Luxury cars from the 1960s and early 1970s occupy a special spot in the hearts of many enthusiasts. They hail from an era when buyers weren’t concerned about fuel consumption or emission regulations. The primary focus was on unsurpassed comfort and size, which perfectly encapsulates the design philosophy of this 1969 Lincoln Continental. It is a gentle giant that has hibernated since 1982, with the result being that it has a genuine 29,000 miles on its odometer. It runs and drives, but a few tasks await the new owner before it again occupies its rightful place on our roads. The seller has listed it here on Craigslist in Riverside, California. They set a price of $15,900, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Rocco B. for spotting it.
The Fourth Generation Continental enjoyed a long and successful life, with the first cars appearing in 1961 and the last rolling off the line in 1969. Our feature Lincoln is from the final year and has spent its life in its current location. It saw active service until being parked in 1982 and has only recently emerged from hiding. The original owner ordered it in Lime Gold with a matching vinyl top. The paint looks remarkable for a vehicle of this age, and the overall condition of it and the panels seem to support the seller’s mileage claim. There is not a bump or bruise in sight, and the paint shines beautifully. The news with the vinyl is less positive, meaning the buyer faces removing and replacing it if they wish to recapture the car’s youthful good looks. They will probably hand the vehicle to a professional for this task, but with kits selling for a mere $280, addressing that shortcoming will hardly break the bank. The seller doesn’t mention rust issues, with the car’s history and location suggesting it could be rust-free. The chrome and trim look flawless, as does the tinted glass.
The seller describes the Continental’s interior as perfect, and it is hard to argue with that assessment. The Dark Green leather on the front seat shows the wrinkles expected as this material ages, but there are no signs of any wear or other issues. Years of hibernation may have caused the leather to dry, and some preventative work with a high-quality conditioner would be wise to ensure it doesn’t crack or split. The interior shots are pretty ordinary, making it hard to assess the state of the dash. What can be seen of the woodgrain trim is in good order, with the same true of the wheel. It is unclear whether the car features a radio, but I would expect that it does. Otherwise, the new owner receives air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a power front seat, and a remote driver’s mirror.
The seller supplies no engine photos, but if the car is numbers-matching, its 460ci V8 would have sent 365hp and 500 ft/lbs of torque to the road via a three-speed C6 automatic transmission. This is a luxury model, meaning that power assistance for the steering and brakes would be integral to the package. The original owner probably wasn’t concerned about outright performance in a car tipping the scales at 5,181 lbs. However, its ability to cover the ¼-mile in 16.7 seconds on its way to 130mph deserves respect. The weight and power come at a cost, meaning the new owner can expect single-digit fuel consumption figures. Therefore, this Continental probably isn’t the ideal choice as a daily driver. The seller states that this classic runs and drives, but it will require a thorough inspection and some basic maintenance before being considered roadworthy. They have fitted new tires, a new battery, a replacement starter, and a new solenoid to give the buyer a head start. It has a genuine 29,000 miles on its odometer, with the car’s history and included documentation seeming to support the claim.
There is probably no such thing as a classic car that appeals to every taste, but lovers of luxury cars may find this 1969 Lincoln Continental irresistible. Its odometer reading is extraordinarily low, and it appears it will require minimal effort to return it to its former glory. The price looks competitive in the current market, and I doubt the seller will have much trouble finding potential buyers. Could you be one of the candidates?
Not sure what others think but any classic car if it has 29K miles and it’s all original built in the 60’s for 16K is a great buy! Don’t forget that late 60’s Lincoln was the best in build quality. Even better than Cadillac. Plus it still has suicide doors in 69. 5100 pounds of road hugging weight may seem like a huge amount but I will put it into context. The 04 Porsche Cayenne Turbo I owned weighed in at over 5200 pounds. Not uncommon to see modern cars over 4000 pounds. I know I’m a little crazy but I always thought a late 60’s Lincoln with a 6.0 Powerstroke and the 5R110 transmission would be a great combo that would yield over 20mpg with a lazy rear axle ratio.
You make a good point my man. She heavy but don’t count the fat girl outta the dance!
Thinkin a rim upgrade and big sound in this car would make it pop nice!
She ain’t heavy, she’s my sister.
the diesel swap actually makes a lot of sense after the 6.0 has been deleted and bullet proofed.
6.0?
My parents had a 69 2 door in this color. With a little fine tuning of the distributor and card it was fast for its size, gaining illegal speed almost silently. With the “tune” we got about 11 mpg around town and 14-15 mpg highway but no off brand cheap gas or it would ping.
‘Cept for one thing: That won’t fit in this car without cutting into the structure, which is very ill-advised for a unibody car. All the clichéd modding people talk about doing will turn this already-peppy battleship into a decrepit block-tortoise, just by the compromise of its structural integrity. Ford already had issues with that by this year, fitting a 460 in there, which required them to make mods to the original structure design; reports of body vibrations at highway speeds were not uncommon. That is bound to become worse trying to swap another engine that was never designed to fit, and which is really not necessary. Besides, an OE survivor like this should garner more respect than that.
This was a terrible idea then and it still is today
yeah, nothing beats the ho hum cookie cutter ultra safe, fantastic plastic jellybeans or gargantuan trucks of today.
The dealership that I worked at back in 1985 had one of these on the lot. I sold it and had to gas it up before delivery. The gas station was across the road from the dealership with four busy lanes of traffic. The car stumbled when the light turned green, so I gave it some more gas. Don’t you know that car spun the tires across all four lanes! I was nervous as hell that some manager at work heard all the screeching, but I got lucky that day.
Primo, you from Flint bro? Know Frank Primo?
Nah, I roll from the 416. Just across the border in Toronto.
Yessir! Peace to ya
What octane did you use? Our family mechanic once made a bad call about gas with my grandma’s ’67, insisting on putting in 89 octane because of the lead content (in ’92 leaded gas was still sold, though its days were already numbered). We almost stalled out at a light. These engines were high-performance, high-compression engines that did not take well to anything below 92 octane.
When in doubt, gas ⛽️ er’ out Primo 🙌🏁
I quit smoking years ago, but something about this car makes me want to hit the highway and burn one. Or maybe, better yet, a cigar…. It just looks like the kind of car you’d indulge your vices in!
With four ash trays, each with its own lighter, these cars will welcome such a vice, especially if the lighters all still work .
Purchased a nearly identical one from a carport in Phoenix 40 years ago. Light green with dark green vinyl top and interior. 4 nearly flat tires and needed a windshield. 60k miles, hadn’t run for a few years. Put in a battery, fuel, aired the tires and drove it home. $450.00
Buffed and cleaned for a couple days, bought 4 tires at a yard sale, had the windshield replaced, and had a ton of fun going out with friends and valet parking it. Nothing like suicide doors to make one feel exclusive!
This ones nice, but surprised the top didn’t survive better.
I bought a high mileage 1968 Conny from the neighbor in 1975. I never had a lick of trouble with it other than a glove box that would fall open on slight bumps (fixed twice) and the horrible gas mileage. I had to run Sunoco 260 premium to stop the pre-ignition. The engine in this car was, I believe, a 462cid Lincoln engine. Did they swap a Ford 460 into the car above or ???
I think 69 was the first year for the new 385 series 460.
I wasn’t aware the 460 replaced the 462 so early. Was the 460 a Lincoln engine or Ford? I realize this might be splitting hairs but isn’t this what got Oldsmobile embroiled in a class action suit in the mid 1970’s – Chevy engines in Oldsmobile cars?
The 462 was replaced mid model year 68 with the new 460. They had to use up all the leftover 462s.
No; the 460 was the sole mill in ’69. Actually, it was meant to be the mill for ’68 as well; but before ’68 production began, Ford engineers rediscovered a warehouse packed to the ceiling with 462 engines, which had to be cleared out first. The ’68 you had was likely an early example, as they had to use those MELs before they could start using the 460s. So, a phase-in began, starting in November ’67 and ending by February ’68. As a result, some ’68s will have 462s, others will have 460s. By ’69 the 460 was the sole mill used in Lincolns…and in that time it was actually exclusive to Lincolns.
Not my favorite color but looks to be in very good condition. The leather looks great. I guess the dried out vinyl top is the price you pay for a desert rust free car. If actual miles it is a good price.
I would think this car would fly off the shelf at that price.
I didn’t realize it’s sitting on a shelf!
🙄. “but with kits selling for a mere $280, addressing that shortcoming will hardly break the bank.” Here we go again. I laid a sheet of linoleum down on the furnace room floor. How much more difficult can a vinyl roof on a car be?
Wow, those rear wheels are really tucked into those wheel openings. Kinda looks like one of those pickup trucks modified to fit train tracks.
Nothing says you have arrived like one of these. My parents bought an off lease 67 in 1969 and towed a travel trailer with it. Lots of kid memories of riding in the back seat of that one. The car went to my grandfather in the early 70s and when he passed in the 80s the car came back to me where it still resides today. The 68s and 69s with the 460s often lost their souls to the Torino, Mustang crew. In fact I am guilty of such as I have a 67 Galaxie that has the heart from a 69 Mark lll in it now. These cars are magnificent to drive. Maintaining them is key, keeping the window mechanisms lubed, coolant items watched and suspension items, otherwise put a tranny cooler on it and the 460 and C6 are bullet proof. Great car, not my favorite color scheme but who cares it is a wonderful survivor and a breath of fresh air from all the white, silver and black of today’s road scape.
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Nice Lincoln! Having a tough time with all the green though. I DO LIKE GREEN on a lot of cars from the 50’s,60’s,70’s and even 80’s, if you can find one, ( I’m sure there is at least one) NOT NOW – boy there are a lot of REALLY bland looking cars/vehicles out there! SO, although I would love to have a 1969 Lincoln Continental, and this one is a great one, FORREST GREEN interior is, well , a little PINEY for me. BUT – I’ll take it! Especially for the price/condition. It DEFINITELY beats all new vehicles to me!! Great article!