Lincoln, like many of FOMOCO’s brands, came in behind GM/Cadillac in terms of sales. The Cadillacs had some of the industry’s wildest styling in the late 1950s, while the Lincolns were downright weird with their slanted front peepers (Chrysler did it better, IMO). The Continentals were all-new and toned down, resulting in improved sales starting in 1961. The seller has a pair of ‘61s that have been in the lockup for nearly four decades. Located in Rochester, Washington, this dynamic duo awaits a benefactor with deep pockets and $5,000 here on craigslist.

In 1961, Lincoln adopted a “less is more” philosophy with the then-latest redo of the Continentals. Sales grew to 25,000 units comprising 4-door hardtops and convertibles with “suicide” doors. Lincoln’s market share improved, though Cadillac was still king of the castle. But only 11% of the cars were convertibles, which makes one-half of this pairing a rare car after 64 years. But the description implies the drop-top needs more work than the sedan (engine parts are missing).

Ford’s designers decided that the 1961 Lincoln redo should result in a more subtle car, not one that was over the top like the 1958-60 editions were. They would collect a second-place award from the Industrial Designers Society of America for their handiwork. As the story goes, this Lincoln duo has been inseparable for the past 40 years and apparently were recently pulled from a barn.

They may be restorable, but since the seller says the condition of the droptop is “salvage,” your goal may be to try making one good car out of two. Due to its relative rarity, the convertible might be the primary object of the buyer’s affections. Both should have 430 cubic inch V8s, but no pics of the engine bays are provided. The hood was removed from the ragtop and is just sitting in place. Apparently, this is an all-or-nothing proposition. Our thanks to “Curvette” for this lofty tip.