The Lincoln Continental is a model name that has been used several times by the Lincoln division of Ford for thier top of the line luxury cars. For most of its lifetime, the Continental nameplate referred to the four-door Lincoln flagship. In 1981 the Continental's reign as the Lincoln flagship ended when the Town Car, a trim-level up to then, took over as the new flagship.In 1961, the Continental was completely redesigned by Elwood Engle. For the first time, the names Lincoln and Continental would be paired on a car other than one in the Mark series. The design was originally intended to be the new 1961 Ford Thunderbird, but the concept was enlarged and slightly altered before being switched to the Lincoln line by Robert McNamara. One of the most striking features of the new Continental was its size. It was two feet shorter than its predecessor. So much smaller was this car, that advertising executives at Ford photographed a woman parallel parking a sedan for a magazine spread. The new Continental's most recognized trademark, front opening rear doors, was a purely practical decision. The new Continental was a unibody design, and there simply was not the structural strength to front-hang the heavy rear doors in the convertible model. To simplify production, all cars were to be four-door models, and only two body styles were offered, sedan or convertible. Therefore, the rear doors were hung from the rear and opened from the front. This "suicide door" style was to become the best-known feature of 1960s Lincolns. The 1961 model was the first car manufactured in America to be sold with a 24,000 mile or 2-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.
The car was stretched 3 inches in 1964 to give more rear-seat legroom, and the roofline was squared off at the same time. The dash was also redesigned, doing away with the pod concept. Side glass was now flat to provide more interior room. The gas tank access door, which had been concealed at the rear of the car in the rear grille, was now placed on the driver's side rear quarter panel and the exterior "Continental" script was changed. The convex 1961–64 grille was replaced by a flatter, squared-off one for 1965–69. The car was given front disc brakes for the 1965 model year to improve stopping time. The convex 1961–64 grille was replaced by a flatter, squared-off one for 1965. The car was given front disc brakes to improve stopping time. For the first time, parking lamps and front turn signals were integrated into the front quarter panels instead of the bumper. Taillights were fitted with a ribbed chrome grille on each side.
A two-door version was launched in 1966, the first two-door Lincoln since 1960, and the MEL engine was expanded from 430 to 462 cubic inches. The car was given all-new exterior sheet metal and a new interior. Parking lights and front turn signals went back into the front bumper, and taillights set in the rear bumper for the first time. The length was increased by 5 inches to 220.9 in, the width by an 1-inch to 79.7 in, and the height by almost 1-inch to 55.0 in on the sedan. Curved side glass returned.
A Continental was featured prominently in the TV series Green Acres and the Matrix Trilogy Movies. The Continental Convertible is also featured in the opening credits scene of the HBO Series Entourage.
A Certified Milestone Car these are arguably the finest cars produced during the 60's. They have exceptional engineering and build quality, and legendary styling. They are rapidly rising in value, although they have always been collectible.
