1963 Lincoln Continental

Henry Leland and his son Wilfred founded the Lincoln Motor Company in August of 1917. After the assembly of approximately 6,500 Liberty V12 engines, the company was reorganized as an automobile manufacturer on January 26th of 1920 and produced its first automobile (the Lincoln Model L) on September 16th of 1920. By 1922, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy and was placed in receivership. On February 4th of 1922, it was acquired by Henry Ford for $8 million.

Over the years that followed, the Ford-owned Lincoln would rival those of General Motors' Cadillac division in their luxury and exclusivity, in particular the range-topping Continental. The 'Continental' model name was first used in the late 1930s for Bob Gregorie's masterly styling exercise on the existing V12 Zephyr chassis. It began as a personal, custom-bodied one-off commissioned by Lincoln boss Edsel Ford, and later joined the Zephyr in production, serving as a sportier, top-of-the-range model. Its elegance and attractive design were recognized by authorities as diverse as the Museum of Modern Art and the Classic Car Club of America.

The demise of the V12 engine at the close of the 1948 model year brought about the end of the Continentals for seven years. A new V8-engined Continental was introduced in October of 1955 at the Paris Salon, causing just as much of a sensation as the original. Ford created the 'Continental' division slotted well above the Lincoln-Mercury, and the name of the vehicle was called the 'Mark II' and was marketed and serviced through the Lincoln dealership network. Production was brief, lasting from 1956 through 1957. With a base price of $10,000, it was one of the most expensive vehicles on the market.

The Continentals were expensive and exclusive, favored by heads of state and U.S. Presidents, with several wearing modified bodies by coachbuilders such as Lehmann-Peterson and Hess & Eisenhardt. Following the election of the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1961, the White House commissioned a new presidential limousine from the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln division, specifying that the car had to be a convertible and have large doors to enable the President and his entourage maximum ease of access. A new Lincoln Continental limousine chassis was delivered to specialist coachbuilders Hess & Eisenhardt in Cincinnati, Ohio where it was lengthened, reinforced, and modified. Hess & Eisenhardt's history with presidential vehicles dates back to the late 1940s when they built a presidential limousine for Harry S. Truman, followed by a succession of armor-reinforced vehicles for US presidents and other heads of state thereafter. President Kennedy was riding in a modified Lincoln Continental when he was assassinated in Dallas on 22nd November 1963.

The Third Generation of the Continental was built from 1958 through 1960, followed by the fourth generation introduced in 1961 and built through 1969. Although the 3rd Gen. was priced much lower than the Continental Mark II, at approximately $6,000, Ford lost roughly $60 million on the model. The 4th Gen. rode on a 123-inch wheelbase which was nearly 8-inches shorter than the previous Continental and it was roughly 15-inches shorter in length. It wore styling by Ford design vice president Elwood Engel and initially built solely as a four-door, as either a sedan or a convertible with 'suicide' rear doors, greatly easing entry and departure for back-seat passengers. The convertible top was conveniently operated by pulling a T-handle, which opened the rear-hinged trunk lid and a smaller extension panel, folded and retracted the top, and stored it in the luggage bay. The entire process took less than a minute. The only available powerplant was the 430 cubic-inch MEL V8 sourced from the previous Mark V. It later grew to 462 cubic-inches in 1966, becoming the largest-displacement engine ever installed in a production Ford Motor Company passenger vehicle. All 4th Gen. Continental versions were equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission. A Ford C6 automatic became available in 1966, designed the cope with the power produced by the big block.

To accommodate the ultra-low ride height of the Continental, it received an innovative driveshaft that was lowered as far as possible to reduce the interior tunnel. Additional advanced features included curved window glass, and extensive factory rustproofing.

The Continentals were elegant, devoid of unnecessary chrome trim and brightwork, with minimal styling design cues resulting in a modern appearance. This was in contrast to its rivals Cadillac and Imperial, which continued to flaunt huge fins, and it boasted much better build quality than its predecessors. Each Continental was subjected to a 12-mile test drive before leaving the factory in Wixom, Michigan. The Continental was also the first American automobile to carry a 24,000 mile/two-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. The new design was so appealing that it was honored by the Industrial Design Institute with a special bronze medal.

1963 Lincoln Continental
The 1963 Lincoln Continental four-door sedan was priced at $6,270 and the convertible listed for $6,920. The sedan was more popular with 28,095 examples built compared to 3,138 of the convertible. The 430 cubic-inch V8 engine had overhead valves, a 10.0:1 compression ratio, a Carter four-barrel carburetor, and delivered 320 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. Standard equipment included an electric clock, power steering, power brakes, power vent windows, power door locks, power radio antenna, radio with rear speaker, walnut applique or padded instrument panel, carpeting, dual exhaust, a six-way power seat, heater, and visor vanity mirror. Additionally, there was a remote control outside rearview mirror and chrome curb guards. Options included an air conditioning system which was installed on nearly seventy-five percent of the 1963 Continentals, a locking differential, tinted glass, power trunk lock, AM/FM push-button radio, special leather trim (standard in the convertible), and speed control.

Changes were minimal, with slight updates to the grille and a different rear panel design. Changes to the interior dashboard resulted in an increase in knee room.

Although changes were minimal for 1963, the 1964 Lincoln Continental entered showrooms wearing a mid-cycle redesign, along with functional changes that resulted in increased space for rear passengers. The wheelbase increased from 123- to 126-inches.

This generation of styling continued through 1969, and the Continental nameplate was part of the Lincoln marque, well into the 2000s.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2021