1957 Lincoln Premiere

VIN: 57WA14733L; Hardtop; Bermuda Coral / Coral; 368ci V8 / Automatic; Mileage: 66,269; No keys, 368ci 4bbl V8, TurboDrive 3-speed automatic, well-optioned, diamond in the rough

1957 Lincoln Premiere 2 Door Hardtop

For auction, a 1957 Lincoln Premiere 2 door hardtop showing 66,269 miles, but the true miles are unknown. The car presents in barn find condition and has no key associated with it.Â

Exterior
Classic 50's styling is not only exhibited by the Bermuda Coral paint and black roof, but by the presence of fins and trim. That said, the Lincoln is more streamlined than most of the American cars of the era with panels that foretell the direction of design widely adopted in the 60's. With its stacked headlights and one of a kind tail lights, the car has instant recognizability and the enormous elongated rear bumper frames large reverse lights beyond a rear grille and gigantic decklid. This car is missing the front right fender, the body has rust throughout including blistering and outright rust through, and the chrome bumpers have rust and heavy deplating. On a positive note, lots of trim is still in place, the rare tail lights are present, a light green hood is included, and a couple of hubcaps survive.

Interior
The black, white, and coral door panels are rough of course, but they still emit a sense of 50's cruising fun and style and retain Lincoln's galactic emblem. The split bench also demonstrates top tier design which intermingles black, white, and coral leather in an inviting pattern that's mirrored on the rear bench. There are tears, cracks, and staining but at least the template is visible. A vibrant X-spoke steering wheel once ruled the streets and an elegant horizontal instrument cluster over levers, knobs, and an aluminum faceplate illustrate the luxury this car provided. An AM radio is still in place and overall, the dash is worn and weathered. The perforated coral headliner is in remarkably good condition.

Drivetrain
Up front is a 368ci V8 that was rated at 300 horsepower and fueled by a 4-barrel carburetor. It's mated to a TurboDrive 3-speed automatic that sends power to 3.07 gears out back. All metals are rusted from exposure but it does appear to be complete. The car comes with power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning.

Undercarriage
There's quite a bit of rust underneath and that includes everything from deep surface rust to braces completely gone and returned to the earth. Remnants of the single exhaust remain, power drums are on all four wheels and suspension is configured as coil springs up front and leaf springs in back.Â

Drive-Ability
The car has no keys.

As painful as this is for car lovers to see, there are remnants of greatness here. Premieres were very special cars reserved for the well to do. This was the top of the food chain, the king of the hill, and the ultimate cruiser.