1963 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL CONVERTIBLE

Details

Completely redesigned, the Lincoln Continental represented a significant departure for the company. Not only did it consolidate the Lincoln model line into one car, it represented a philosophical shift in approach that saved the company. Previous Lincolns were enormous cars that never achieved their intended purpose of representing a credible threat to Cadillac, lacking the prestige and styling coherence necessary to win buyers in large numbers. With Lincoln a major loss leader, the division was

very nearly axed in 1958, and the new Continental was to be the brand's last chance. Accordingly, the car took a dramatically different direction than the previous models. The car's size was significantly decreased in every dimension, being over a foot shorter in length, and the styling took a fresh new start. The rear doors were hinged at the rear, purportedly to aid ingress and egress with the new smaller packaging, and became one of the car's trademark features. The appearance of the new car was clean, modernistic and elegant, more van der Rohe and less baroque and frivolous. There were no extraneous decorations or panoramic windscreens, the fins were small and the entire car had a sophisticated execution that contrasts sharply with the whimsical chromed monsters of the 1950s. The new Continental also brought a new focus on quality and craftsmanship. The new unitized construction permitted a more solid platform and the Continental became the first car to offer a 2-year/24,000 mile warranty. Each engine was bench tested for 3 hours and every car was road tested prior to delivery as well. The corporate ethos behind the car was to produce the finest mass-produced domestic car of its time. This triple black beauty has leather interior with rare factory air conditioning.