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
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 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.
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!
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.💯🇺🇸
Lincolns and Continentals were, in my opinion, the epitome of American luxury automobiles second to NONE! Having witnessed every model from the early 60's , there isn't one I would turn down!
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've always been a Chevrolet man with the first gen Camaro being my favorite car since I was a kid... But I have to admit that these generation Continentals have always been my #2 favorite car ever since I can remember. Pretty amazing how the prices of these cars have jumped in such a short time.
Something else to mention, because of the unit body construction, the Continental's front fenders weren't bolted on like every other car, they were WELDED on and leaded in! A minor fender bender could become a MAJOR expense!
@@stormythelowcountrykitty7147 Yes, I guess I was a bit short-sighted, there.. (..and I'm sure I would've loved our '69 Country Squire or Kingswood Estate as much as I did our '69 Colony Park! 😀)
That '61 at 1:30 is one of 4 "hardtops"-devoid of a distinct B-pillar-made that year. I have a strong theory about the flip-flop between flat side glass and curved side glass. Bottom line, it was kind of political grudges in Ford, namely between Eugene Bordinat and Elwood Engel.
It is amazing how well "clean designs" weather future periods. Many times what works in the present in wild style does not weather time well. Look at how awful the Cadihack Arts and Scientology (!) look looks in retrospective. Talk about making an expensive car look dead common and cheap! Great review of this car.
11:05 Oddly, I do NOT like the two-door version! (not to be negative, it's just not something I find attractive). And I say that as a LOVER of these Lincolns.
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
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.
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
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.
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. 😂
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.
So was the 1958 Lincoln also "compromised" because it was also built on the same line as the 58 Thunderbird? That makes no sense. The Wixom factory was built to build Lincolns & Thunderbirds exclusively. The 61 Lincoln was downsized not compromised.
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).
Robert Mcnamara cost cutting still lives on in the Ford Motor Company. If i could have my Explorer would have an optional V6. It bothers me that we cannot check boxes like we once could.
Great video I was in junior high when these came out and rode in a 1967 many times. What always looks funny to me, however, with this newer body, is that the rear wheel seem set too far from the body - almost like the 1959 GM models other than Pontiac it did not seem as noticeable in person as it did looking at photos of it, like today. And I did not notice it in the 1961 to 1965 models. However, I still think that Lincoln lost something with the 1970 blending with the big Ford and mercury.
In 1970 when they went back to body on frame construction there was too much parts sharing with the Mercurys and it was no longer a unique car line. The '61 through '69 Continentals were very special cars.
Love the looks of the older Lincoln Continentals... They really were luxurious land yachts and oh so beautiful. Thanks for posting this wonderful video.
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. 👍
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.
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.
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.
Double sided key cuts were introduced for all Ford products for the 1965 model year. That was also the year that Ford began using the slogan, Ford has a better idea. The double sided key cut was one of them.
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.
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.
PS: I also noticed at one minute 18 seconds that you use the color styling exercise photo of the 1961 sedan where it is a true hardtop instead of a sedan. I have seen several photos of this mock up so it must have been considered seriously. Having ridden a lot in a 1963 sedan as a child, I think they were smart to retain the pillar for rigidity. I wrote also fairly often in a 1962 convertible where the back window on each side would lower an inch or two to clear the top when the doors were open, and then would , snug back up when the door was closed. Does anyone on here know whether that same automatic window lowering was on the 1966 through 67 convertibles with the new body?
@@MarinCipollinanope. The upper B pillar, on the sedan, is entirely non structural. It is easily removable since it is held in place with screws. It is really only there to provide a surface for the rear glass weather seal.
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
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.
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.
The two best eras of the Lincolns are the 58 - 60 and the 66 - 67. I had quite a bit of seat time in both a 60 Lincoln and a 67 Lincoln. For exterior style the 67 era wins. For interior style the 60 era wins. In the 60 the bits and pieces on the inside were made of real metal, good solid stuff, all with a real quality look and feel. The 60 dash was outstanding, better than the 58/59 ones but all were quality. The 61 - 65 are fine cars but to me the outside looks unsubstantial in many ways, particularly the front end and grill, looks too much like stamped sheet metal. The dash in the 61's is nice but not much different than a lot of cars whereas the 60's dash was one of a kind (same for the 58/59). The "alligator jaws" dash of the 66-69 just looks like a bunch of cheap plastic with cheap plastic chrome trim. Has none of the "substantial stuff" look and feel of the 58 - 65's. The other parts of the 66-69 interior are fine although less interesting then the 58/60 interiors but it's the dash you spend a lot of time looking at and it's a loser. For the exterior of the 66 - 69 only the 66/67 looks really good. After 67 it started looking like a Mercury, the taillight changes detracted from the essence, and the 69 redo of the coffin nose is just awful, looks a change just to say "I changed it" and not for the better, the extra surfaces added make it too busy, like someone was folding cardboard and folded it one too many times. So long ago that it's hard to recall much about the driving dynamics of the 60 vs the 67 but my recollection is that there wasn't much difference. Surprisingly, the road tests reports for the 58-60 reported that beast as an excellent balance of ride and handling and power. If offered any between 58 and 69 I would take one.
The Lincoln Continental automobile was a product of the Ford Motor Company. The Ford Motor Company also manufactured the famed Ford automobile. The Ford Motor Company and the Ford automobile were named after Mr. Henry Ford of Detroit, Michigan.
I had never noticed until just now that the '61 Continental's headlights were a straight-out ripoff of Thunderbird, if I have the sequence right. Those are exactly the same headlights and bezels. Not for long. ..
Thanks Adam. Great presentation of these magnificent automobiles. I've always wondered why the wipers on these '60s Lincolns swing the wrong way for left hand drive. Does anyone know?
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.
Regarding hood ornaments both pre and post 1968, I believe government regulations eliminated the fixed hood ornaments ( due to pedestrian impalement concerns) and hood ornaments were allowed to return only after they became spring mounted ( which took a year or 2 to develope).
MEL's had a 4.90 bore spacing. .600 wall thickness on all except the 462's. I always wondered if it was by choice that the engineers came up with a 4.30 bore, then configured the stroke to make everything equal 430 cubic inches once all added up. The 383 MEL's of the Mercury line, had an extremely short stroke and were used as high reving (7500 RPM) stock car engines in 1958.
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.
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.
That window on the coupe model reminds me of the 1963 Grand Prix, which would be ironic that they were inspired after Grand Prix since the Grand Prix clean design was inspired after the Continental.
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.
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.
8:04 yes, they lengthened the rear doors and provided more legroom in the rear due to customer complaints. If you look at the 1961, the rear compartment is surprisingly short for a full-size car.
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.
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.!
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 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!
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.
To see a movie starring a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible see "Topkapi", the story of a jewel heist with Peter Ustinov. The car almost steals the show.
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!
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 !!
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... 😊
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.💯🇺🇸
Another great video, thank you for what you do. I have owned 3 of these old Lincolns……a 65,66 and a 67
Lincolns and Continentals were, in my opinion, the epitome of American luxury automobiles second to NONE! Having witnessed every model from the early 60's , there isn't one I would turn down!
Awesome. Thanks for the video
Nice!
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.
All of those continentals you showed including the 70 were beautiful cars!
The testing regiment you mentioned sounded like something you’d think only the likes of Rolls Royce would undertake.
I've always been a Chevrolet man with the first gen Camaro being my favorite car since I was a kid... But I have to admit that these generation Continentals have always been my #2 favorite car ever since I can remember. Pretty amazing how the prices of these cars have jumped in such a short time.
Something else to mention, because of the unit body construction, the Continental's front fenders weren't bolted on like every other car, they were WELDED on and leaded in! A minor fender bender could become a MAJOR expense!
Good point!
It is amazing how Bob McNamara was so smart and so stupid at the same time.
It's a good thing Uncle Sam called when he did, or else Lincoln and Mercury might've been lost to history!
@@trudygreer2491 that would have been sad but candidly I think the world would have been better had he stayed at Ford!
@@stormythelowcountrykitty7147 Yes, I guess I was a bit short-sighted, there.. (..and I'm sure I would've loved our '69 Country Squire or Kingswood Estate as much as I did our '69 Colony Park! 😀)
The Wixom plant was demolished back in the mid 2000s.
This is a rather trivial question but why were the windshield wipers reversed on these years?
That '61 at 1:30 is one of 4 "hardtops"-devoid of a distinct B-pillar-made that year.
I have a strong theory about the flip-flop between flat side glass and curved side glass. Bottom line, it was kind of political grudges in Ford, namely between Eugene Bordinat and Elwood Engel.
Ralph Nader …don’t get me started. Oy!
Never understood why they never put a hard top convertible in production for the Lincoln... They did it for the Fairlane but not the Lincoln.
It is amazing how well "clean designs" weather future periods. Many times what works in the present in wild style does not weather time well. Look at how awful the Cadihack Arts and Scientology (!) look looks in retrospective. Talk about making an expensive car look dead common and cheap! Great review of this car.
They’re called blades.
You showed a 1961 Lincoln Continental hardtop (1:18)...which was never actually produced for sale (i.e. no center pillar!). Not worthy of comment?
11:05 Oddly, I do NOT like the two-door version! (not to be negative, it's just not something I find attractive). And I say that as a LOVER of these Lincolns.
I agree. The four door model has a more balanced look.
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.
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!
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.
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
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. 👍👍👍
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
Cars from the 60's and 70's are the best
Even as a South African I fully agree with you.
Good update keep it up the good work 👍👍
I wonder why it took Lincoln so long to introduce cornering lights, 1970 I believe.
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.
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.
I think Ford Lincoln Mercury.. always had the best chassis.. and motors
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.
So was the 1958 Lincoln also "compromised" because it was also built on the same line as the 58 Thunderbird?
That makes no sense.
The Wixom factory was built to build Lincolns & Thunderbirds exclusively.
The 61 Lincoln was downsized not compromised.
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.
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).
My favourite land yacht. Black. Buying one, importing and shipping to Australia and finding somewhere to garage it are my only obstacles.
Love the 68 in black. And that 1970 Beautiful
Robert Mcnamara cost cutting still lives on in the Ford Motor Company. If i could have my Explorer would have an optional V6. It bothers me that we cannot check boxes like we once could.
?, you can still get one in a v6.
Great video I was in junior high when these came out and rode in a 1967 many times. What always looks funny to me, however, with this newer body, is that the rear wheel seem set too far from the body - almost like the 1959 GM models other than Pontiac it did not seem as noticeable in person as it did looking at photos of it, like today. And I did not notice it in the 1961 to 1965 models. However, I still think that Lincoln lost something with the 1970 blending with the big Ford and mercury.
In 1970 when they went back to body on frame construction there was too much parts sharing with the Mercurys and it was no longer a unique car line. The '61 through '69 Continentals were very special cars.
Love the looks of the older Lincoln Continentals... They really were luxurious land yachts and oh so beautiful. Thanks for posting this wonderful video.
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. 👍
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
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.
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
Double sided key cuts were introduced for all Ford products for the 1965 model year. That was also the year that Ford began using the slogan, Ford has a better idea. The double sided key cut was one of them.
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.
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.
PS: I also noticed at one minute 18 seconds that you use the color styling exercise photo of the 1961 sedan where it is a true hardtop instead of a sedan. I have seen several photos of this mock up so it must have been considered seriously. Having ridden a lot in a 1963 sedan as a child, I think they were smart to retain the pillar for rigidity. I wrote also fairly often in a 1962 convertible where the back window on each side would lower an inch or two to clear the top when the doors were open, and then would , snug back up when the door was closed. Does anyone on here know whether that same automatic window lowering was on the 1966 through 67 convertibles with the new body?
Yes it was.
That B pillar was necessary due to the unibody construction.
@@MarinCipollinanope. The upper B pillar, on the sedan, is entirely non structural. It is easily removable since it is held in place with screws. It is really only there to provide a surface for the rear glass weather seal.
@@MarinCipollina Oh--did the convertible have one?
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
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
How is it that the blue '61 Continental sedan in the video (at 1:15 ) does not have 'B" pillar?
There is surely an abbreviated pillar concealed in there, just like in a four door hardtop without suicide doors.
It is a pre production four door hardtop, never released or sold to the public.
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.
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 had a ‘66 coupe. It was a fantastic original survivor and I have regretted selling it for the last 25 years.
The two best eras of the Lincolns are the 58 - 60 and the 66 - 67. I had quite a bit of seat time in both a 60 Lincoln and a 67 Lincoln. For exterior style the 67 era wins. For interior style the 60 era wins. In the 60 the bits and pieces on the inside were made of real metal, good solid stuff, all with a real quality look and feel. The 60 dash was outstanding, better than the 58/59 ones but all were quality. The 61 - 65 are fine cars but to me the outside looks unsubstantial in many ways, particularly the front end and grill, looks too much like stamped sheet metal. The dash in the 61's is nice but not much different than a lot of cars whereas the 60's dash was one of a kind (same for the 58/59). The "alligator jaws" dash of the 66-69 just looks like a bunch of cheap plastic with cheap plastic chrome trim. Has none of the "substantial stuff" look and feel of the 58 - 65's. The other parts of the 66-69 interior are fine although less interesting then the 58/60 interiors but it's the dash you spend a lot of time looking at and it's a loser. For the exterior of the 66 - 69 only the 66/67 looks really good. After 67 it started looking like a Mercury, the taillight changes detracted from the essence, and the 69 redo of the coffin nose is just awful, looks a change just to say "I changed it" and not for the better, the extra surfaces added make it too busy, like someone was folding cardboard and folded it one too many times. So long ago that it's hard to recall much about the driving dynamics of the 60 vs the 67 but my recollection is that there wasn't much difference. Surprisingly, the road tests reports for the 58-60 reported that beast as an excellent balance of ride and handling and power. If offered any between 58 and 69 I would take one.
The Lincoln Continental automobile was a product of the Ford Motor Company. The Ford Motor Company also manufactured the famed Ford automobile. The Ford Motor Company and the Ford automobile were named after Mr. Henry Ford of Detroit, Michigan.
I had never noticed until just now that the '61 Continental's headlights were a straight-out ripoff of Thunderbird, if I have the sequence right. Those are exactly the same headlights and bezels. Not for long. ..
Thanks Adam. Great presentation of these magnificent automobiles. I've always wondered why the wipers on these '60s Lincolns swing the wrong way for left hand drive. Does anyone know?
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.
The '69-'78 Chrysler Imperial sedans were unibody luxobarges too.
Actually, Imperial went unibody in 1967
Regarding hood ornaments both pre and post 1968, I believe government regulations eliminated the fixed hood ornaments ( due to pedestrian impalement concerns) and hood ornaments were allowed to return only after they became spring mounted ( which took a year or 2 to develope).
If i ever win the lottery, i am buying a 1967 continental coupe in black. It is without a doubt my favorite 60s cars
Adam, I always enjoy your shows, (research). Really appreciate your time, and knowledge. Marcel in Yuma
It was painful to watch when they crushed that beautiful blue Lincoln Continental in "Goldfinger".
MEL's had a 4.90 bore spacing.
.600 wall thickness on all except the 462's.
I always wondered if it was by choice that the engineers came up with a 4.30 bore, then configured the stroke to make everything equal 430 cubic inches once all added up.
The 383 MEL's of the Mercury line, had an extremely short stroke and were used as high reving (7500 RPM) stock car engines in 1958.
For me the best Lincoln of all.
Land Yacht is more like it.
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.
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.
Elwood Engels elegant '61 Lincoln Continental design earned an Industrial Design Award for Ford.
That window on the coupe model reminds me of the 1963 Grand Prix, which would be ironic that they were inspired after Grand Prix since the Grand Prix clean design was inspired after the Continental.
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.
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.
Frank Cannon wrecked his in the 1970 Pilot for the new Detective Series
8:04 yes, they lengthened the rear doors and provided more legroom in the rear due to customer complaints. If you look at the 1961, the rear compartment is surprisingly short for a full-size car.
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.
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.!
A non-GM car? Who are you and what did you do with the guy who runs this channel? 😂
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.
Add two barrel carburetors to the list of McNamara's Morons.
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.
The '61 Linc is one of the best looking cars to come from Ford.
68 and 69 , my favourite land yachts
I owned a '67 back in the day. Those gangster doors are what really make the car look so cool. The more rare 2 door versions looked ugly imo
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!
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 bet the imperials were the last unibody luxury cars...in the 1970's...😉
Today all cars are unibody, including luxury cars like the Mercedes S class, Cadillac CT5 and CT6, Chrysler 300, even Rolls-Royce.
To see a movie starring a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible see "Topkapi", the story of a jewel heist with Peter Ustinov.
The car almost steals the show.
I love that movie! I think it was a '63 Continental. Peter Ustinov said "She sure will motor".
Bat mobile.
An icon even with JFK notwithstanding.
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!