The mind-boggling complicity of the convertible top operating/actuating systems on these cars is worth a video all it's own. Thanks for your well-done presentations.
I think Jay Leno said if you ever own one of these, you need to have the phone number of a 'that guy' who specializes in these Lincoln convertible systems. You're correct....very complex.
Exactly. I think in '66 to '69 they went downhill with that too-prominent center. It makes me wonder if Lincoln considered hidden headlights for the late '60s
Two barrel carburetors, Robert McNamara was such a dope, people think things have gone for a dump recently but they forget that the 1960's featured Robert McNamara, the Vientnam war, all kinds of foolish skull thuggery. It's interesting to me that a guy (you) who is 15-20 years younger than me loves the cars that were being made when I was toddler, I was 15 months old when the 1966 models came out in September 1966. I had occasion to ride in a variety of 60's cars when I was younger and those were the peak years of the American car, quiet, smooth, powerful. You do a wonderful job Adam, great channel.
My Uncle owned a 1969 LC Sedan in Dark Orchid with Silver Leather interior. It was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. Eventually I bought a Black on Black 1969 in 1995. These cars drove beautifully - much smaller than they actually were. It was the final of four suicide door Continentals that were restored for daily driving.
I was offered to purchase a '66 buy the son of the original owner in 1980. I couldn't wrap my head around it and didn't purchase it. Later I did buy a '63, which I consider the best of those first three years. I have seen grown to appreciate the '66 and consider it the best of the whole series. I agree that, while not a sales success, the 1970 is spectacular. Thanks, Adam
Adam, you should do an episode on the 1970 through 79 Lincoln Town Coupes and Town Cars, primarily the 70-73s. I think those along with the Mercury Marquis of that era were very nicely styled inside and out
I thoroughly enjoy these historical videos, but I’m really looking forward to seeing more of your personal collection now that winter is in our rear view mirror. Thanks, Adam. 👍👍👍
Thanks for this great article! My Dad bought a new black 1969 Lincoln Continental four door sedan with a red leather interior. I always thought that the 1969 with the coach doors, was a very classic and distinctive design. The last 1969 Lincoln Continental US Presidential Limousine was adorned with the distinctive, 1969 Lincoln Continental trim. Again, I’m very appreciative of the automobiles you’re inspired to write about! 💟😎
the "1969" presidential limo was actually a '67, updated by Ford with '69 front and rear clips. The Nixon Library in Yorba Linda used to have one parked out back.
Love the looks of the older Lincoln Continentals... They really were luxurious land yachts and oh so beautiful. Thanks for posting this wonderful video.
I loved the 66-69 Lincolns the best … especially the coupe’. My favorite feature back when I was a kid was that deep dish hubcap. Everything was perfection.
Fabulous review. The 66 to 69. Continentals are among my favorites as well. Mid century styling, clean uncluttered lines and pure elegance. Thanks again for this video. Nice job.!
Your videos are very well done. My brother still has the marble paperweight with the hood star, and my grandfather's name engraved on a small plate that is stuck to the base. My grandparents gave it to him (he was 8) when they bought the '69 L-C. It had an AM/FM stereo. There was a separate control unit mounted on the "hump" that had the bass, treble, balance and fader controls. That might seem lame now, but it was a big deal then.
My first ride in a US car as a kid, was in the back seat of a black 1965 Lincoln Continental with tuxedo black and white interior. What a car! Always loved the 1966 and 1967 sedans. The 1972 sedan in black without vinyl roof was a big hit for me for many years. Still like it a lot. I favour the 1978 and 1979 sedans as well and take a break till 1990, before they are a hit with me again. As for the Marks, I favour the Continental Mark IV and have driven a 1975 since 2002.
This is an excellent chronology and history of this era of Continentals. I was a young 12 year old who loved cars and loved to clean them for $. Our summer house, in upstate New York, neighbors had several Lincolns. I remember cleaning the exterior and interior of their 68 Lincoln in their driveway. Fabulous piece if art. The carpets (super plush) alone was were worth the price of admission. A fabulous piece of design and engineering in its day. I made $6 for three hours of work and walked away happy.
Great review as always!! Another first in 1966 was the 8 Track tape player which was only available in the Lincoln, Thunderbird, and Mustang for any car in the US. I have an orginal 1966 Mustang that my dad bought in 1966 and I made sure that the AM radio/8 Track tape player was on the option list. It actually still functions even though I have very few 8 track tapes. I was only 12 years old but loved cars even though my dad didn't so had to assist him in optioning the car. 😂
Great presentation of a landmark automobile. On top of that, as a Canadian viewer that spent my childhood in the province of Québec, your explanation of the "accent aigu" is something that I would never expect to encounter in a car video!
A good friends dad had a 66 white on black with the 462. He revived it when we were in high school probably 2002 or 3. It really came back to life pretty easy and was a smooth running rig. The 462 looked small in the engine compartment I remember lol
Excellent review! My folks had a 1967 4 door and I really loved that car so much. The rear hinged rear doors made it look so elegant. Love all of your reviews Adam!
I believe that color is Emberglo. My dad had a 1966 Continental four door in Emberglo with Black vinyl top and Black leather interior. I loved the vertical pleated seats and fold down center armrests.
Growing up my father had a '64 Continental. It was an amazingly good car, he ended driving it over 300,000 miles. It never wore out, but by the mid to late 70's he wanted a smaller car. The construction of that Lincoln was unlike any other domestic car I've ever worked on. As an example, the door panels were screwed, not clipped, to the door structure. Screws were chrome plated with chrome washers but were hidden when the door was closed. Removing the panel was thus easy. Ditto on the carpeted kick panels, etc. Interior trim was well done as well, from the stitched door panels to the wool cut pile carpeting. There was nothing quite like it pulling up to the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and having the doorman open the front and rear 'suicide' doors. I've never seen as well a made car since then, and that includes our MB E350....not even close and no where near as reliable as the Lincoln was.
I guess it wasn’t until the third Gen panther town car that Lincoln brought back its world class safety, reliability, solidity and construction. My 04 townie (daily driver) has close to 260k on it and runs quite smoothly for a 20 year old land yacht. A plumber I knew saw me pull up in my Lincoln once and he said his grandfather had a mid 60s continental just like it and he drove it for 8 years from time it was new and sold it with everything still working perfectly on it.
I enjoy each and every old car installment that you bring to us, but I must say I did especially enjoy this particular one. Over the years, I've owned 2 1968 Lincoln Continental 4 door sedans, one with the 462 CID engine (an early production model) and the other with the new 460 CID engine. The both performed equally well; with lots of power and effortlessness when called to task, and were a real pleasure to drive. In summer these were my daily drivers. Sadly, I no longer have these, but one day, I'm hoping to find a nice Mark V. Thank you very much Adam for the trip down memory lane, and for all that you bring to us!
These Lincolns are the true touchstone of understated elegance. The fact that these designs still hold up today, confirms this. What happened Lincoln? Not even close to the SUV’s you are producing today.
When I was 5 years old in 1966 I found out I had $100 in my savings account. I clearly remember exclaiming with joy that I had enough money to buy a Lincoln Continental. My dad gave me the bad news that I only had enough money for a couple of tires. These have always been my favorite car.
Adam- Thank you for the best classic car video channel! It’s always such a joy to watch your productions. When you feature designers you engage them in the best interviews I’ve seen in any media. I owned a 1968 Lincoln Continental sedan for a couple of years in the early 80s, only to sell it when I found a Buick Centurion convertible to buy back. Thank you so much for sharing your collection. Please know that I look forward to each of your productions and share them with fellow enthusiasts.
My dad had a '62 Lincoln Continental in Sultana White with Parchment Interior and a '66 in Emberglo with Black vinyl top and interior. The 462 cu. in. V8 in the '66 weighed 750 lbs and had 340 hp and 480 lb. ft. of torque and could cruise 80 mph easily. Both beautfully made cars built at the unibody factory in Wixom, MI with the Thunderbirds. The quality control on these cars was exceptional!
Excellent article about a classic model series! Many years ago I owned all those luxury cars. Cadillac Continental, Imperial, hardtop, convertible, but if I could have one of them back it would be the '64 Lincoln Continental convertible. What a nice ride! There's just something timelessly endearing about those earlier Continentals with their understated clean linest I just can't get out of my head.
I have notes that the "61", "62", & "63" Continentals and Thunderbird share the same headlight bezzle. I enjoy Adames detailed review and I always learn more about the particular history.
Great video Adam! I particularly LOVE your green 71 Marquis. Just something so gorgeous about it. I’d love to own one like it. A great looking and quality automobile IMO
A friend of mine had one of those desktop hood ornaments mounted on black marble. He was proudly showing me his new Baldwin concert grand piano and asked me how I liked it. I plucked that Continental star off the coffee table and plopped it on the front of that immense slab of shiny black lacquer and said, "Now it's perfect!" We laughed about it for years.
We had a 1968 4 door with a tan body and black leather interior and a black roof. The car was just elegant. I still remember my dad filling up the gas tank for the first time and being astonished that the gas tank held 20 + gallons of gas IIRC. The 460 V8 got about 10 MPGs on the highway and about 4-5 around town. The car had a dash board that looked like it had 2 radios. The one on the left of the steering wheel was the temperature control, where you set the temp you wanted and the thermostat kept the car at that temperature. On the right side of the steering wheel was the radio with a power antenna that did not go up automatically when you turned on the radio. You had to raise the antenna in addition to turning on the radio. The windows were electric, even the corner windows, and could be used without the key by pressing a by-pass switch and then the windows would operate. The power door locks were hydraulic, and once the car was off, you could raise and lower the locks a couple of times before they ran out of air and you had to raise them by hand. The trunk lid was huge and required a fairly tall person to close the lid. The trunk was huge with a well in the center that could hold a ton of luggage plus a full size spare. That year lLincoln offered shoulder belts that were separate from the lap belt. So the driver and front passenger both had a lap belt and could choose to use the shoulder belt. Of course the car had bench seats in the front so six people could rid comfortably. The car had 2 resonators and 2 mufflers and was whisper quiet. The car was just luxury to the max, and had the price and availability of gas not gone crazy in 1973 I think that car would have been with us a long time. By 1974 the trade in offer was $300.00 for a $7,800 car with just under 40,000 miles on it. It was the epitome of luxury. We had many Lincolns over the years and there was never a car in my opinion from the ‘60’s as beautiful as the 1968.
Two guys in my hometown had the late-'60s Continental Coupe'. Because of the long quarter panels, they appeared even more gargantuan than the 4-doors. Magnificent cars, though.
Many mechanics will tell you some flex still took place when the cars were on a service lift. Remember, the 1958 to 1960 Lincolns and Continentals were also unibody ....and I think many welded-in reinforcements were needed to prevent exactly what you said for those cars too. ( The penalty of those reinforcements is of course added weight that you always hope a unibody can avoid ) So to your comment - my guess is by 1961 Lincoln had almost perfected the best ways to reinforce the new car, as learned from the '58 to '60 cars.
I've owned a 61 LC convertible since 1984. The bodies are incredible strong & rigid. They only put two additional engine bay braces in the convertible & added some ballist weights to reduce vibrations at highway speeds. Almost zero difference between the sedan body & the conv. body. The body flexing stories I really think are just an urban legend.
I had a neighbor in the 1960s who bought a new Continental EVERY year! His office was one block from his home. He drove the car to work in the morning, and back home at the end of the work day. They were like new when he traded them in.
Yep Adam, the Lincoln Continental from 1961 thru to 1969 were so Iconic and just gorgeous to look at....U wud think Henry Ford Senior wud have loved the design. Cheers fm Damo😊👏
These era Lincolns all have a majestic look about them that made them look and feel a little more high end than Cadillacs. IMHO. Maybe the suicide doors put them in that category as these doors seemed higher class on vehicles; at least for rear seat passengers getting in. Great video.
Thank you Adam. They took the 1961 design and kept upgrading it through the 1960's. They did that at Lincoln through the 1970's , 1980's and 1990's. I see how Mercury was influenced by Lincoln as well. They changed with the times. I like the interior door handles as well. This car was so famous for all the films and television shows it was used. People associate this car with the United States presidency. That is interesting how hood ornaments left and came back and left again as they are on the grille today. You can see how Mark III was influenced by this car. I liked hearing about the Lincoln Town car was a trim level and as we know it became its own car.
An uncle of mine bought a '69 Continental 4-dr. The car was "medium aqua metallic" with a black vinyl top and black brocade upholstered interior. The 460 and C6 made for a smooth, quiet, powerful, unobtrusive ride. The hydraulic power steering pump also ran the windshield wipers, which had continuous speeds rather than 2- or 3-speeds. (At the highest setting, the wipers ran about 50% faster than any electric wiper system.) Also, because there was no drive belt for the power steering pump, the belts that were used drove the alternator, water pump, and a/c compressor. Unlike typical cars of the era, the Lincolns had a tandem belt driving the alternator and water pump - and the a/c was driven off the water pump rather than the crankshaft. A friend noted that most Lincoln drivers would notice the lack of cooling from their a/c before they noticed a 'hot' or an 'alt' lamp on the dash. The engineers probably had no room for another pulley on the crankshaft (with the power steering already extending 2-3 inches from the block), and this was an elegant solution with a practical benefit. Those beautiful grilles were made of metal, not plastic ... but they would bend or break where the pieces came together if you tapped another car (or someone else tapped you) in a parking lot. The cars were designed to ride on bias-ply tires - probably the final year for that - and when they were replaced with a set of Michelins, they rode slightly lower. The bumpers no longer lined up with other cars, so one had to be very careful parking them. These cars were also 200-300 lbs heavier than the Cadillacs or the Imperials of the era. The tremendous torque needed to move the cars would cause the right front spring to 'fatigue' over the first couple of years of ownership, resulting in the right corner of the car sitting 1" - 1 1/2" lower than the left. While the Lincolns had disc brakes, they were not comparable to modern disc brakes ... the cars were too heavy for the braking systems, and brakes would fade and fluid would boil down a long grade. I once removed a wheel on ours to find a rotor that was heat-discolored. Not a comforting feeling. The elegant body panels also had crevices that would trap the salty slush from Detroit (and other snow-belt) streets, so the rocker panels would rust relatively quickly. Worse, the fuel line ran under the outer edge of the driver's side of the car, and although it had a protective covering, that covering made the trapping of salt water worse - so the fuel lines would rust and leak. Still - we had that car in the family when I got my driver's license - and I miss it to this day. I can still tell you where each of the controls was, each of the passenger lamp switches, the square speaker grilles in the kick panel, and the two-handed start motion (like all Ford products of the era).
You have been hitting on all cylinders of late. The AMC Cavalier was especially great. I am a huge AMC guy and I learned a lot from that video. And this video on the unibody Lincolns was informative too. I’ve owned 1963 and 1965 sedans over the years. If I have any criticisms of your videos, and it’s a minor and probably unavoidable issue, is when you picture 1962 and newer cars, they are shown with wide whitewalls. To my eye, they simply look “off” to me. I think you would be ether served using press kit or factory photos. That being said, if I am ever able to get financial backing and support for my postwar print magazine, Ignition, you will be one of the first people I will call to be a contributor.
I love your videos and loved the 1966. My father bought one, but sadly it was a terrible lemon. Everything that could go wrong did. But was still sad when he got rid of it in 1968. It was gorgeous.
Great cars. I have a mint 66 sedan. I prefer the 61 style wise but love the 66 also. I had a 67 coupe years ago but wanted a suicide door sedan , so sold it. I am less of a fan of the 1969 model. I felt it was getting tired by then. I also love the 70 (which I have too). Front disc brakes were standard in 1965 btw. 👍
Again, your details make your channel my go to, even when you feature vehicles that are not on my hits list. For me, any & every thing Detroit. Your knowledge, research; 👍🏾. For the 'slab sides' was a great looker, I remember my mom ooowe when she saw the 61-63s. Towards the end of the sixties, the Continental resembled Mercury too much. A lot of quality was put into that front end structure, and then came the 70. Great look, but not the same car.💯🇺🇸
This is a beautiful car. Any of the years were good, far as I was concerned. Seems like Cadillac got more attention, but the Lincolns were arguably better looking and more contemporary in their styling. Very nice presentation, Adam.
I had a 1966 Coupe, Dark gray no vinyl top, blk interior it was beautiful the dash and interior trim were brushed aluminum and chrome, very tastefully done, very rich. I also had a 68 2 door green with dark green vinyl top and matching dark green leather interior. Ford replaced the brushed aluminum with a fake wood stick on. It look good but I liked the other better. 68 had a built in 8 track player. Very cool. My power steering when out on the 1968 and I drove a year without it as it was too expensive to fix, you had the take the whole front of the engine off to get to it. But both rode fantastic and seemed better made than my 67/69/70 Cads. But I still loved my Caddy's. Great video and great info!
I started looking at your video's some weeks ago. Love them! Especialy the "worst and bad" ones. All these cars are just to expensive to run in Holland where I live. 2 dollars per litre for gas. I run a Toyota Yaris with 290000km on the clock and a Lotus Elan m100 S2. Japenese engines both. They run forever.
I will try this forum to answer a question that has always been top of mind. For the 1961 - 1969 Continental, notice how the windshield wipers rest to the left and sweep to the right. This position is common for right hand drive vehicles when vehicles have parallel sweeping wipers. This is the only American, left hand drive car that has ever had them, all others rest to the right and sweep to the left. Dying to know why Ford did this on the Lincoln Continental (only).
Another excellent production! The ‘69 grille harkened back to the ‘63 grille, which for me, was the best styled Lincoln of the ‘60s, both because of the exterior, with the aforementioned grille, but also it’s high-quality rear “grille” that mirrored the front (I say high quality because many times the auto mfr.s cheap out as Lincoln did in ‘62, and they don’t age well). But the other reason for the ‘63’s best styling was the dash…just an excellent execution of the double-coved dash, with high-dollar materials such as genuine wood, heavy chromed metal surfaces/knobs, the very unique a/c vents, etc.
The power steering pump also ran the windshield wiper motor on these if I'm not mistaken. Variable speed wipers were like turning up the volume on the radio. The 66 is by far the pinnacle for these cars in my opinion, not vulgar, but tastefully done. Restoring one of these elegant ladies properly, especially a convertible, is not for the faint of heart. Very complex vehicles for their time. I believe that there was a difference between Cadillac, Lincoln, and Imperial owners back in the day. Cadillac, "look at me". New money. Imperial, "I just love Engineering". Total gear head. Lincoln, " a 'hem". Old money.
Jay Leno has a video on a convertible, where he had the foremost expert in Continental convertible tops get his car's top working. I remember the guy saying how many motors, switches, and relays there are in one, and it was a lot! The video was originally well over an hour, but Jay pared it down some, a few weeks or months later.
I have a 1965 that I have known from new. Am its 3 care giver got it from second owner in Feb 1978. Have copy of window sticker and selling paper work. It has a 110,000 miles. Is now resting in dry dark storage. great car. It is till death do we part.
I have a 61 Continental currently undergoing a full restoration. Though most of my collection is European l find this model to be one of the most stylish mid-century icons. The cost of it's restoration will far exceed any future value this car will achieve but that's not why l'm doing it. I just love the way it looks.
To my eyes the '66 to '69 Continentals are the best looking of the '60s Lincolns. The extra design details made them a bit more elegant than the '61 to '65 Lincolns. (That said, the '61 to '65 Lincolns are certainly beautiful.) The '70 redesign is not too bad, but certainly not as distinctive. For my taste, the '70s Lincolns became just another American land yacht, and eventually became ugly for the last half of the '70s, similar to the '58 to '60 Lincolns. It's nice to see a video that appreciates these cars, so thanks for this and for many of your other videos.
At the 10:00 mark you can see the hydraulic hoses that are used to power the windshield wipers. Just behind the air cleaner, and centered on the firewall, the power steering pump fed both the steering box and the wiper motor. T-Birds used the same feature for a few years, too. IMO, the 61-63 body design was best. I hated the straight glass windows of 64-65, and the 66-69 had the curved glass, but way less tumblehome. Still, I love them all!
I think those 61 to 69 Lincoln Continentals were the most clean and graceful body style of the 1960s, there not overly loud like some other luxury cars of the day.
Great video. Never much of a fan of this generation Connie’s past ‘64. However your video reminded me of the handsome Coupe’. It almost looks as good as the OG Mark II of the mid 50’s. I always thought the ‘70-‘72 Continentals were very handsome. I also think the ‘67-‘68 Landau T-Birds were very special. Just one man’s opinion…
I appreciate your videos; especially your focus on design. Instrument panels always draw my attention so I would like you to feature them as well. I always look inside collector cars on display. The '66 instrument panel is industrial chic. Simple, coherent, modern elegance for the time. So simple it only had 2 or 3 (?) instruments!
I really appreciate your extensive “back story” research and ease of presentation. Thank you.
Truly a awesome channel about cars here on youtube.
@@dustin_4501 Yes, I agree and watch almost all of them.
Love these continenta
The mind-boggling complicity of the convertible top operating/actuating systems on these cars is worth a video all it's own. Thanks for your well-done presentations.
I think Jay Leno said if you ever own one of these, you need to have the phone number of a 'that guy' who specializes in these Lincoln convertible systems.
You're correct....very complex.
You meant "mind-boggling complexity", right?
@@bretfisher7286 Yes, indeed, sorry and thanks!
@@davef.2329 Thank you! A good comment. Just checking..
Jay Leno has a great video on that convertible and how complicated it is.
That 1965 grille makes the front end look like a Mercury.
Exactly. I think in '66 to '69 they went downhill with that too-prominent center.
It makes me wonder if Lincoln considered hidden headlights for the late '60s
No wonder they changed it again for 66'.
I just posted the same thing
Now in the Lincoln Continental tradition.
Made the Mercury buyers happy!
Two barrel carburetors, Robert McNamara was such a dope, people think things have gone for a dump recently but they forget that the 1960's featured Robert McNamara, the Vientnam war, all kinds of foolish skull thuggery. It's interesting to me that a guy (you) who is 15-20 years younger than me loves the cars that were being made when I was toddler, I was 15 months old when the 1966 models came out in September 1966. I had occasion to ride in a variety of 60's cars when I was younger and those were the peak years of the American car, quiet, smooth, powerful. You do a wonderful job Adam, great channel.
My Uncle owned a 1969 LC Sedan in Dark Orchid with Silver Leather interior. It was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. Eventually I bought a Black on Black 1969 in 1995. These cars drove beautifully - much smaller than they actually were. It was the final of four suicide door Continentals that were restored for daily driving.
Jealous :-)
That Dark Orchid must have been stunning!!!!
I was offered to purchase a '66 buy the son of the original owner in 1980. I couldn't wrap my head around it and didn't purchase it. Later I did buy a '63, which I consider the best of those first three years. I have seen grown to appreciate the '66 and consider it the best of the whole series. I agree that, while not a sales success, the 1970 is spectacular. Thanks, Adam
Adam, you should do an episode on the 1970 through 79 Lincoln Town Coupes and Town Cars, primarily the 70-73s. I think those along with the Mercury Marquis of that era were very nicely styled inside and out
Oh I'm sure he already has that plan in the pipeline... 😊
I thoroughly enjoy these historical videos, but I’m really looking forward to seeing more of your personal collection now that winter is in our rear view mirror. Thanks, Adam. 👍👍👍
Cars from the 60's and 70's are the best
Even as a South African I fully agree with you.
Thanks for this great article! My Dad bought a new black 1969 Lincoln Continental four door sedan with a red leather interior. I always thought that the 1969 with the coach doors, was a very classic and distinctive design. The last 1969 Lincoln Continental US Presidential Limousine was adorned with the distinctive, 1969 Lincoln Continental trim. Again, I’m very appreciative of the automobiles you’re inspired to write about! 💟😎
the "1969" presidential limo was actually a '67, updated by Ford with '69 front and rear clips. The Nixon Library in Yorba Linda used to have one parked out back.
Love the looks of the older Lincoln Continentals... They really were luxurious land yachts and oh so beautiful. Thanks for posting this wonderful video.
I think JFK every time I see an early 60s Continental
I think Green Aches every time see a mid-60s Continental.😂
I think the same thing!!
I've seen JFK's death vehicle at one of Henry Ford's museums.
JFK had a 4dr convertible as his personal car, however, Jackie was driven in a ‘60 Imperial Limo during the WH years
Me too.
I love these '60's Continentals
I will buy one. The car and the deal will need to be right. I'll do a frame off restoration
For me they look better that the Cadillacs from this same time period.
Can't do a frame off restoration, unibody construction.
_I love these '60's Continentals_
I am 100% in agreement with you.
@@craigrupert1917 _Can't do a frame off restoration, unibody construction._
BOOM !!
Good update keep it up the good work 👍👍
I loved the 66-69 Lincolns the best … especially the coupe’. My favorite feature back when I was a kid was that deep dish hubcap. Everything was perfection.
Fabulous review. The 66 to 69. Continentals are among my favorites as well. Mid century styling, clean uncluttered lines and pure elegance. Thanks again for this video. Nice job.!
Your videos are very well done. My brother still has the marble paperweight with the hood star, and my grandfather's name engraved on a small plate that is stuck to the base. My grandparents gave it to him (he was 8) when they bought the '69 L-C. It had an AM/FM stereo. There was a separate control unit mounted on the "hump" that had the bass, treble, balance and fader controls. That might seem lame now, but it was a big deal then.
If i ever win the lottery, i am buying a 1967 continental coupe in black. It is without a doubt my favorite 60s cars
My first ride in a US car as a kid, was in the back seat of a black 1965 Lincoln Continental with tuxedo black and white interior.
What a car! Always loved the 1966 and 1967 sedans. The 1972 sedan in black without vinyl roof was a big hit for me for many years. Still like it a lot. I favour the 1978 and 1979 sedans as well and take a break till 1990, before they are a hit with me again.
As for the Marks, I favour the Continental Mark IV and have driven a 1975 since 2002.
Someday I hope to own one of these. One of my favorite cars. Detroit’s finest hour.
Have it inspected extensively for rust. They were very heavy large cars with no frame all unibody construction.
This is an excellent chronology and history of this era of Continentals. I was a young 12 year old who loved cars and loved to clean them for $. Our summer house, in upstate New York, neighbors had several Lincolns. I remember cleaning the exterior and interior of their 68 Lincoln in their driveway. Fabulous piece if art. The carpets (super plush) alone was were worth the price of admission. A fabulous piece of design and engineering in its day. I made $6 for three hours of work and walked away happy.
Great review as always!! Another first in 1966 was the 8 Track tape player which was only available in the Lincoln, Thunderbird, and Mustang for any car in the US. I have an orginal 1966 Mustang that my dad bought in 1966 and I made sure that the AM radio/8 Track tape player was on the option list. It actually still functions even though I have very few 8 track tapes. I was only 12 years old but loved cars even though my dad didn't so had to assist him in optioning the car. 😂
My dad's 1966 Lincoln Continental had an AM/8-track player. Tunes for the road back in the day.
Great presentation of a landmark automobile.
On top of that, as a Canadian viewer that spent my childhood in the province of Québec, your explanation of the "accent aigu" is something that I would never expect to encounter in a car video!
A good friends dad had a 66 white on black with the 462. He revived it when we were in high school probably 2002 or 3. It really came back to life pretty easy and was a smooth running rig. The 462 looked small in the engine compartment I remember lol
Excellent review! My folks had a 1967 4 door and I really loved that car so much. The rear hinged rear doors made it look so elegant. Love all of your reviews Adam!
Love the 68 in black. And that 1970 Beautiful
That copper colored two door is a great looking car
The Midnight Blue convertible is no slouch either.
I believe that color is Emberglo. My dad had a 1966 Continental four door in Emberglo with Black vinyl top and Black leather interior. I loved the vertical pleated seats and fold down center armrests.
Love these Lincolns! Beautiful!
That's when Lincolns were Lincolns!
Growing up my father had a '64 Continental. It was an amazingly good car, he ended driving it over 300,000 miles. It never wore out, but by the mid to late 70's he wanted a smaller car. The construction of that Lincoln was unlike any other domestic car I've ever worked on. As an example, the door panels were screwed, not clipped, to the door structure. Screws were chrome plated with chrome washers but were hidden when the door was closed. Removing the panel was thus easy. Ditto on the carpeted kick panels, etc. Interior trim was well done as well, from the stitched door panels to the wool cut pile carpeting. There was nothing quite like it pulling up to the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and having the doorman open the front and rear 'suicide' doors. I've never seen as well a made car since then, and that includes our MB E350....not even close and no where near as reliable as the Lincoln was.
I guess it wasn’t until the third Gen panther town car that Lincoln brought back its world class safety, reliability, solidity and construction. My 04 townie (daily driver) has close to 260k on it and runs quite smoothly for a 20 year old land yacht. A plumber I knew saw me pull up in my Lincoln once and he said his grandfather had a mid 60s continental just like it and he drove it for 8 years from time it was new and sold it with everything still working perfectly on it.
Beautiful piece of automotive excellence!!
Turned 60 today. Admired these cars, even as a boy. I am partial to the 61 thru 64 suicide convertibles. Some of the most beautiful cars ever built!
I enjoy each and every old car installment that you bring to us, but I must say I did especially enjoy this particular one. Over the years, I've owned 2 1968 Lincoln Continental 4 door sedans, one with the 462 CID engine (an early production model) and the other with the new 460 CID engine. The both performed equally well; with lots of power and effortlessness when called to task, and were a real pleasure to drive. In summer these were my daily drivers. Sadly, I no longer have these, but one day, I'm hoping to find a nice Mark V. Thank you very much Adam for the trip down memory lane, and for all that you bring to us!
Adam, I always enjoy your shows, (research). Really appreciate your time, and knowledge. Marcel in Yuma
My favorite was the return of the coupes. I remember seeing them as a little kid, it exuded quiet luxury. 1967 was the last year for the convertible.
Thanks for showing Lincolns some love. I enjoy every one of your videos, but especially like it when you highlight the Lincolns.
These Lincolns are the true touchstone of understated elegance. The fact that these designs still hold up today, confirms this. What happened Lincoln? Not even close to the SUV’s you are producing today.
SUV is an ugly shape and nothing can help it.
@@V8_screw_electric_carsAll SUVs are ugly. Bring back the wagons.
@@stephenholland5930 europe has them
Another great video, thank you for what you do. I have owned 3 of these old Lincolns……a 65,66 and a 67
Another excellent presentation
When I was 5 years old in 1966 I found out I had $100 in my savings account. I clearly remember exclaiming with joy that I had enough money to buy a Lincoln Continental. My dad gave me the bad news that I only had enough money for a couple of tires. These have always been my favorite car.
Adam-
Thank you for the best classic car video channel!
It’s always such a joy to watch your productions.
When you feature designers you engage them in the best interviews I’ve seen in any media.
I owned a 1968 Lincoln Continental sedan for a couple of years in the early 80s, only to sell it when I found a Buick Centurion convertible to buy back.
Thank you so much for sharing your collection. Please know that I look forward to each of your productions and share them with fellow enthusiasts.
That 462 (1967) was a beast. Impressive acceleration.
Wonderfully smooth engine with 485 lb. ft. of torque.
My dad had a '62 Lincoln Continental in Sultana White with Parchment Interior and a '66 in Emberglo with Black vinyl top and interior. The 462 cu. in. V8 in the '66 weighed 750 lbs and had 340 hp and 480 lb. ft. of torque and could cruise 80 mph easily. Both beautfully made cars built at the unibody factory in Wixom, MI with the Thunderbirds. The quality control on these cars was exceptional!
The 1968 Continental coupe really works for me. Simple, graceful elegance.
1966 was a great design year for all of Detroit’s big three auto makers-big cars with big engines and power.
All with good/interesting styling and you could tell one from another at a glance. Late 50's thru late 60's was the pinnacle of modern car design.
Excellent article about a classic model series!
Many years ago I owned all those luxury cars. Cadillac Continental, Imperial, hardtop, convertible, but if I could have one of them back it would be the '64 Lincoln Continental convertible. What a nice ride! There's just something timelessly endearing about those earlier Continentals with their understated clean linest I just can't get out of my head.
I have notes that the "61", "62", & "63" Continentals and Thunderbird share the same headlight bezzle. I enjoy Adames detailed review and I always learn more about the particular history.
Great video Adam! I particularly LOVE your green 71 Marquis. Just something so gorgeous about it. I’d love to own one like it. A great looking and quality automobile IMO
70 Continental Coupe is stunningly beautiful. My favorite Lincoln for sure.
Wow! Thank you for another Stellar video These were actually my favorite Lincoln's...with '67 & '68 being best in my book.
"actually"
All of those continentals you showed including the 70 were beautiful cars!
My favourite land yacht. Black. Buying one, importing and shipping to Australia and finding somewhere to garage it are my only obstacles.
Mr. Douglas had a convertible Lincoln on the Green Acres TV show. Those Lincolns were gigantic!
This is one of the best videos that you have done. I enjoy when you contrast other models from another manufacturer. (GM)
I had a ‘66 coupe. It was a fantastic original survivor and I have regretted selling it for the last 25 years.
A friend of mine had one of those desktop hood ornaments mounted on black marble. He was proudly showing me his new Baldwin concert grand piano and asked me how I liked it. I plucked that Continental star off the coffee table and plopped it on the front of that immense slab of shiny black lacquer and said, "Now it's perfect!" We laughed about it for years.
What a fantastic car. I really enjoy your presentations on these classics thank you very much.
Always enjoy your videos. Thanks!
We had a 1968 4 door with a tan body and black leather interior and a black roof. The car was just elegant. I still remember my dad filling up the gas tank for the first time and being astonished that the gas tank held 20 + gallons of gas IIRC. The 460 V8 got about 10 MPGs on the highway and about 4-5 around town. The car had a dash board that looked like it had 2 radios. The one on the left of the steering wheel was the temperature control, where you set the temp you wanted and the thermostat kept the car at that temperature. On the right side of the steering wheel was the radio with a power antenna that did not go up automatically when you turned on the radio. You had to raise the antenna in addition to turning on the radio. The windows were electric, even the corner windows, and could be used without the key by pressing a by-pass switch and then the windows would operate. The power door locks were hydraulic, and once the car was off, you could raise and lower the locks a couple of times before they ran out of air and you had to raise them by hand. The trunk lid was huge and required a fairly tall person to close the lid. The trunk was huge with a well in the center that could hold a ton of luggage plus a full size spare. That year lLincoln offered shoulder belts that were separate from the lap belt. So the driver and front passenger both had a lap belt and could choose to use the shoulder belt. Of course the car had bench seats in the front so six people could rid comfortably. The car had 2 resonators and 2 mufflers and was whisper quiet. The car was just luxury to the max, and had the price and availability of gas not gone crazy in 1973 I think that car would have been with us a long time. By 1974 the trade in offer was $300.00 for a $7,800 car with just under 40,000 miles on it. It was the epitome of luxury. We had many Lincolns over the years and there was never a car in my opinion from the ‘60’s as beautiful as the 1968.
I remember my dad filled the 24 gallon fuel tank on his '66 Continental for $13. Those were the days when premium gas was still cheap.
Two guys in my hometown had the late-'60s Continental Coupe'. Because of the long quarter panels, they appeared even more gargantuan than the 4-doors. Magnificent cars, though.
as always - so many interesting bits & pieces to add to the Lincolns we enjoy. Mine is a '64 sedan 🙂
I amazed how Ford kept the Lincoln "unibody" four door convertibles from bending and flexing.
Many mechanics will tell you some flex still took place when the cars were on a service lift.
Remember, the 1958 to 1960 Lincolns and Continentals were also unibody ....and I think many welded-in reinforcements were needed to prevent exactly what you said for those cars too.
( The penalty of those reinforcements is of course added weight that you always hope a unibody can avoid )
So to your comment - my guess is by 1961 Lincoln had almost perfected the best ways to reinforce the new car, as learned from the '58 to '60 cars.
I've owned a 61 LC convertible since 1984. The bodies are incredible strong & rigid. They only put two additional engine bay braces in the convertible & added some ballist weights to reduce vibrations at highway speeds. Almost zero difference between the sedan body & the conv. body. The body flexing stories I really think are just an urban legend.
I remember a joke about jacking up one corner and still having 3 wheels on the ground.
Awesome. Thanks for the video
68 and 69 , my favourite land yachts
For me the best Lincoln of all.
I had a neighbor in the 1960s who bought a new Continental EVERY year! His office was one block from his home. He drove the car to work in the morning, and back home at the end of the work day. They were like new when he traded them in.
Grandpa had a ‘63. I can barely remember that big white car with light green interior. Beautiful cars. Appreciate the details and info.
Terrific report, Adam...
Yep Adam, the Lincoln Continental from 1961 thru to 1969 were so Iconic and just gorgeous to look at....U wud think Henry Ford Senior wud have loved the design. Cheers fm Damo😊👏
These era Lincolns all have a majestic look about them that made them look and feel a little more high end than Cadillacs. IMHO. Maybe the suicide doors put them in that category as these doors seemed higher class on vehicles; at least for rear seat passengers getting in. Great video.
The Lincolns were beautifully styled to begin with and the "suicide" doors made them so cool and elegant.
Elwood Engels elegant '61 Lincoln Continental design earned an Industrial Design Award for Ford.
🎉🎉🎉🎉 great video with interesting development of the big body LINCOLNS
Great video!
Thank you Adam. They took the 1961 design and kept upgrading it through the 1960's. They did that at Lincoln through the 1970's , 1980's and 1990's. I see how Mercury was influenced by Lincoln as well. They changed with the times. I like the interior door handles as well. This car was so famous for all the films and television shows it was used. People associate this car with the United States presidency. That is interesting how hood ornaments left and came back and left again as they are on the grille today. You can see how Mark III was influenced by this car. I liked hearing about the Lincoln Town car was a trim level and as we know it became its own car.
The Presidential limo has been a Cadillac since Reagan.
An uncle of mine bought a '69 Continental 4-dr. The car was "medium aqua metallic" with a black vinyl top and black brocade upholstered interior. The 460 and C6 made for a smooth, quiet, powerful, unobtrusive ride. The hydraulic power steering pump also ran the windshield wipers, which had continuous speeds rather than 2- or 3-speeds. (At the highest setting, the wipers ran about 50% faster than any electric wiper system.)
Also, because there was no drive belt for the power steering pump, the belts that were used drove the alternator, water pump, and a/c compressor. Unlike typical cars of the era, the Lincolns had a tandem belt driving the alternator and water pump - and the a/c was driven off the water pump rather than the crankshaft. A friend noted that most Lincoln drivers would notice the lack of cooling from their a/c before they noticed a 'hot' or an 'alt' lamp on the dash. The engineers probably had no room for another pulley on the crankshaft (with the power steering already extending 2-3 inches from the block), and this was an elegant solution with a practical benefit.
Those beautiful grilles were made of metal, not plastic ... but they would bend or break where the pieces came together if you tapped another car (or someone else tapped you) in a parking lot. The cars were designed to ride on bias-ply tires - probably the final year for that - and when they were replaced with a set of Michelins, they rode slightly lower. The bumpers no longer lined up with other cars, so one had to be very careful parking them.
These cars were also 200-300 lbs heavier than the Cadillacs or the Imperials of the era. The tremendous torque needed to move the cars would cause the right front spring to 'fatigue' over the first couple of years of ownership, resulting in the right corner of the car sitting 1" - 1 1/2" lower than the left. While the Lincolns had disc brakes, they were not comparable to modern disc brakes ... the cars were too heavy for the braking systems, and brakes would fade and fluid would boil down a long grade. I once removed a wheel on ours to find a rotor that was heat-discolored. Not a comforting feeling.
The elegant body panels also had crevices that would trap the salty slush from Detroit (and other snow-belt) streets, so the rocker panels would rust relatively quickly. Worse, the fuel line ran under the outer edge of the driver's side of the car, and although it had a protective covering, that covering made the trapping of salt water worse - so the fuel lines would rust and leak.
Still - we had that car in the family when I got my driver's license - and I miss it to this day. I can still tell you where each of the controls was, each of the passenger lamp switches, the square speaker grilles in the kick panel, and the two-handed start motion (like all Ford products of the era).
You have been hitting on all cylinders of late. The AMC Cavalier was especially great. I am a huge AMC guy and I learned a lot from that video. And this video on the unibody Lincolns was informative too. I’ve owned 1963 and 1965 sedans over the years. If I have any criticisms of your videos, and it’s a minor and probably unavoidable issue, is when you picture 1962 and newer cars, they are shown with wide whitewalls. To my eye, they simply look “off” to me. I think you would be ether served using press kit or factory photos.
That being said, if I am ever able to get financial backing and support for my postwar print magazine, Ignition, you will be one of the first people I will call to be a contributor.
Sweet
I love your videos and loved the 1966. My father bought one, but sadly it was a terrible lemon. Everything that could go wrong did. But was still sad when he got rid of it in 1968. It was gorgeous.
Very interesting. Great video as always.
An icon even with JFK notwithstanding.
Great cars. I have a mint 66 sedan. I prefer the 61 style wise but love the 66 also. I had a 67 coupe years ago but wanted a suicide door sedan , so sold it. I am less of a fan of the 1969 model. I felt it was getting tired by then. I also love the 70 (which I have too). Front disc brakes were standard in 1965 btw. 👍
4:13 That black '66 is a _BEAUTIFUL_ looking car.
(and the '61 is one of my all time favorites, to this day)
I love these. Thanks for sharing.
Again, your details make your channel my go to, even when you feature vehicles that are not on my hits list. For me, any & every thing Detroit. Your knowledge, research; 👍🏾. For the 'slab sides' was a great looker, I remember my mom ooowe when she saw the 61-63s. Towards the end of the sixties, the Continental resembled Mercury too much. A lot of quality was put into that front end structure, and then came the 70. Great look, but not the same car.💯🇺🇸
This is a beautiful car. Any of the years were good, far as I was concerned. Seems like Cadillac got more attention, but the Lincolns were arguably better looking and more contemporary in their styling. Very nice presentation, Adam.
I always wondered why the windshield wipers were backwards on these cars.
They were also hydraulically operated off the power steering pump system.
Infinitely variable speeds
I had a 1966 Coupe, Dark gray no vinyl top, blk interior it was beautiful the dash and interior trim were brushed aluminum and chrome, very tastefully done, very rich. I also had a 68 2 door green with dark green vinyl top and matching dark green leather interior. Ford replaced the brushed aluminum with a fake wood stick on. It look good but I liked the other better. 68 had a built in 8 track player. Very cool. My power steering when out on the 1968 and I drove a year without it as it was too expensive to fix, you had the take the whole front of the engine off to get to it. But both rode fantastic and seemed better made than my 67/69/70 Cads. But I still loved my Caddy's. Great video and great info!
Rob Hitchings these are beautiful cars
I started looking at your video's some weeks ago. Love them! Especialy the "worst and bad" ones. All these cars are just to expensive to run in Holland where I live. 2 dollars per litre for gas. I run a Toyota Yaris with 290000km on the clock and a Lotus Elan m100 S2. Japenese engines both. They run forever.
I will try this forum to answer a question that has always been top of mind. For the 1961 - 1969 Continental, notice how the windshield wipers rest to the left and sweep to the right. This position is common for right hand drive vehicles when vehicles have parallel sweeping wipers. This is the only American, left hand drive car that has ever had them, all others rest to the right and sweep to the left. Dying to know why Ford did this on the Lincoln Continental (only).
Another excellent production! The ‘69 grille harkened back to the ‘63 grille, which for me, was the best styled Lincoln of the ‘60s, both because of the exterior, with the aforementioned grille, but also it’s high-quality rear “grille” that mirrored the front (I say high quality because many times the auto mfr.s cheap out as Lincoln did in ‘62, and they don’t age well). But the other reason for the ‘63’s best styling was the dash…just an excellent execution of the double-coved dash, with high-dollar materials such as genuine wood, heavy chromed metal surfaces/knobs, the very unique a/c vents, etc.
The power steering pump also ran the windshield wiper motor on these if I'm not mistaken. Variable speed wipers were like turning up the volume on the radio. The 66 is by far the pinnacle for these cars in my opinion, not vulgar, but tastefully done. Restoring one of these elegant ladies properly, especially a convertible, is not for the faint of heart. Very complex vehicles for their time. I believe that there was a difference between Cadillac, Lincoln, and Imperial owners back in the day. Cadillac, "look at me". New money. Imperial, "I just love Engineering". Total gear head. Lincoln, " a 'hem". Old money.
Jay Leno has a video on a convertible, where he had the foremost expert in Continental convertible tops get his car's top working. I remember the guy saying how many motors, switches, and relays there are in one, and it was a lot!
The video was originally well over an hour, but Jay pared it down some, a few weeks or months later.
I have a 1965 that I have known from new. Am its 3 care giver got it from second owner in Feb 1978. Have copy of window sticker and selling paper work. It has a 110,000 miles. Is now resting in dry dark storage. great car. It is till death do we part.
I have a 61 Continental currently undergoing a full restoration. Though most of my collection is European l find this model to be one of the most stylish mid-century icons. The cost of it's restoration will far exceed any future value this car will achieve but that's not why l'm doing it. I just love the way it looks.
To my eyes the '66 to '69 Continentals are the best looking of the '60s Lincolns. The extra design details made them a bit more elegant than the '61 to '65 Lincolns. (That said, the '61 to '65 Lincolns are certainly beautiful.) The '70 redesign is not too bad, but certainly not as distinctive. For my taste, the '70s Lincolns became just another American land yacht, and eventually became ugly for the last half of the '70s, similar to the '58 to '60 Lincolns. It's nice to see a video that appreciates these cars, so thanks for this and for many of your other videos.
At the 10:00 mark you can see the hydraulic hoses that are used to power the windshield wipers. Just behind the air cleaner, and centered on the firewall, the power steering pump fed both the steering box and the wiper motor. T-Birds used the same feature for a few years, too. IMO, the 61-63 body design was best. I hated the straight glass windows of 64-65, and the 66-69 had the curved glass, but way less tumblehome. Still, I love them all!
I love that ‘71 at 5:40….what a sharp car!
I think those 61 to 69 Lincoln Continentals were the most clean and graceful body style of the 1960s, there not overly loud like some other luxury cars of the day.
My first car in 76 when I was in high school was a 66 4dr hardtop then 2 yrs after high-school I had a 63 4 dr
Great video. Never much of a fan of this generation Connie’s past ‘64. However your video reminded me of the handsome Coupe’. It almost looks as good as the OG Mark II of the mid 50’s. I always thought the ‘70-‘72 Continentals were very handsome. I also think the ‘67-‘68 Landau T-Birds were very special. Just one man’s opinion…
My mom had a 73 sport coupe, and i had a 78 town coupe that i turned into a sport coupe.... great cars!
I appreciate your videos; especially your focus on design. Instrument panels always draw my attention so I would like you to feature them as well. I always look inside collector cars on display.
The '66 instrument panel is industrial chic. Simple, coherent, modern elegance for the time. So simple it only had 2 or 3 (?) instruments!
I loved the cool speedometer design like a long thermometer.