1957 Lincoln Premiere Hardtop Coupe

The 1956 Lincoln Premiere was inspired by Ford's 1955 Futura Show Car, and the 1957 model was a flamboyant restyling of the 1956. Years later, the car was made famous when George Barris transformed it into the 'Batmobile.'

Part of the 1957 re-styling included blade-like rear fins and a Quadra-Lite headlamp system that had regular lights plus smaller 'road' lights operated via a separate switch. This new system was Lincoln's response to several state legislatures who had been threatening in 1956 to block the industry-wide adoption of quad headlamp arrangements.

Power for the 1957 Premiere was a 368 cubic-inch, 300 horsepower V8 engine. Standard features included a new padded dash, reinforced door latches, and a 'deep-dish' steering wheel. Optional equipment included a 'Multi-Luber' system which allowed the driver to lubricate the front suspension by merely touching a button on the dashboard.

This Premiere hardtop coupe is one of 15,185 examples built in 1957. It was given a full frame-off restoration that was completed in 1993.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2010