The original Lincoln Continental was not intended to be a production car. It was created as a styling exercise by Ford stylist E.T. 鈥淏ob鈥� Gregorie for Ford president Edsel Ford鈥檚 use as his personal transportation. It was based on the Lincoln Zephyr and proved so popular with Edsel鈥檚 friends that it was made into a production model in 1940.
Production ended in 1948, and now called the Continental Mark I, it is considered an American industry milestone design.
Ford set out to recapture the Mark I鈥檚 cachet in 1956 with the beautiful Continental Mark II. Although its lines were clean and classic and extensive care was lavished on it execution it failed to generate the hoped for sales, due in part to a high $10,000 price tag.
The Mark II was built for only two years, after which Lincoln styling descended into a morass of garishly sculpted monsters. Not surprisingly, sales plunged from 41,567 in 1957, to 24,820 in 1960.
A new direction was needed to replace those dreadnoughts and for 1961 Lincoln designers met the challenge with one of the loveliest Lincolns ever. Its uncluttered tasteful lines, limited chrome trim and clear smooth flanks set the American car styling tone for a decade.
For 1961, management decided that Lincolns would be Continentals and no longer be designated as Marks. Body styles were reduced to just two-door sedans and four-door convertibles.
Designers started by trimming off 8 in. (203 mm) in wheelbase and 14.8 in. (376 mm) in length while managing to retain the same interior space. At 212.4 in. (5,395 mm) long it was still substantial, but at least its downsizing was a step in the right direction.
That 鈥�61 Lincoln design had really started life as a Ford Thunderbird but when Ford Motor Co. president Robert McNamara saw it he decided it was stylish enough to be a Lincoln. To change it into a Lincoln the body was lengthened but the Lincoln and T-Bird still retained some commonality under the skin.
Lincoln began using unit construction in 1958 and continued it in the 鈥�61. The lines were dominated by a sharp edge running at fender-top level and almost dead straight from front to rear relieved only by small 鈥渒ick-ups鈥� in the rear doors, which were still rear-hinged 鈥渟uicide style.鈥� Although fins had begun subsiding in the 1960s they were still present in subtle form in the Continental.
The fine mesh grille, bumper and horizontal quad headlights were integrated into one unit, a motif that was carried over in a rear 鈥済rille.鈥�
Although the headlamp-level front bumper was unusually high it didn鈥檛 seem out of place. Overall, the 鈥�61鈥檚 elegant lines were somewhat reminiscent of the lovely 1956 - 鈥�57 Mark II. Fortunately the wraparound windshield had been laid to rest.
The convertible top folded into the trunk and although giving a smoother line it severely compromised luggage capacity. And the rear-hinged decklid made accessing the trunk awkward.
The 7.0 litre (430 cu in.) 300 horsepower overhead valve V-8 and three-speed automatic transmission (no manual was available) were largely carryover. All Lincoln engines were dynamometer tested before installation, and all cars were given a 19 km (12 mile) road test.
Although the 鈥�61 Continental held no spectacular engineering breakthroughs, Car Life magazine gave it its 1961 Engineering Excellence Award, the editors being impressed with the combination of tasteful styling, exhaustive testing and attention to assembly detail.
The Continental鈥檚 styling was also awarded a prestigious bronze medallion by the American Industrial Design Institute, a non-automotive organization.
The Continental鈥檚 performance could be termed adequate. Car Life (3/61) reported zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 11.2 seconds for the 5,220 lb (2,368 kg) sedan, and estimated top speed at 117 mph (188 km/h). More important than the raw numbers, however, was the testers鈥� fascination with its smooth, quiet and comfortable 80 mph (129 km/h) cruising. Fuel economy was 12/14 mpg (U.S.).
For 1962, the Continental鈥檚 front bumper was lowered, but management wisely made no significant changes. The 1963 was also little changed in appearance, but under the hood a four-barrel carburetor raised horsepower by 20 to 320 and the generator was replaced by an alternator.
The 1964 Continental would begin Detroit鈥檚 seemingly inevitable growth cycle; both the wheelbase and overall length were increased 3.0 in. (76 mm). This provided easier rear seat entry and a slightly larger trunk but otherwise it was not changed substantially.
There was a freshened grille and standard front disc brakes for 1965. Much more significant changes would come for 1966.
The 1961 to 鈥�65 Lincoln Continentals were trend-setting designs that strongly influenced American car styling for many years. They made a bold statement with a clean uncluttered appearance that returned Lincoln to styling leadership.
