The 1940/1941 Lincoln Continental was hailed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright as the most beautiful car ever. Whether or not you agree, early Continentals have long been heralded for their styling, even if the beauty of the 1942-1948 models was blunted a bit by some extra bulk. This last-of-the-original-line 1948 Continental was recently pulled from a barn, and now it can be yours.
This Continental is a club coupe, which means that you lose the convertible’s massive blind spot, but also miss out on top-down cruising. Regardless, it will take a lot of elbow grease before this example will do any cruising at all.
The seller says that the car has been stored in a barn for the past 25 years, and that the motor is not seized, although nobody has tried to start it. Lincoln asked its 125-horsepower 292 V-12 to do a lot when it dropped it under the Continental’s long hood; after all, the Continental weighed over 4000 pounds. Whether or not it’s a good engine depends on who you ask: Lincoln fans often defend it as being a fine powerplant with plenty of power; others claim that it’s an unreliable oil burner.
The interior is clearly going to need a full restoration, as the mice have taken up regular residence with anger. The advertisement includes several pictures of the damage.
The holes in the headliner offer definitive proof.
On the other hand, the seller claims that the undercarriage has “some rust” but is “pretty solid.” All ’48 Continentals had a three-speed manual, and this one is no exception.
Now that it’s out of the barn and up for sale, the question becomes what to do with it. The ’40/’41 Continental is one of my favorite cars, and I also like the later ones. There’s no denying, however, that a decent driver is not a bank-breaking proposition for a lot of people. Fixing something up to a safe standard and enjoying it out on the road has become completely acceptable for many owners and fans, while a full restoration would unfortunately cost far more than this car is worth. It would have to be a labor of love.
There’s also the topic of rarity: There were only 847 Continental Club Coupes made in 1948. Although many survived because the Continental has always been collectible, that’s not a lot of cars. Plus, this one gives a potential buyer a low entry rate: It’s currently for sale on Marketplace for $4900. Would it be irreverent to buy this CCCA Full Classic, get it running, get the interior cleaned up a bit, and drive it as is? Or will somebody restore it? What do you think? Thanks to T.J. for the tip!
Well, for starters, Mr. Wright, um, shall we say, thought outside the box, and I think it’s one of the ugliest cars to be made, but doesn’t detract from what a fantastic car this was. I don’t have any experience with the “12 cylinder Ford” as it was called, looks like the V8 with 4 more cylinders. My experience with piston motors says, the more you have, the smoother it gets. I can only imagine what a V12 is like. While brute hp was not this cars feature, it had torque up the ying yang, all the way down to 400 rpms, I read. Pretty sure all Continentals had OD, and at $2747 new, it was one of the most expensive US cars at the time. It is also the last car to be recognized as a “full classic”.
Man, I just know, again, who would take on such an intensive project? Last year for the V12, I wonder if that means anything to anyone? These cars weren’t for just anyone, I wonder what its story is?
Already sold! I wonder what the new owner’s plans are.
Seems like I’ve seen a dozen non coupe barn finds of this Mark. The last one I saw was in a neighborhood garage needing engine work from when it was put away in the sixties. Didn’t they all have crankshaft problems?
There’s a pretty good chance you could find a driver one for far less $$ than to make this one a driver.
The 1941 Lincolns were definitely better looking than this 48 were, especially the front grill and headlights. Not an unreasonable price for a rolling chassis, that may have an engine that may run again without needing a rebuild. Looks like it’s already been sold. I’m sure the buyer will find out it’s engine status very soon.
Wow, somebody actually removed a listing from Marketplace!
Gorgeous Automobile same year I was borni worked for a Lincoln deal and has one Mint what an Amazing Automobile !!!!!
My father was 16 when this was new. Cars like this are why they aspired large vehicles with presence in the 60’s and 70’s. Said they had arrived.
Uh, where’s the other skirt? I hope it’s in the trunk that is really difficult to get to.
Some say these are ugly cars. I’ve always liked them. They’re massive (a requirement for land yachts) comfortable and make a statement.
I hope the new owner doesn’t hot rod it.
When I worked at a Ford dealership in the 1990s a salesman had a ’48 convertible restomod. Updated disc brakes, V8 engine, auto trans, p/s, p/b.
My brother owns a 47 or 48 that’s been converted to a flathead V8 which was pretty common I guess because of V12 cooling issues and dual ignition.