This one had me at the first image of the engine! Yeah, it looks like a scary old Lincoln, the kind where you might be reluctant to open the trunk but once the hood was up and that flathead V12 came into view, I was smitten. The seller states that this Continental was pulled out of storage earlier this year and it is now looking for a new home. Interested? This 1941 Lincoln Continental Mark I is located in San Antonio, Texas and is available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $15,000.
Introduced in 1939, and based on the Lincoln Zephyr, first-year Continental production was about 400 vehicles and that includes the ’39s that were referred to as 1940 models. The seller suggests that this second year Continental Mark I is one of 851 coupes produced in 1941 and further research bears that out. An additional 400 Cabriolets rounded out the total production count yielding 1,251 total copies. The 1942 model year garnered some exterior styling changes but production was truncated by World War II and only 200 examples rolled off of the assembly line. If the lines of this 1941 Lincoln look vaguely familiar, that may be due to a cameo that one of its siblings had in a famous 1972 gangster movie – things didn’t turn out too well for the Lincoln or its driver.
The seller doesn’t elaborate on how long this Lincoln was sitting stored before it was sprung. It’s dusty but the faded dark green finish and smattering of surface rust indicates that it has either been exposed to damp storage or has spent a good deal of time outdoors. It is referenced as being “over 98% original” and it looks like it. All of the trim is present and it shows itself pretty well, the grille too, but the bumpers appear to be rusting away. There is no word regarding body rot, but none is evidenced in the included images. The trunk floor is rusted, but not rotted- through and can probably be repaired without metalwork.
The impressive-looking engine, that so effectively caught my imagination, does not appear to be a runner. It is a 292 CI, flathead V12, good for 120 HP. The seller makes no mention of the operating capability of this 86K mile coupe, so assume it’s a no-go. The transmission is listed as an automatic but it’s not, it is the standard three-speed, manually shifted gearbox, actuated via a steering column-mounted lever.
The interior is a curious study with its maroon painted dashboard that clashes with the exterior green-hued, leather upholstery. The interior is tired, dirty, and water-stained but I have encountered a lot worse. The discoloration of the door cards would make one think that there has been rain/water intrusion – but there is no other evidence of this Lincoln encountering a flood of any sort. While the steering wheel looks pretty shaky, the instrument gauges still show as clear. The headliner is not earth-bound but it’s grody and typical looking for an 80-year-old car.
This is a rare and valuable car! The seller suggests that it “needs restoration” and that would be true but it appears to be a very sound basis for such an undertaking. That said, the restoration will probably involve a notable investment but this is one car that really deserves to be saved, wouldn’t you agree?
A very interesting vehicle. These 40s Lincolns have been discussed on this board previously a few times. I had the good fortune to see one at the edge of I-85/I-40 near Greensboro a number of years ago. I believe it was a 48 Continental. I pulled off the exit and spoke with the guy. He started it up and you could barely hear the motor…silky smooth. I have heard that these 12s had a problem with overheating, but I don’t know if it’s true. A lotta steel…suspect 5K lbs. I don’t know that their value is all that great these days.
Interesting 64 Chrysler in the next bay.
Texas was hit with a hurricane a few years back that brought widespread flooding. Looks like this Lincoln may have been up to the bumpers in flood water including the lower door cards. That’s not to say it isn’t worth doing. It’s a beautiful piece of engineering that should be restored. But you have to do it for love of the vehicle. Not for profit, because that would take a number of years.
Cncbny
I’ve restored or renovated several serious flood cars, from a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, to a Volvo P1800. I don’t think this is a flood car.
But there is an easy way to check: Examine flat horizontal places for a layer of VERY FINE mud. Good places to look include on top of the muffler or exhaust. On flat surfaces behind the dashboard. Look for fine dirt layers inside the radio [if equipped]. also check all electrical switches to see if they still work. Things like headlight switches quickly corrode the main shaft and cannot be moved from stop, to ‘park’ or ‘head’ positions.
It’s my feeling, based on the photos, that as a nice used car in the 1950s or 1960s, this car was changed from it’s original black exterior paint with maroon interior, to a more pleasant green color to make it easier to sell.
I own a ’48 Cabriolet purchased a couple of years ago. This one has good bones but I think you could get a running driving one for that. In fact, I found one at Country Classic Cars in IL for $16,500 that is a decent looking driver. However, it is a ’48 and the earlier cars are obviously more desirable. These cars are the only post WWII “classic” according to the Classic Car Club of America
It’s stunning of course and an interesting project. I get a sense that this car was Burgundy in color in the beginning, and someone did an expensive paint job and interior redo at the same time or later. It’s a project and the car is over priced. I’m not interested in market values. They don’t dictate my buying decisions.
I’d concur with it being a non runner as the distributor seems to have wandered off. Needs restoration seems to cover everything. They don’t tell you if it’s in running condition or what it needs to be IN running condition. It’s all a big secret. I sometimes wonder if these guys really want to sell the car or if they just want someone to call them and talk about their favorite subject……or if they think their powers of persuasion are strong enough to convince you to buy some beat up clunker for big bucks
Probably marginal from a business case standpoint but still worthy of at least a mild resto IMO
The styling is nice but the engine is a slug. Ask anyone stuck behind one on a tour going up hill.
Cool cars but sadly they don’t bring big money at sale time. Really nice ones can be had for $30K. It will take $40K to make this a $30K car, unfortunately.
And it is a BIG car by modern standards. There are enough in museums, so it does not warrant a museum/concours level restoration. Interest in these is declining as those of us who admired them back when are dying off, and the price level is dropping off as we do. I knew it was different, and a great design, when I was 8 or 9 years old, and it still is both, for its time.
i’d take the chrysler over the lincoln….letter car?
Agreed; I’d take the Chrysler ANY day! I’ve never understood the appeal of these cars to many enthusiasts, etc. They’re not particularly handsome though beauty is subjective. The engines were smooth but that’s about it; not all that reliable. And to top it off it had ‘ol Henry’s Model T suspension! For that era give me a Packard, Chrysler, Hudson, etc. rather than this monstrosity.
The Lincoln is impressive but my choice would be the ’64 Chrysler 300 as well. That one is not a Letter car. A 300 K would not have had the ribbed aluminum bordered by chrome side moldings. It also would have a model specific round C pillar emblem.
I actually prefer the prewar to the postwar. The engines were problematic. Lincoln wanted the prestige of saying they had a twelve like Cadillac and Packard. The problem was that they had 40hp less than their rivals; the 12 is just an extended Ford flathead and it overheated. Because these cars are cool but not valuable, I’d pull the engine and drop in an LS. Many folks did that back in the day.
Actually, a V10 Ford motor would be cooler and way more interesting than a belly button LS. Take the flathead V12 and build the “Hot Rod Lincoln” of song fame.
Connoisseurs should know that in the original Charlie Ryan version of the song the Model A has a Lincoln V12. Commander Cody downgraded it to a V8.
Seeing as the LS didn’t come out till ’97, NOBODY did an LS swap “back in the day.” SBC maybe but not an LS series.
Gorgeous cars but underpowered and noted for oil burning. Probably best to maintain its originality and recommission mechanically if possible. Distributor and dual coil setup withe timing can be tricky. Fun car and worth a run at it for some enterprising individual with institutional knowledge of product.
The V 12 was not all that bad, the rear most cylinders were not well cooled, the post war V 12’s had that design flaw fixed. But, many, in the 1950’s replaced the V 12 with V8’s. A Ford dealer, back then, ordered 3 V 12 engines and put them in Ford trucks and drove them from somewhere in mid USA to
Detroit to convince Ford to build V 12 trucks, which, in theory had 50% more power than the V8’s. Ford did not buy that idea.
Do you guys know that this “V12” is all of 292 cubic inches? There really isn’t much you can do with it. Every thread like this has a few “crate engine” nit wits chime in but in period many of these were swapped out for OHV V8 engines. NOT the flathead ford.
When the buyer gets to San Anton fill up on the best Texas Twinkies anywhere. I’m in Bangs but may head that way to check this one out.
Well, I love it guys. the ’41 (or actually the almost identical ’40) was selected by both Frank Lloyd Wright and Raymond Lowey for their own personalizing i.e. butchering. Of the two, Wright’s was the worst, resulting in a cross between an outhouse and the good humor truck. Even Lowey should have ignored the title of his own book, Never Leave Well Enough Alone. Still both cars are probably worth more that unbutchered examples because of the provenance. Google both cars and see if you agree.
For the ultimate in stomach turning, see if you can still find the ’57 comedy film Oh Bernadine on Utube staring Pat Boone. Towards the end Dick Sargent after losing the girl of his dreams, gorgeous, Terry Moore, rolls his ’41 convertible! Ugh!
Cadillac and Olds V8’s often used in early ’50’s, and, don’t diss the transverse leaf spring, like on horse drawn buggies and Ford products until ’49, if I remember right, even a generation of Corvettes had them in the rear.
Lots of newer cars use transverse leaf springs (Corvettes, GM W-body cars, etc.) Vettes even used them on the front. The fundamental difference is that these newer applications do not use the spring to locate the axle – they’re just springs with tension links to the suspension. On those Fords, the spring locates the axle – it IS a suspension link – which is not ideal when it deflects.
Not a runner with the distributor missing – but still a nice car with the low numbers pre-war were beauties compared to the after war cars – just my opinion.
The scene in “Rich Man – Poor Man” with that young beauty and the older man did it for me in the desire to own one.
For about half the ask I’d enter into it, when I was 20 I had a next door neighbor with a red Model A parked on his lawn, he always called the cops on me about a gaggle of tri 5 chevys I had, kind of a prique but one day he took me in his garage and showed me his black 41 continental. The impression I got was enough that 45 years later I’d take this car, do its mechanicals, and rub the body down with kerosene and drive it! So what if the engines a pig who looks in their rearview anyway?
I do love these old V12 Lincolns, but if you want one, you can buy a really nice one for 25K.
Regarding the transverse spring controversy, The fabulous 810-812 Cords used them in front albeit to spring independent trailing arms. Saved weight if nothing else.
Exactly; so did Corvette in the rear up to GEN 7; that was the RIGHT way to do it for a premium automobile. The Lincoln in question was marketed as “premium.” The interior appointments, styling, and marketing were premium; the suspension DEFINITELY was not. Ford “got by” with this until the public figured it out and sales slid. Then they changed.
There is one locally available with body work complete, mechanicals were good a few years ago but a death in the family stopped restoration, interior needs restored. Dash is still beautiful mahogany, radio delete.
I may embrace a new project. Super reasonably priced!