1962 Lincoln Continental

The Continental was birthed from a Thunderbird styling exercise created by Elwood P. Engel. Ford Motor Company Group Vice President Robert McNamara was impressed and asked that it be expanded to Lincoln's proportions. The process began in late 1958, was quickly approved by Ford management, and rushed to completion to meet model changeover deadlines. The rush to production helped preserve the clean and elegant design that Engel, John Najjar, and the 'stiletto studio' team had created.

During the late 1950s, Ford's design team was led by George Walker, Ford's Vice President of Styling. Walker had consulted with Edsel Ford and Bob Gregorie before coming to Ford full-time in 1946. He brought Eldwood Engel with him, who would later become Chrysler's Design Vice President. The team included Najjar, Eugene Bordinat, Jr. (later to be Walker's successor as Ford Design Vice President), Bob Thomas, and Don DeLaRossa.

Lincoln introduced a new version of the Continental for 1961. It had quad headlights, rear-hinged rear doors, and low-riding coachwork. The wheelbase was 10 inches longer than the new unit body 1961 Thunderbird and compared to other four-door cars of the era, it was short. Since there was not enough room between the wheel wells for four doors, the doors were hinged at the rear.

For 1962, the Lincoln Continental was modified to be slightly longer and lower, with minor modifications to the front trim. Standard features included power windows, power steering, power brakes, an electric clock, folding center armrests, and a radio with a rear speaker. The engine remained the 430 cubic-inch V8 with a single dual-throat carburetor and dual exhaust, producing 300 horsepower. The engine was installed at a seven-degree angle to drop the back of the transmission. Dana engineers worked with Ford designers to develop a special universal joint at the transmission to accommodate the constant angular difference. Each engine was dyno-tested for three hours and the completed car was driven on the streets and expressways near the Wixom assembly plant and then returned for defects to be corrected. They were then given high-pressure water testing, followed by being put on a lift to check for leaks.

To help reduce noise and vibration, refinement such as sealed electric window-lift motors and a crankshaft-driven pump for the power steering and hydraulic systems were installed.

The majority of 1961 and 1962 Continentals were bodied as sedans, with a small percentage being vinyl-upholstered convertibles whose power tops effortlessly retracted into the trunk. Convertible bodies accounted for just over 10 percent of total production for 1962.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019