1957 Lincoln Premiere

VIN: (missing); Hardtop; Presidential Black / Black; 368ci V8 / Automatic; Mileage: 76,211; Barn find, mostly complete project, no keys, TurboDrive 3-speed automatic

Description:
1957 Lincoln Premiere 2 Door Hardtop

For auction, a 1957 Lincoln Premiere 2 door hardtop presented in barn find condition, showing 76,211 non verifiable miles, and has no keys associated. There's plenty of rust but there might be enough meat on the bone here for aspirations of restoration or as a generous parts car.

Exterior
We have a complete car here, but obviously the Presidential Black paint has seen better days and has areas of rust through, cracking body filler, overall dullness from exposure, and the chrome bumpers are also suffering from some rust. Other polished trim pieces are actually in decent shape including the window frame, quarter panel duct, and side spear. The L emblem on the C-pillar is fantastic even as it has lost some of its golden glow, and all lenses, emblems, and fixed glass are intact. The rocker panels, on the other hand, are M.I.A. It's going to require a skilled sheet metal worker, but imagining this car in its full glory is not difficult with the remaining good parts.

Interior
The interior is toast, but there's enough there for inspiration on design as this former luxury car was replete with thoughtful design and artful materials of red and black. One door panel is missing and the other is likely not salvageable and the same goes for the split bench of black cloth and red leather, the configuration of which are mirrored in the rear bench where occupants get a hideaway arm rest. A formerly fantastic steering wheel is what we call in the business, FUBAR, but it's so good, it deserves to be recreated! The instrument cluster and dash were simple and elegant with elements of the space age influence. It's all in place, but heavily weathered, while a perforated red headliner is still in place and might actually clean up.

Drivetrain
It's rusty and crusty, but it's all there, a 368ci V8, once rated at a healthy 300 horsepower and mated to the TurboDrive 3-speed automatic transmission and 3.07 gears in back. This top of the line Lincoln is equipped with power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning. Belts, hoses, wires, and componentry are all still in place.

Undercarriage
Lots of rust including on many edge parts, flaking frame bits, a crossmember of the frame and as mentioned, the rocker panels, inner and outer, are in bad shape. The car has dual exhaust and stock style mufflers along with resonators and one of them is completely rusted. Power drum brakes are supplied to all four wheels and there's some old grime cakes up on the knuckles. Suspension consists of coil springs in front and leaf springs in back.

Drive-Ability
There are no keys associated with the car.

Take a look at the one of one 1955 Ferrari Superfast 410. Is it possible that the boys at Lincoln looked at this car for inspiration? After all, the 410 was a design experiment at Ferrari and not much of it was used on later models. But the tail light configuration and cat ear fins looks very much like those on the Premiere, and like the Ferrari, that design was only used once, which makes it epic and rare.