chassis
The fourth-generation Continental rode on a stretched version of the unibody platform produced for the 1961 Thunderbird, lengthened to a 123-inch wheelbase from market launch to 1963. This was then extended to 126 inches and retained until 1969.

The only engine available was the 430 cu in (7.0 L) MEL V8 carried over from the Mark V. It was expanded to 462 cubic inches on 1966 models, becoming the largest-displacement engine ever used in a Ford Motor Company passenger car. A new engine, the 460 cu in (7.5 L) 385-series-based V8, took its place by 1969, shared with the Continental Mark III. All versions of the Continental were fitted with a 3-speed automatic transmission. New for 1966 was Ford's C6 automatic, designed for use in big block, high-horsepower V8 engines.

Body
At its launch, the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental was offered solely as a four-door, as either a sedan or a convertible. For the first time on a Lincoln since 1951, rear doors were rear-hinged (suicide doors). To alert drivers of open doors, Lincoln fitted the dashboard with a "Door Ajar" warning light (as seen on many modern automobiles). Latching together at the B-pillar with a vacuum-operated central locking system, convertibles used an abbreviated pillar while sedans were "pillared hardtops". In the configuration, a thin B-pillar supported the roof structure while all four doors utilized frameless door glass (in the style of a hardtop or convertible); the layout would become used by several Ford Motor Company sedans during the 1960s and 1970s.

In what would be the first four-door convertible from a major American manufacturer after World War II, the Lincoln Continental convertible was fitted with a power-operated top on all examples. Deriving its mechanism from the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner hardtop convertible, the Continental was fitted with a fabric roof that stored under a rear-hinged deck lid/filler panel. In a similar fashion as the Skyliner, to access the trunk for storage, the deck lid was opened electrically (without raising or lowering the roof).

A somewhat rare and unusual option for 1964–1965 was the vertically adjustable steering column. Unlike most tilt-adjustable columns that employ a lever-activated locking pivot joint just behind the steering wheel the Lincoln version employed a vacuum-actuated clamp, a dash-mounted height indicator window and a pivot point much further down the column.

Source: Wikipedia

[Man of Steel]

Model timeline
During its production, the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental would be produced in three versions, undergoing model revisions in 1964 and 1966.

1961-1963
The 1961 Lincoln Continental was introduced with four-door sedan and four-door convertible versions, replacing the Lincoln Premiere and Lincoln Continental Mark V. For the first time in a car manufactured in the United States, the Lincoln Continental was sold with a 2 year/ 24,000 mi (39,000 km) bumper-to-bumper warranty. California walnut veneer was used on the doors and instrument panel.

For 1962, a simpler front grille design with floating rectangles and a thin center bar replaced the heavy-gauge, Thunderbird-like, high mounted bumper of the '61.

For 1963, the Continental underwent several functional updates. The front seatbacks were modified in an effort to increase rear seat legroom. To increase luggage space, the trunklid was reshaped. In line with a number of vehicles in the United States, the electrical charging system introduced an alternator, replacing the generator.

1964-1965
For 1964, the Lincoln Continental underwent its first mid-cycle redesign. Alongside styling updates, several functional changes were focused towards increasing rear-seat space. The wheelbase was increased from 123 to 126 inches, shifting the rear seats backward. The roofline underwent several changes, with the adoption of flat side glass (replacing curved window glass). To increase rear headroom, the rear roofline became additionally squared off, in a notchback style.

In a slight exterior restyling, to eliminate the "electric shaver" appearance, the front fascia added vertical chrome accents to the grille; the recessed rear grille was replaced by a much simpler decklid with trim panel (moving the fuel-filler door to the left-rear fender). The interior was completely revised with a full-width instrument panel, updated upholstery patterns, door panels and fittings.

In 1964, Lincoln debuted the Continental Town Brougham concept car, which had a 131 in. wheelbase, overall length at 221.3, and had a retractable glass partition between the front and rear compartments, with an exposed area over the front compartment, in typical 1930s style town car/brougham appearance.

For 1965, Lincoln made additional updates to the Continental. In a styling change, the convex "electric shaver" front fascia was replaced by a more angular blunt hood with an upright flat grille design. As part of the redesign, the front turn signals and parking lights are moved from the front bumpers to wraparound lenses on the front fenders, with similar parking lights/turn signals on the rear; all four lights received metal trim to match the horizontal lines of the new grille. To improve braking ability, the Continental was given Kelsey-Hayes disc brakes for the front wheels; in addition, front seat belts with retractors became standard.

1966-1969
For 1966, the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental underwent a second mid-cycle redesign. To better compete against the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Imperial Crown Coupe, Lincoln introduced its first two-door pillarless hardtop since 1960. The convertible remained offered solely as a four-door. In an effort to increase sales of the five year-old model range, Lincoln reduced the price of the Continental nearly $600 from 1965 while keeping equipment levels identical. The marketing decision proved successful; boosted by the introduction of the two-door body style, the model range increased sales by 36%.

While following much of the 1965 restyling (distinguished in '66 largely by a new grille and the addition of "Continental" to the hood), the 1966 Lincoln Continental wore an all new body, growing 5 inches longer (implemented primarily in the rear seats to accommodate more legroom), and nearly an inch taller and wider. Curved side glass made its return (with less obvious tumblehome, to increase interior room). To offer an engine sized comparably to those in the Imperial (440 cubic inches in 1966) and Cadillac (429 cubic inches, 472 cubic inches in 1968), the 430 V8 was enlarged to 462 cubic inches.

The convertible underwent several equipment revisions for the first time, adding a glass rear window and the top mechanism added a second hydraulic pump for opening the convertible roof and the trunklid (making the two systems separate); hydraulic solenoids were deleted from the top mechanism. The interior underwent several revisions, adding a tilt steering wheel and an 8-track tape player as options.

For 1967, the Lincoln Continental was given only minor trim updates, with the deletion of the Lincoln star emblem from the front fenders being the largest change. Several functional changes were made, as Lincoln added a number of indicator lights to the dashboard. Along with an oil pressure warning light, the dashboard was given indicator lights for an open trunk and the cruise control (if on). Following federal safety mandates, lap safety seatbelts became standard equipment, coupled with an energy-absorbing steering column.

Following years of decreasing sales, 1967 marked the final year of the Lincoln Continental convertible, with only 2,276 sold. After becoming the first four-door convertible sold after World War II, the Lincoln Continental would become the final (as of the 2018 model year) example of its type sold by an American manufacturer. As a result of numerous frame reinforcements required by the lack of a fixed roof, the 5,712 pound 1967 Lincoln Continental convertible is one of the heaviest passenger cars ever sold by Ford Motor Company.

For 1968, Lincoln made several styling changes to the Continental. To meet federal safety standards, the parking lights, taillights, and front turn signals were returned to a wraparound design on the fenders to satisfy Federal standards for side marker lights. For the interior, torso seatbelts were added for the outboard front seats. The "Continental" wording was removed from the front fascia, replaced by the Lincoln star emblem (as seen on the rear); the hood ornament was deleted, in anticipation of a federal ban on the feature (which never came to effect). The new 460 cu in (7.5 l) Ford "Lima" engine was to be available at the beginning of the model year, but there were so many 462 cu in (7.57 l) Ford MEL engine engines still available, the 460 was phased in later that year. In April, the new Mark III made its debut, as a 1969 model. Total sales would be down to just 39,134.

For 1969, few changes were made in the final year of production. To comply with federal regulations, the front seats were updated with head restraints for the outboard passengers. The front fascia was updated, with the grille enlarged for the first time since 1966, with the "Continental" wording returning above the grille. Shared with the Mark III, the 460 V8 became the sole engine for the Lincoln Continental, paired with the Ford C6 3-speed automatic transmission.

After a nine-year hiatus, the Town Car name made a return in 1969 as part of an interior trim option package for the Continental.

Source: Wikipedia

[Man of Steel]

Presidential state cars
The Secret Service acquired two versions of the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental for use as a Presidential state car, serving from 1961 to 1977.

SS-100-X is a 1961 Lincoln Continental limousine modified by Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati, Ohio. Designed as an open car with a series of tops for inclement weather, the car was rebuilt with a permanent roof, armoring, and bulletproof glass following the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Subsequently, all United States presidential limousines have been constructed as armored vehicles.

The Secret Service acquired a 1969 Lincoln Continental limousine for Richard Nixon; although an armored vehicle, the limousine roof was designed with a sunroof to allow President Nixon to stand in the vehicle to greet crowds in a motorcade.

In media
The fourth generation of Continental has appeared in many motion pictures. In the CBS television situation comedy Green Acres (1965–1971), in which the cars were furnished by Ford, lead character Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eddie Albert) is shown driving a 1965 Continental convertible and then in later episodes owns a 1967 model. Perry Mason (from the CBS 1957 series) also drove a fourth generation Continental convertible in many episodes; here too the cars were furnished by Ford.

Source: Wikipedia

[Man of Steel]

Lincoln Continental (4th gen) #8

[Man of Steel]

Lincoln Continental (4th gen) #9

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Lincoln Continental (4th gen) #10

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Lincoln Continental (4th gen) #11

[Man of Steel]

Lincoln Continental (4th gen) #12