Rare Working A/C! 1956 Lincoln Premiere

Last week I reviewed this 1954 Lincoln Capri, and initially questioned its Lincoln “uniqueness” or its potential similarity to a Mercury Monterey. Well, that thought quickly dissipated under the weight of the review. So, now, I’d like to take a look at a 1956 Lincoln Premiere and check out its “Lincoln-ish.” Looking more like a Virgil Exner creation, this forlorn luxury project is located in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $10,000, OBO. A nod is due to Zappenduster for this great find!

Lincoln’s Premiere was introduced for the 1956 model year and continued through 1960, racking up total sales of 90K units, though ’56 accounted for 42K of that total and sales dwindled precipitously through ’60. Body styles included two-door hardtops and convertibles as well as a four-door sedan. The seller tells us, “This car originally came from California in the late 70s, no rust or rot on the body, 2 rust spots where the battery sits & where the spare tire sits, That’s it !!” While there may be no rot, the extensive surface rust is evident, and it affects the bumpers too. That said, the body appears straight, and all of the trim is intact. And what may not be intact is likely in the parts cache in the trunk.

The interior is not well photographed, but what can be viewed reveals leather upholstery in deplorable condition. The floor covering is missing, and surface-rusted floors are exposed. I suppose that can be beneficial as it shows the true condition of the floor pans. The seller does state, “The leather interior needs to be redone, but door panels are really nice,” – can’t imagine what it would cost to redo the entire environment in genuine leather. The dash and instrument panel appear to be fair, but again, the detailed imagery isn’t the best.

The big surprise here is the Novi-branded rear-mounted A/C unit – and the seller claims that it works! Of course, working could mean that the A/C compressor engages and the fan blows air, but not cold air – a further inquiry would need to be made. Due to Premiere’s high level of standard equipment, there weren’t many options that could be added, but A/C was definitely one of them.

Lincoln power for ’56 consisted of a 275 gross HP, 368 CI V8 engine, connected to a three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. The seller adds, “The motor does run and drive on its own power but has no brakes and needs exhaust, which exits the rear bumper…”

Styling is always subjective, and this Premiere is not one I would likely forget. Considering that there were 42K Premières assembled in ’56, I would assume that I’d remember seeing one somewhere in the sixties or early seventies. Nope, I don’t. It’s a familiar look with its hooded headlights because I’ve seen many images of this vintage Premiere, and it does present a standout visual, but I can’t say I love it. Regardless, just like the ’54 Capri, this Premiere is an important component of Lincoln’s evolution, especially considering its optional A/C equipment, and I’m hopeful someone will take this project on. Would that someone be you?