Considering that a mere 1,250 1941 Lincoln Continentals were built, I’m always surprised at how many are being offered for sale; as a matter of fact, this isn’t even the first ’41 Coupe I’ve written about this year. Barn Finds reader Zappenduster found this one for sale on craigslist in Visalia, California, for the very reasonable price of $12,500. Considering the Continental’s historic (but flagging) collectibility, it may come as no surprise that this is a running project that will need plenty of cosmetic attention, but if you’re not too particular about paint quality (and can improvise some solution to the crumbling seat materials), this may be the most dignified around-town bomber you’ve ever owned.
I’m always in danger of making that very thing happen whenever there’s a reasonably-priced ’40 or ’41 Continental in the classifieds, although I’m holding out for a cabriolet (or a ’66 Toronado, whichever comes first). The seller of this coupe sums up the car succinctly: It “starts, runs, drives, stops.” I like that economy of language as a general rule when I’m buying a car (it’s certainly better than the fawning, AI-written paragraphs that accompany too many ads these days), although a few qualifiers might help me make up my mind in this case. The engine is Lincoln’s 75-degree V12, the 292-cubic-inch version producing 120 horsepower. The Continental was available with either an overdrive or a Columbia two-speed axle, but the seller doesn’t mention either. Whatever the case, you’ll get a trusty three-speed manual with its shifter on the column.
The interior might be the greatest stumbling block in the Continental’s successful rehabilitation. The rear seat is in tatters, the door panels are stained, and the carpet is missing, although that gives us an opportunity to inspect the solid floors. In fact, the seller says that the entire car is solid, having spent its life in the “Valley as far back as [they] can search.”
The early Continental is surprisingly polarizing. Long accepted as a styling classic (and a CCCA Full Classic, too), it is considered to be Edsel Ford and designer Bob Gregorie’s masterpiece. As I mentioned before, I prefer the cabriolet, and I think its absurdly large “blind spot” balanced the design a little better than the thin-pillared coupe, but both are graceful and influential in proportion, with a long, long hood and truncated tail. This one is solid and complete, but it would need a paint job and full interior to be considered a “nice” car, and that’s assuming there were no major problems with the car’s mechanical systems. Still, the price is right for a ’41, and I imagine this one will soon find a new owner.
If that misshapen lump is a ‘master piece’, I’d hate to see the stylist’s rejected doodlings.
I agree. It’s as if two stylists, who don’t get along, were hired – one for the back, and one for the front. Added to that, how does a short person (like my wife) ever access the trunk?
What is that button on the door panel? Does that open the door?
I believe it is; if so, it’s a nice touch, matching the “door poppers” on the exterior.
“Starts, runs, drives, and stops.” The rest is sunny Saturday tinkering in the driveway and Sunday cruising, drive and have fun.
Is it the previously unknown 4th movie car driven by Sonny Corleone in Godfather? Nope , too bad. Find a Zephyr with front end damage and buy this for parts maybe? Otherwise a very big project for small crowd.
I don’t call these a coupe. I have a 1941 Zepher coupe and the back is not THIS style.
As a boy, I’d frequently watch an uncle, who in the 40s and early 50s worked as a mechanic for a Lincoln/Mercury dealership. As you’d expect, this lifelong mechanic had opinions about the quality of the cars he worked on. One of them was that the Lincoln 12-cylinder engine was poorly engineered.They were were problematic, he’d say, for they tended to overheat because exhaust ports were routed through the water jackets, superheating the water and diminishing its cooling ability. Yet another major design flaw was inadequate crankcase ventilation, which would cause sludge to accumulate in the oil, tending to wear out oil rings and, consequently, cause the engine to burn oil.
These were–and remain–impressive-looking cars. Unfortunately, in engine quality they lagged far behind their Packard and Cadillac competitors.
The problems with the V12 were largely solved during WWII and the ’46 – ’48 Lincolns were OK. The bad reputation persisted and many were replaced by Cadillac V8’s in the ’40’s and early ’50’s, if not whole Cadillacs. These cars are very large by today’s standards (ignoring the truck based SUV’s). Walking to school in 1955 I was passed every day by a ’46 – ’48 which had the best exhaust sound from its V12 that I had ever heard. Traverse leaf springs, front and rear, were good enough for horse drawn wagons, so Ford saw no reason to switch until the ’49’s arrived. (And Corvette used one in the rear for a while so they must have had some advantages.) As for “style” compare this to anything that was built in 1939 by any major manufacturer. This, and the ’38 Cadillac 60 Special were ahead of their time in the treatment of the “greenhouse” and the rear. When the “little lady” drove this to the country club, the valet took her clubs out of the trunk for her, and then took the car away to park it. On weekdays, after 9:30 am when females were allowed to tee off, in time to get in 9 holes before lunch. At some clubs they were allowed to play in mixed 4’s or even later, on weekends.
“Sonny, don’t take the causeway!”
Great visuals Charlie. You have to wonder where this (and all prewars) were when the first bombs fell on Hawaii. Lovely machine. I would love to replace my recently totaled Honda Civic with this car at least as a sumer driver., hardly practical in Northen Illinois for this senior.
I dont know what the manufacturing influence was in 1941 but many models had that European appearance. I do not like the majority of European cars. I am happy that ended after the war.