“To many, ownership of a Continental motorcar represents a reward of attainment. It’s a miracle in motion – a masterpiece at rest.” That’s how the desperate Lincoln advertising team described the 1959 Continental Mark IV. A “miracle in motion” could cynically be used to describe these large barges ever moving off the showroom floor. The huge, all-new-from-stem-to-stern Lincolns made their debut for the 1958 model year with a resounding thud. With controversial styling and a face only a mother would love, it’s no surprise that sales tanked. Production numbers improved to 26,906 in 1959, but compared to Cadillac’s 121,778 total production, Lincolns were never a serious threat to dethrone the “Standard of the World.” The Mark IV Continentals only saw 11,126 units roll out of the factory for 1959 and here’s one of the 1,703 Hardtop Coupes produced, so it’s a bit rare. It appears to be in good driver condition and is currently in Crawford, Colorado, where is is for sale here on craigslist for $10,500. High marks and praise again to Barn Find friend, Gunter Kramer, for sending this ’59 Connie our way.
If you’ve ever seen on a 1958-60 Lincoln at a car show, it’s sheer size makes a statement. Not only is it one of the most massive automobiles ever produced, it’s the largest unibody motorcar ever made. Despite their easy-to-dismiss outrageous styling (which was toned down slightly from 1958), from what I’ve read, these Lincolns were well-built, comfortable, luxurious, and handled pretty well. The seller doesn’t give us any back history, but says he’s the second owner, it’s in good condition, and has 93,100 actual miles. Of the 21 paint colors offered that year, this one appears to be wearing a yellowy, beige hue called Sunstone. Based on the photos, the paint looks presentable, I’m not seeing any major rust (but you’d need to inspect the underside), any major dents, and the chrome looks okay. Under the “needs attention” heading, the seller shares that the drivers side rear power window doesn’t work, the drivers side vent window has cracks, and the vent window frames are rusted but operable. It’s also missing the front fender Continental insignia and the drivers side door light. There’s no mention of how the unique, slanted Breezeway power back glass operates.
If you like dark chocolate brown and beige, you’ll really like the luxurious leather interior of this Continental. Check out the pleats and button insert pattern on the front and rear bench seats and door panels. It screams of late-50’s styling (it’s also angular and squarish to compliment its exterior) and is in good shape. The seller says the new interior was added within the last seven years and that the 6-way front power seats work. There’s a split in the instrument panel glass at the 55 mph marker which was very common on these ’59’s, and it’s also sporting a Town and Country radio. I’ve always liked the cool, four-spoke steering wheel with its large hub housing Lincoln’s four-point star emblem, and there’s enough chrome and bright work to remind you that you’re in a luxury motorcar.
Not only did Lincoln outdo its luxury competitors in the overall length department, it also boasted the largest engine, a 430-cubic inch V8 that produced 350 horsepower. Gas mileage was about 9 mpg, but would be raised to about 12 mpg the following year when the engine was detuned to 315 hp with a single two-barrel carburetor. Based on the photos, it looks original, supposedly has 93,100 miles, and is mated to a Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. The seller doesn’t tell us how it runs or if anything is leaking, but the following has been replaced: distributor, spark plugs and wires, voltage regulator, fuel pump, all fluids, and the battery.
The 1958-60 Lincolns are some of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated vehicles in Lincoln’s rich 107-year history. Today, they’re appreciated for their engineering (largest unibody vehicle produced), build quality, uniqueness, rarity, and how they represent the zenith of postwar optimism in America where bigger just had to better.
Now that is personality !! Nice lines, craftsmanship and pride.
unlike today’s trash they make !! look at the trash tesla looks like a egg on wheels and cheaply made…
You’re repeating oil industry propaganda and lies. And if you believe climate change is a hoax you’re in a cult. I’ll drive my Mustang until it falls apart but when it does I’ll be looking at the alternative.
You are absolutely right, Jon. The whole EV debate, in addition to the “climate change” BS, is about control, NOT preserving the planet. The resources it takes to produce the EV motors and batteries, to say nothing of their ultimate disposal, is mind-boggling. As Akio Toyota has stated, hybrids are a much better alternative. We could be entering an automotive era like Cuba, where people won’t buy or cannot afford the new vehicles so they just continue to fix their old cars.
You are absolutely right. If the battery of a tesla is shot you can dispose the hole car. Preserving resources is done by using a vehicle as long as possible. A Tesla is done after 10 years or even before. I have 4 cars, the newest from 1988, the oldest from 1970. They are all running. That’s the way to preserve the planet.
Jon, you got that right , totally right , you are on the right side of things and the right side of history !
Hey Fox Owner, climate change has been happening for 4 billion years on Earth, and for the last 20,000 it has been in a warming trend (see the last ice age). Every 40,000 years or so, ice ages come and go. See Milutin Milankovics orbital dynamics research and theories from about 1885. They have since been proven correct. Does mankind contribute anything to this? Perhaps, but not proven.
I’m a total Ford man. And that might play into my attraction to these huge beautiful Lincolns. At the time the US was living large. Being the declared winner of WW2, America had every right to the excessive, well, everything. Nowhere was that better recognized than the US Big Three. As much as these cars were loved, everyone in town must have known the huge, excessive and gas gusuling cars could not be sustainable over time. It’s safe to say it continued through the 60s, but in 1968, the Federal government started to tone things down including several safety features were add. But the 1973 oil crisis put an end to everything. Until then nobody cared about good gas mileage, we didn’t have to. We now wanted cars that got good mileage, plus the influx of small imported cars that exposed us to smaller cars that got good gas mileage, the American car buying public turned in a heartbeat. It became fashionable to bad mouth everything that rolled out of Detroit. But not me, I have ever owned any thing that wasn’t part of the Big Three. I blame the 73 crisis for changing everything, not just the Big Three alone, it effected all the automotive support industries. I often wonder where the Big Three would be today if not for the crisis. And for that, I will never forgive the disision makers at the time for knocking the wind out of all young American males. It’s a new normal now, and a lot of things that made the Big Three’s cars so great self and never came back. So sad.
The 59 Continental is a great car and this one is particularly rare since they only made 1700 of the 2 door hard top version.
A fitting example of LINCOLN, what a Luxury car should be! Unfortunately, LINCOLN like every car manufacturer, has forgotten CARS, focusing on glorified trucks masquerading as Luxury vehicles. This Continental is a MONUMENT to the GREAT AMERICAN LAND YACHTS. So many seem to revere the downsized 61 Continental, which gradually grew to LAND YACHT status by early 70s. My first Lincoln was a 78 Town Coupe. 🏆 Never should have let it go. Subsequently returned to 89 Signature. Smaller but still OTT chromed luxury. After several other upscale vehicles, I am currently back to a 2007 Town Car Signature Limited. Last gasp of traditional American Luxury sedans. This Barn Find deserves to be garaged with classic black and white tiles and crystal chandeliers!
Yes, what’s up with that SUV trend. No more sedans. Even brands like Maserati and Rolls Royce produce them. And the cars get ugglier each year.
I have always found it interesting that the Ill fated 61 DeSoto had this same canted front end with section about grille added bearing D E S O T O. Frankly thought that both were works of art.
The DeSoto shared the canted headlight front end with Chrysler in 1961 but used a different hood and grill.
What a true ” LUXURY CAR ” !! I remember seeing my first one in Federal Way , Wa. in late 1965 . I thought it was the most beautiful car on wheels at the time ! It was truly a work of art ! They were expensive when new and most likely owned by only the wealthy class . Wow ! There will never be anything like it made again . Let’s preserve some of these classic Lincolns for future generations ! Happy Motoring
These were the largest cars in production, even bigger than the Imperial. These are not Lincolns. They were never marketed as Lincolns though the Lincoln parts bin was raided.. They are inContinentals.
As a baby bomber I had the great opportunity to own an 88 Town Car and that car was a head of it’s time with today’s conveniences. The light sensor and power annetor, classic smooth ride sun roof. What a work of art 🎨… What a luxury car should be.
Ray
In 58 there was a tag on them that said Continental by Lincoln. I dont know if it stayed that was.
Not under-appreciated by me! I love it! I want one!
So hurry on down to your local Lincoln or DeSoto dealer and tell them Groucho sent you! 😉
Wow, another Continental from the 1958-60 era. Curious that the seller doesn’t mention any leaks, because the power steering systems on the 1958-60 Continental and Lincoln were especially troublesome and prone to leaking, and I have to wonder if the power steering system on this car was tended to. Certainly a novelty that will draw crowds at Cars and Coffee and this one at least looks solid, I’m thinking it must’ve spent its entire life in Colorado.
Problem too dan on the speedo gauge. They crack at the 50MPH mark due to the unibody being so long. Worked great on Hudson. Not so much on Lincoln.
As a working stiff with a family, most of my adult life has been filled with station wagons, vans and full sized sedans (except for a couple of hot rods). So consequently I really couldn’t justify the expense of a luxury car. However when a friend offered me a Lincoln at a great price, I jumped on it. Gotta tell you, even though used and sporting 60k miles, what a terrific car! Finally sold it to finance the purchase of an F-150. Love my truck but I really miss the comfort and ride of my ‘Baby Lincoln’. I know that this has nothing to do with the 59 above but just had to say how impressed I am with Lincolns in general.
Well, BigDaddy, I am fortunate enough to have found a beautiful low mileage 2007 Town Car Signature Limited three years ago. Many years ago, I found a 78 Town Coupe that needed work as a second car. Unfortunately health issues caused me to sell 😕. I’ve only had one brand new car in my life. I also had a 1989 Town Car Signature Series. Keep Thinkin LINCOLN! LINCOLN,What a Luxury CAR should be and once WAS! 👍
Haven’t seen anyone mention it but I know I’m not crazy. This isn’t a mark iv
Why do you say that? Of course it’s a Mark IV! 1958=Mark III, 1959=Mark IV, 1960=Mark V. In 1969 they started the Mark III designation over again followed by IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII.
Yes it is. They were III, IV and V for ’58, ’59 and 60. Lincoln ignored that fact when they re-introduced the Continental as a “Personal Luxury Car”. I had a ’74 Mark IV which was I loved. Learned my lesson about letting them go and I am hanging on to my 2007 Town Car, Signature Series, (long wheelbase) which I got to replace my ’89 model that was demolished when an out-of-control 18-wheeler slammed into it while it was parked.
I love Lincoln’s! It’s my dad’s fault. He bought a 61 Continental in about 1968. We’ve had several in the 60s ’70s 80s and 90s. Although we’ve never had any 58 to 60 Lincoln’s between him and I we’ve had 34 Lincolns the latest one being 86 Mark VII LSC but I bought last September with 102,000 original miles.
Always liked the styling of the ’58 thru ’60 Continentals. Never owned one but drove my neighbors 1960 model and it was awesome. I have been a loyal Lincoln owner for several decades. Owned a ’63 Sedan, a ’64 Convertible and
’75 and ’77 Town Coupes. Then on to a ’79 Mark V Cartier Series. Since 1985, I have owned many Town Cars and a Mark VII. Currently drive a 2006 Lincoln Signature Series Town Car and a 2007 Lincoln Designer Series Town Car. Ford made a huge mistake in not updating their Town Car. No ugly and overly tech-laden SUVs for me.
In the early 1970’s, I bought a white 58 Lincoln Premiere from the 2nd owner, a Champion Spark Plug engineer, who had spent years amassing enough extra parts to keep this car on the road for the following 60 years or so. I drove it on a trip from my home in Ohio to visit my sister in Boston. The Boston area is littered with roundabouts, which up there were essentially games of chicken. Shove the gas pedal down and count on the other guy to give way. Funny, almost none of the Toyotas and Datsuns prevalent on Massachusetts road then wanted to challenge my white whale.
I really liked these Lincolns. They were rare when I was a kid. It shares a lot of Packard’s design philosophy for it’s proposed ‘57 models. A beautiful Mark III is featured on ‘North by Northwest’ but I think that it was white. Yes, they were colossal, but so was the age. The future looked bright then. Today’s Lincoln’s are nothing but glorified trucks. They don’t share any of the prestige from Lincoln’s past. None of them are worthy of the storied Continental name. And that electric Mustang is a joke! Ford Motor Company has lost their way. It’s so sad. Henry Ford must be spinning in his grave.
How could anyone buy a car that expensive and not get AC in it?
As I see it, those bumpers are worth their weight in… chrome. And talk about style, they set the standard along with serving as counter-balance weights for the front and rear ends. But the real charm is that you you need to do is remove the trunk lid… then you and maybe a couple friends wrestle that spare tire out, and (voila!) you have an “El Continental.” See more photos here:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1959-lincoln-continental-3/
These cars were “lovingly” called Slant Eyed Monsters back in the day because of their headlights and were indeed very expensive, and similar in price to the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, fins and all… one of its noted customers was the Shah of Iran at the time who had a couple of them apparently… I got to see one of these close up, and the interior was sonlarge it reminded me of a hot tub.. on cool feature was also an Automatic Multi-Luber that literally greased all the frontvend grease points via a push of a button on the dash and a grease reservoir under the hood… no pesky squeaks from the front end and less trips to the shop! Very cool cars indeed
These year Lincolns had a Fugly front end IMO, and I can’t believe there is no AC in this year Lincoln. Surely, it has power steering? I remember reading that because of its unibody construction, these year Lincolns had lead weights placed in all four bumper corners to prevent its shuddering issues. Eventually, Lincoln corrected that problem in the 1960s designs. Interesting car, just not a great year Lincoln.
Air conditioning was optional in ’59, same as Cadillac. Power steering and brakes were standard. The ’60s convertibles had weights in all four corners.
Driving down the highway in this masterpiece would tend to scare the other cars on the road. Guaranteed they would slow down and get out of the way if the driver seen this monumental figure of American luxury coming up in it’s rear view mirror. Unless they were driving a 59 Cadillac. Then they would span both lanes next to each other and ignore any “lesser” vehicles trying to pass.
It’s HUGE! It guzzles gas! It pollutes the air! It scares the birds! Other cars part like the Red Sea! I LOVE ❤ IT! 🏆 😉
IMO Elwood Engel did a better job from 1961-69 with the updated designs of the Lincolns most of us remember and love. 58-60 years were awkward and clumsy years for many car companies, especially Lincoln.