1960 Lincoln Continental

The late 1950s were an extraordinary time for American car design. At its peak at the close of the decade, car styling became a wild-west extravaganza of fins, chrome, and intricate jet-age details, especially among luxury brands Lincoln, Cadillac, and Imperial. Following the demise of Fords standalone 1956-1957 Continental Mark II, the Continental name was folded back into Lincolns catalog, applied to its flagship personal luxury model. In 1958, Lincoln took to fight to Cadillac with wild new design language across the range. Distinguished by its vertically stacked, angled headlamps, heavily styled front fenders with deep coves, broad body sites and a low, flat roofline, the new Lincolns were a dramatic departure from the 1957 Premier, and light years away from the understated Continental Mark II. Unique to Continentals was the distinctive reverse-angle rear window with a breezeway retracting function even featured on convertibles!

For the 1960 model year, Lincoln toned down the styling to a degree, with a new grille, simplified bumpers with signature Dagmars, four horizontal chrome strips on the front fenders and a completely new rear end treatment. There was also a new one-year-only dash with a fantastic driver-focused instrument panel. Only slightly less flamboyant than its Mark III and Mark IV predecessors, the Mark V still maintained undeniable presence. Much of that could be attributed to its impressive size the Continental Mark V rode on a 131-inch wheelbase chassis and topped 227-inches in overall length. All that sheet metal took some serious grunt to get down the road, and Lincolns mighty 430 cubic-inch V8 delivered 315 horsepower and a huge 465 lb-ft of torque, plenty of power to allow Lincolns arresting flagship to waft along Eisenhowers new Interstate system with carefree ease.

With only 2,044 Continental Mark V convertibles built and an estimated 500 surviving, these glorious flagship Lincolns are a rare sight today. Economic conditions of their time translated to low sales, and the sheer scale and intricacy of the cars makes restoration a costly endeavor. Thankfully, the previous owners of this extraordinary 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V had no such qualms. After acquiring this car as an already well-restored example, they proceeded to treat it to a multi-year refurbishment with restorative detailing, elevating it to a concours-quality standard rarely seen on these charismatic cars.

Per its trim tag, this Continental is finished in Polaris White over a stunning red leather interior and white top. Befitting a flagship model, it is fully loaded with desirable options including air conditioning, Autronic Eye headlight dimmer, electric clock, power windows, Town & Country radio, and power top with hard boot cover. The soft top features the distinctive breezeway glass rear window, shared with the coupe models. Rounding out the extravagant look is a set of wide whitewall tires mounted on gorgeous chrome wire wheels. The paint quality and bodywork are exceptional, with excellent crisp lines and straight panels offset by beautifully finished chrome and brightwork.

Lincolns 430 cubic-inch V8 sits in a beautifully detailed engine compartment, and was reportedly completely rebuilt during the recent refresh. Valve covers, air cleaner and ancillaries are all finished to a high standard in gloss black enamel, with faithfully reproduced labels, decals, and tags. Of course, theres the requisite power steering and power brakes as standard. The air conditioning plumbing appears recently renewed, and the finish qualities are exceptional throughout the engine bay. Similar attention to detail is paid to the trunk, which is lined in factory correct plaid vinyl material, and houses a restored original jack and instruction label.

Taking the fight to the Cadillac Eldorado, Lincoln graced the Continental Mark V with the latest in luxury trimmings and jet-age styling, with a driver-focused instrument panel, power accessories, and intricate chrome detailing. This car features red leather on the seats and door cards, exquisitely restored in the correct buttoned windowpane pattern. The seats remain crisp, showing only light signs of use along with the superb red carpets. Superbly detailed, it even features the Electronic Headlight Dimmer known more commonly to Cadillac enthusiasts as the Autronic Eye.

Recent service work by Hargett Automotive & Performance in Evansville, Indiana, has fine tuned the car for driving enjoyment. The extensive detail work commissioned by its exacting previous owners have culminated in truly one of the finest examples of a Continental Mark V convertible we have encountered, and it is ready to offer its next custodian the Peak of Perfection promised by Lincoln advertisements in 1960.

Offers welcome and trades considered.