Update 9/17/11 – The seller has this listed as a ’59, but it has been brought to our attention that it is actually a ’58.
Reader Tom M just sent in this craigslist find. It is a 1959 Lincoln Continental Convertible and the seller claims that it was driven into their parents barn in 1972 and has been parked there ever since. It is going to need a complete restoration, but it is very complete and with good examples going for $30k – $90k, this one may be worth picking up. Find this Lincoln barn find here on Spokane’s craigslist.
These beasts weigh over 5,000 pounds, but they have some very unique features that made them very desirable when new and even today. The power convertible top can lower itself under the rear deck with the touch of a button. It can even lower itself automatically if it starts to rain. The craigslist car looks like it is missing the rear window, but it may still be there because it was possible to lower the rear window for open air cruising even with the top up. The overhang on the back of the cloth top was there to keep the sun out so the rear passengers could stay cool. With so much weight, this thing needed some power to move it so they were fitted with a 430 cubic inch V8 that put out 350 horsepower and 490 foot pounds of torque! A special thanks goes out to Tom for sharing this one with everyone.
Photo Credit: Old Car Brochures
It’s a 58, not a 59.
It is a 59 but it’s not a convertible
I believe that was called the “Breezeway” rear window, no?
Air up that left front tire, gas it up, and head out cross country. Be prepared to buy a lot of gas.
It’s a ’58. Notice the different front bumper from the ’59 in the ad, and that the side indentation doesn’t extend into the door. The convertibles also had the Breezeway retractable rear window.
It is most assuredly a convertible and most definately a ’58. Only 58’s have those pre-dented front fenders and boomerang bumper ends. ’58’s have those understyled round tail lamps, ’59’s have rectangular tail lamps and small round parking lamps in the front bumper ends. And the convertibles have the breezeway window as well, and it retracts.
You guys are right. It’s a ’58. Here is a restored ’58 and you can see the bumpers and other features that distinguish it from the ’59.http://www.beverlyhillscarclub.com/1958-lincoln-continental-convertible-c-219.htmThanks for catching our error.
Hard to tell from the pictures, but these things had 8 lug, split-rim wheels for heavy duty tires to handle the immense weight of these leviathans; my friend had a ’59 4 – door, and you could probably make a whole FLEET of the new ‘Aspire’ out of the metal in that one car ! And stopping that beast from any speed above 25-30 ??? Drum brakes the size of manhole covers still were hard pressed to bring it to a halt – don’t even want to think of panic stops !
Such a 180 from the ’61s that everyone remembers. They are so wrong that they are right! Eastern Washington and Oregon are great places for dry, rust-free cars.
Price per pound was really cheap.
My parents had a ’64 Mercury Park Lane which carried over a lot of the design cues from this car. Unfortunately, by 1964 this was a dated look & the larger ’64 Merc’s sold poorly.
Interestingly, when Lincoln introduced its luxury coupe in early 1968, it named it Continental Mark III, which ignored the 1958 Continental Mark III. According to legend, Henry Ford II held that the Marks of the late 1950s were not worthy of the name, so they were conveniently ignored when it came time to name the new model. Make no mistake, however, the original and all-new unibody Mark III Continental was introduced in 1958, and at the time was the largest post-war American car ever built. When municipal and regional authorities across North America became aware of this fact, some required owners to add rear red reflectors and front amber clearance lights on the Mark III. They were concerned that the vehicle?ÇÖs monumental size would pose a threat to unskilled drivers and careless pedestrians.Despite its size, the Mark III was proportionate. With newly-styled bodywork made available by advances in deep metal-stamping processes, the car featured bulleted moldings and additional trim that both lowered and lengthened the car?ÇÖs look. Mechanically, the Continental Mark III experienced a major boost in power over its predecessor, with a new 430 cubic inch base engine rated at an impressive 375 horsepower. This could be boosted to 400HP with an available triple carburetor high performance engine developed by Bill Stroppe for the Mercury stock car racing program, and many of the components were manufactured by Dean Moon of MoonEyes fame but in very limited quantities which makes them extremely valuable today. This engine was intended to enhance the Lincoln-Mercury division?ÇÖs image of performance, which had eroded since the Road Race Lincoln Days. Still part of Ford Motor Company?ÇÖs short lived independent Continental division, 1958 was the last year the Continental resided outside the Lincoln umbrella. The massive recession affected most carmakers in 1958, but Ford suffered more than most. The new Mark III was bigger and more expensive than the competition at Cadillac, and Mercury sales were down 40 percent. Low sales and an expedited replacement have made the Mark III particularly beloved among collectors today. There is no doubt that the mammoth Mark III makes a bold statement about the company and the times, and observers today love the cars precisely because they are so outrageous. Beware they are very expensive to restore correctly.
I thoroughly enjoyed the description above:
“The power convertible top can lower itself under the rear deck with the touch of a button. It can even lower itself automatically if it starts to rain”.
Just what I need, when the torrential downpour commences, my cowardly roof runs for cover in the trunk, allowing me to enjoy the privacy of my rolling 2.5 ton jacuzzi…
This is a ’58. Had a ’59 convertible in high school I purchased for $250.00 in running condition in 1973. It was pink & I refused to drive it so my dad painted it black in our garage.
I remember working at a Pontiac dealership back in the mid 80’s when someone traded a 1960 Lincoln Continental 4 door hardtop in on a new car. I found it on the dealer’s back lot and it was actually in pretty good condition. Ran and drove great. Tried to buy it, but typical dealer mentality warranted a hugely inflated price for it. I told them they must need it a lot worse than I ever would.