History shows that Henry and Edsel Ford could not have been two more different people. Henry was the practical engineer who was never happier than when he was operating one of the elegantly simple machines he had designed and developed. Edsel had more refined tastes, and while Henry’s creations were utilitarian and uncompromising, Edsel’s were graceful and elegant. Henry dominated Edsel within Ford but left him to his own devices at Lincoln. It allowed the company to produce luxurious and desirable vehicles, with many from the 1940s featuring a V12 under the hood. This 1948 Lincoln Continental Coupe isn’t V12-powered, but it should pin the occupants in their seats whenever the driver nails the “loud” pedal. After twenty-two years with the same owner, it needs a new home. The seller listed it here on Craigslist in Longview, Texas. They set their price at $27,000, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this custom classic.
The seller purchased this Lincoln twenty-two years ago, but it is unclear whether its current specifications are their creation. The car presents superbly in Regal Blue, with the paint shining beautifully. It looks classy and flawless, with the paint coating panels that are equally impressive. There are no dings or dents, with panel gaps as tight and consistent as you would expect on a vehicle of this caliber. There are no signs of rust, and the seller doesn’t mention any issues in their listing. If the car has spent its life in Texas, the climate may have successfully preserved the steel so the buyer can leave the tools firmly tucked away in the cupboard. The chrome and polished trim contrast the dark paint shade and are as flawless as the glass.
Although the exterior condition and presentation make a positive impression on potential buyers, we must delve below the surface to discover what makes this Lincoln unique. Its engine bay originally housed a 292ci V12 powerplant that sent 125hp and 220 ft/lbs of torque to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. Continental buyers weren’t particularly focused on outright performance, but this classic would have covered the ¼-mile in 21.3 seconds before winding its way to 86mph. Both figures were considered impressive when this car rolled out of the factory, but some drivetrain upgrades should blow them ten feet in the air. The V12 and manual transmission are a distant memory, with their places occupied by a 429 Cobra Jet V8 and a three-speed C6 automatic transmission. The builder added power steering and power front disc brakes as a sensible nod to comfort and safety. The new owner can forget about having 125hp under their right foot because the Cobra Jet is a genuine muscle motor. It could bring 375hp and 490 ft/lbs to the table, making this potentially the fastest road-legal ’48 Continental on the planet. The seller indicates the drivetrain combination has 23,000 miles under its belt since an engine and transmission rebuild. They provide no information on how it runs or drives, but the visual indications are positive.
The seller supplies a single interior shot, making it hard to determine its overall condition. It appears the seats wear Dark Blue leather, with the door trims in a lighter shade. The dash is a masterpiece of Art Deco design, and the carpet looks spotless. It seems like the factory radio and clock are intact, but someone added the comfort of air conditioning and power windows. It would take an in-person inspection to confirm the interior state, but first impressions are positive.
To a certain extent, this 1948 Lincoln Continental Coupe offers contradictions. Its creators wanted a luxury car that could waft effortlessly along any road while cocooning its occupants comfortably. It would have achieved this with the original V12 under the hood. A 429 Cobra Jet V8 is a more brutal engine, but it would give this Lincoln performance levels beyond its creator’s expectations. It is a motor more at home in a muscle car than a classic luxury vehicle. It won’t appeal to everyone, but if you like the idea of a classic with a genuine Jekyll and Hyde personality, maybe this is your car.
Kinda cool in my book-classy dame with a hot rod heart.
In this day and age, it’s the best one could hope for. At least they kept it Ford. Folks know me as purist, and while this is great upgrade, the V-12 was a marvel in itself. It’s what made this car,,this car. Kudos to the builder for keeping it as original as they could, but a “left lane” car for sure. Imagine THAT front end coming up fast in your Kia rear view mirror. Very nice car. Someone knew what they were doing.
The currant replacement would be a Jaguar V12 ( once owned by Ford ) quiet, smooth, and powerful 346 DIN horsepower in The 6.0 British configuration.
Ford however changed the bolts on the V12 after 1992 to metric sizes.
Ford did put the OBD 2 on the last year of production to demystify the EFI
A fine restomod! I hope he also upgraded the brakes to handle three times the original horsepower.
True definition of the word sleeper.
I wonder if WIKI shows this car under their definition too?
Cool car tastefully done.Love to drive it or take a cruise in it even just to see what it’s like and how it handles and drives. Dual spots are neat too.
Had the Cabriolet version a couple of years back, but it had been built with a Mustang II front end and 350 SBC and Ford guys (and Howard) just couldn’t get past that. Handled beautifully though, had a great ride and did well at car shows.
Henry bought Lincoln for $8M, basically for Edsel to do his own thing.
If you think Edsel designed beautiful cars you should see his estate on Gaukler Point in Grosse Pointe MI
Stunning
Edsel was ahead of his time
Good on the addition of power steering and power disc brakes, but how about handling with that monster engine?
This is one resto-mod I could endorse! I would upgrade the rims and tires.
Looks like a decent build, and with 27K since, I wouldn’t be unduly concerned about reliability.
Wondering about the electrics: Based on the size of the battery it appears to still have a 6V system. Is is a 12V masquerading as 6V, or did the OO obtain 6V HEI and A/C fan motors?
It’s a 12 volt (yellow top…Autozone?) masquerading as a 6volt But the 4?/77 tag on the side…is this an old picture? (I went to the craigslist picture an enlarged)
I read somewhere that this was the last make and model of car that Babe Ruth owned when he died in 1948. He would have appreciated this engine swap while careening down some two lane highway, I bet.
The only downside is the Bambino’s car would have been stuffed with hot dog wrappers, cigar butts, and the imagination runs wild thinking about what else could be found in the back.
With all due respect to the Lincoln Continentals (I like them very much), it has been said that in 1938, Edsel looked out his office window and saw a 1938 Cadillac 60 Special and was inspired by it to make a one off for his personal car. That personal car became the basis for the 1939 Lincoln Continental. If you see them side by side, that certainly seems possible.
This car looks nice for a car I never thought was a nice looking car. Something just plain about it. Period correct whitewalls would help. There should be a guide as to what size whitewalls are correct for any era car. These look to be for a car somewhere in the 80’s when whitewalls were about to become obsolete.
“Plain”??
Wow! Someone not only spent some coin but also made some wise choices. That 429 in this year Lincoln is smart in keeping it within the Ford Lincoln family. Most of the V12 Lincolns were so problematic that they many swapped the with Caddy or Ford V8s anyway. Worth every penny for the lucky SOB that buys this one. Great find
I’m obviously the odd man out here, but imo that is an ugly car. Completely out out proportion. Some round shapes and some square. But is is a stunning car.
Power windows were available in 1948 (this is a top of the line model). The window switches appear to be stock. Look closely and you’ll notice about a 4 inch section. Compare this with a stock 48 Continental and you’ll see the difference. HC is correct, the V12s tended to overheat, consume oil and generally required attention. Caddy was a popular replacement engine