How the Lincoln Continental Birthed a New Era of Car Design in the 1960s

[@Normanx964]

I have a 61. It's probably the most beautiful and understated 4 door American car from after WW2. And probably always will be....

[@AutoEsoterica]

I can't argue. These early '60s Continentals are simply stunning. - Craig

[@chuckpeterson3262]

Can't figure out why he is forcussed on the 62-63 when its the 61 that made the whole industry go "Wow."

[@raywodehouse3015]

Yes! One of my favorite cars of all time. The pinnacle of the Lincoln brand and it still is. Thank you! Elwood Engel is one of my favorite designers. The Sixties were a golden era for American car design.

[@AutoEsoterica]

No, no, thank you for watching and commenting! I hope you enjoyed this video because we've got a lot more like it in the works. - Craig

[@mrjasonwhite73]

Elwood Engel is a hero of mine.

[@davidcoudriet8439]

Thank you Elwood Engel for my '67 Chrysler.

[@davidcoudriet8439]

Note that the Tucker 48 used the same type of "Suicide" doors..

[@EricChinquist]

I'm lucky enough to own a '62 Lincoln Continental convertible, which has been my dream car ever since I was a kid. It's an absolute joy!

[@AutoEsoterica]

You have excellent taste in cars! - Craig

[@d.e.b.b5788]

I agree; however, many people still remember that JFK was assassinated in that car, and pretty much everyone has at some point seen that clip of the Zapruder film.

[@PETERLINNAH]

I would also vote for the 1977-79 Lincoln Mark V. Gorgeous and timeless.

[@stevenwolff6866]

One of the 4 most beautiful cars ever built imho. My Mt Rushmore of cars includes the 61 Continental the 63 Riviera the 63 Avanti & the 67 Eldorado. The 60s were the golden age of American auto design without a doubt!

[@AutoEsoterica]

All excellent choices. Thanks for watching! - Craig

[@kennethanway7979]

Good choices! Except the Avanti.

[@tedunguent156]

Modern cars are not only defined by their grille but also by their wheels and the badges which are splashed everywhere they can fit one. Almost every vehicle class has melted into a single design copied by every manufacturer and only the grille, wheels and badges allow you to recognize the brand. The 50's, 60's and early 70's were the pinnacle of design. Engel was a genius.

[@emjayay]

The suicide rear doors recall the Cosmopolitan of over a decade before. But they were also necessary, not just a design decision. The C pillar is very wide, making the rear side window really short. This is because Engel wanted it to have a 2 door hardtop look like the Mark II, and the Thunderbird type roof starting in 1958 was a cool look unlike other cars. If you are sitting in the back seat and turn to the side you are looking at the C pillar, not out the window, and the window opening slants forward. If the door opened the normal way it would be VERY difficult to get in or out. The subtle crease above the rear window was added when Engel looked at a clay and told them it needed a little crease there. The trough was a result of a very rectangular body with a very angled/curved window greenhouse, the two shapes opposing and reinforcing each other.

[@ATLcentury334]

I agree with everything said. Since I was very young I’ve always loved this design, and back then I had no idea what a Lincoln or a Buick was. I just knew what I thought was beautiful. In the 60’s my grandpa was a plant manager at Ford. He was given a new lease car every year. I was more familiar with my aunts Continental. Whenever she was sitting for me, I always was ready for a ride in her Lincoln. I loved opening that rear door, climbing in, unfolding the arm rest and sitting on it so i could see where we were going. And I know exactly what the trough was for. It was the perfect road for me to push my matchbox cars back and forth with my finger. As the 60’s came to a close, my grandpa suddenly had a new lease car. I don’t remember what I liked better, the 4 door Lincoln, or grandpas new Continental Mark III. Sometimes he’d pick me up and drive me home after my aunt took care of me. Once my dad and I had a special night downtown at Tiger Stadium. Grampa had seats in the Ford box above the Tigers dugout. I was too young to appreciate where we were sitting, and my grandpa talking with some of the players asking them to autograph my program. As far as I was concerned, the best part was grampa picking me up in his Mark III, and him letting me push every button or switch on the dashboard. The only button he wouldn’t let me touch was the trunk release. I guess he didn’t want to see his golf clubs flying out of the trunk and out onto I 75.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Lovely story and thank you for sharing it. We also appreciate your kind words! - Craig

[@mrperkinsthehusky]

I would love to see a video of the 59 ford sky liners because they were so unique and were the only hard top convertibles for a long time

[@emjayay]

An odd thing about those retro design proposals is that everyone could see that they recalled the 1961 but no such influence ever showed up in production models. But both the Lincoln MKC SUV and the MKZ intermediate sedan had at some point interiors very much recalling the 1961 interior - which no one noticed.

[@AutoEsoterica]

I agree, and it's a real shame. The reborn Zephyr/MKZ interior was super retro and, in my opinion, gorgeous. - Craig

[@russhenry1628]

Loved this video Craig. And Jason is great. And he brought such good insight! Russ from Indianapolis

[@AutoEsoterica]

Russ, I'm so glad you found our new channel! Glad you enjoyed the video. We've got lots more in the works. - Craig

[@jasonwhite6880]

Thank you Russ.

[@nlpnt]

What's interesting is that fewer '61 Lincolns sold than the '60 model. But in 1960 they had tried to match Cadillac model-for-model, in '61 they had only the Continental sedan (priced between the Sedan de Ville and Fleetwood 60 Special) and the 4-door ragtop (priced at the Fleetwood level). That meant high margins and solid profit, and at a time when Cadillac's market share was north of 60% of the luxury market, the Continental's relative rarity was seen as exclusivity rather than unpopularity. It hit a sweet spot with high-end buyers sick of parade-float overstyling but not yet ready to buy foreign.

[@monkmchorning]

Not quite. My book, by the editors of Consumer Guide, says 24,820 (standards, Premiers, and Mark Vs) vs. 25,164 (Continental sedans plus convertibles). But, yeah, Cadillac was still king, and Imperial was a distant third.

[@johnknapik]

My all-time favorite car which I hope to own one day. It’s awesome to hear from a designer who can explain the beauty and simplicity of it! Thank You!

[@kennethanway7979]

I had a 78 town coupe... Cartier edition. Opened up the engine...460 4 bbl.. dual exhaust.. other mild mods. Super solid,fast, and comfy... miss that car!

[@AutoEsoterica]

I bet that 460 had INSTANT torque. - Craig

[@kennethanway7979]

@AutoEsoterica she pulled like a train! 😀👍

[@MisterMikeTexas]

The clean design might work today because it would stand out from the sea of busy, flamboyant designs. It would be the George Costanza "doing the opposite" concept (which got him hired 😊).

[@LWVH81]

I have my grandfather’s 1966 Lincoln Continental in my garage and drive it often. Besides the design lasting this long, so did the quality. No car made today will be on the road 58 years from now.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Yes, these were exquisitely designed AND ENGINEERED cars, a true high-water mark for the American automotive industry. - Craig

[@gerry-p9x]

Each car assembled hand inspected removed ac. Systems from a car to put into non one each piece was labeled marked and stamped with DOB AND SHIFT QUALITY

[@joemccarthy4532]

When I was a Kid I would see these CONTINENTAL'S and I went Crazy for them. My favorite grill is the 1961. and to this day 1961 is still my favorite year ,but I would take any of them today

[@AutoEsoterica]

For me, 1962 and '63 are the best. I find the '61's grille to be a touch too busy, but honestly, they're all STUNNING. Thanks! - Craig

[@chuckpeterson3262]

@@AutoEsoterica The 61's are valued higher & sell for more money than 62/63. How goofy to barely mention the 61 just because you find the front end a tad busy. Seriously? 😂

[@StoneyBrownTV]

It is one of two Lincolns I need for my small car collection. This and the Mark 7 are my favorites

[@rogerbranton1752]

This was interesting and fun!

[@AutoEsoterica]

Awesome, glad you enjoyed it! We've got lots more of these in the works. Thanks for watching! - Craig

[@mrjasonwhite73]

Thank you

[@massimoascoli4320]

Same reason I like my Corolla...tastefully styled, well done and restrained.

[@Randy_Pancakes]

Holy cow, you've completely beaten the KZbin.algorithm to get so many views, and subs in 2 weeks. To only have 5 videos so far, and be on the "front page" is crazy. But it is all because of the quality and enthusiasm you show. Good work man.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I don't know if we've beaten the algorithm, but we certainly got lucky. We've got a lot more videos on the way, so stay tuned. - Craig

[@FordMaverickFanatic]

Love those slab-sided '61-'69 Lincolns! A few interesting things, I believe the original '61 Lincoln design got its roots from a '61 Thunderbird design study and it's clear from the design language of the '61-'63 "Bullet" bird that Elwood Engel was deeply involved too. Also look at the English Ford Consul Corsair from that same era. I'm glad you mentioned the mid 60's Imperials as well, more of the iconic Engel slab-side/knife-edge design!

[@bicyclist2]

I've seen one of these in person. It's very simple. I've always liked Lincoln's better than Cadillac's. I completely agree with what this designer is saying. I always wanted to be a car designer and go to Art Center College in Pasadena. Thank you.

[@mr.lincoln5154]

My all time favorite Lincoln is the 62. The difference between the 62 and the 63 is, the 62 has the antenna on the rear and 63 has the antenna on the front. Looks better on the rear, but that's just my opinion.

[@emjayay]

The 1963 also has a humped up trunk lid. This was done because the trunk/fuel tank was poorly designed and small particularly by luxury car standards. The trunk/fuel tank was completely redesigned in the 1964 facelift stretch.

[@randybock82]

Oh yes!!! 100 years from now, this car will be an ultimate classic. Would love to see it produced today without any cosmetic changes. The only thing that I would change would add airbags and safety features and a modern fuel injection motor. You just can't improve on perfection as far as the looks go on this vehicle. Some vehicles have stood the test of time, 63 Lincoln, 59 Cadillac, 57 Chevy, etc.

[@Spencer481]

2:35 it’s a pretty common mistake but the MkII continental wasn’t a Lincoln it was its own separate marquee for 56 and 57.

[@mrjasonwhite73]

Yes. Easy to forget.

[@allenwayne2033]

As far as new grilles are concerned, to my eye, Lexus and Toyota have gone berserk!!

[@jamesmcinnis208]

@@allenwayne2033 BMW is pretty awful, too.

[@emjayay]

@@jamesmcinnis208 Yes, garish. And the new electric Cadillac front end is a different but also kinda garish design.

[@AutoEsoterica]

I call it "big-grille-itis," and it's infected so many automakers these days. I think Audi started this unfortunate trend with its single-frame grille, but now Lexus, BMW, Toyota, Lincoln, Genesis and many other brands have done in the same design direction. - Craig

[@allenwayne2033]

@@AutoEsoterica I don't keep up on new cars anymore because I hate most of them. I seem to see a lot of "cow-catcher" grilles out there, but never know which ugly new vehicle it is if I can't see an emblem.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

@AutoEsoterica They look especially odd, after a hundred years of bumpers, to see the huge grill with no bumper intersecting it. Whatever happened to the 1970s five mph impact law requiring a substantial bumper?

[@raffaelenegroni5888]

Great video Craig. In me you've got a brand new customer. Keep going like this. Raffaele from Italy.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Awesome, thank you so much! Glad you found the channel. We've got a lot more videos in the works, so stay tuned. - Craig

[@lenardegreen]

An enjoyable discussion of my favorite Detroit sedan design from a purely design perspective by a designer. Though you detail the '62 and '63 and show a '65 at one point, all of which had cheap looking grilles you manage to bypass two Continental landmark models. The '61, the original of this generation, which had a far superior nose, looking elegant and groundbreaking at once. Also not mentioned is the stretch in '64 which gave more rear legroom and sharpened the roof line which further emphasizes the proportion to the rear wheel well Jason noted. The 1961-1964 Lincoln Continental is, imo, the most elegant and understated sedan Detroit ever produced. Sadly, in 1965 the contamination of this magnificent design had begun and the Continental would have to wait until the nineteen seventies to again display this classic design language as definitive of Lincoln. The elegant Mk III rivals this Continental generation while the Mk IV adds a sensuous beauty that builds on the elegant 1956 Mk II template like no other model.

[@kevinfestner6126]

The car design today is not classical, simple, subtle, like this Lincoln, it is now baroque. The front for the past 15 years have gone back to the dollar grin. It'll take a revolutionary designer that takes autos back to a classic design, simple, understated.

[@pcno2832]

The '61 was a big hit with the press and got many awards, but it didn't sell much better than its predecessor. It's likely that part of the reason was a much smaller interior; from the interior and trunk volume figures I've seen (automobile-catalog), it would not even qualify as a full-sized car by present EPA guidelines (120 cu ft total), despite its 5,000+ pound weight. By the end of the 1960s, the car had been stretched and was selling better, though it still was no roomier than a full-sized Ford or Mercury. By making it essentially a stretched LTD from 1970 on, Ford guaranteed that it would be roomier than its cheaper siblings and Lincoln began to offer some real competition to Cadillac. The suicide doors look cool, but they would make exiting a fully loaded car a little awkward in a tight parking space. From what I've read, the biggest reason for them was that they made it easier to engineer the structure of the 4-door convertible, a car that, despite slow sales, was an iconic symbol of Lincoln in the 1960s.

[@danielulz1640]

The most elegant, beautiful, refined and highest quality car that I have ever owned was my 1963, Ermine White with Medium Turquoise leather, Lincoln Continental sedan.

[@AutoEsoterica]

That's awesome. I'd love to drive one of these cars someday just to feel what they're like. - Craig

[@kirbywaite1586]

Yet the taillights and rear fenders are designs based very heavily on the original Continental Mark ll which appeared at the beginning of the tail fin era, so Lincoln was a harbinger, even then.

[@bobtepedino5661]

Cadillac for 1961 outsold Lincoln by almost 3-to-1

[@bobtepedino5661]

@@kirbywaite1586 Hi, Kirby. I have spent many decades in the Lincoln/Continental Owners Club and the Cadillac/LaSalle Club, where information like that just kinda eventually becomes tribal knowledge.

[@danielulz1640]

​@@kirbywaite15861961 Lincoln production totaled 22,303 sedans and 2,857 convertibles. Source: "The Cars Of Lincoln Mercury" by George H. Dammann and James K. Wagner. In 1961, "Cadillac built another record volume, close to 150,000". Source: "The Complete History Of General Motors 1908-1986" by Richard M. Langworth & Jan P. Norbye.

[@kirbywaite1586]

@danielulz1640 Wow. I stand corrected. Thank you.

[@danielulz1640]

You are very welcome. ​@@kirbywaite1586

[@laralarah2236]

The 1961 through 1965 Continentals were in a league by themselves. Cadillacs and Imperials of the same era were overchromed and gaudy with fins. I also think the 1966 Lincoln Continental was magnificent in design and also have a fondness for the 1970 Lincoln Continental which was a total different design but equally elegant.

[@Hazdazos]

Love that generation Continental. Stunning design, no doubt. Would love to hear feedback on my personal favorite 60s design - 1st gen Buick Riviera.

[@monkmchorning]

For '62, the grille pattern changed and the headlights lost their lozenge-shaped bezels. '63 lost the curved side glass, and in '64 the car gained parking lights above the corners of the bumpers. The pinnacle was '61, the original.

[@dj33036]

The ''63 still had the curved side glass.

[@monkmchorning]

@@dj33036 You're right. '64 was the year they dropped it. and extended the length 3 inches. And the corner-mounted parking lights came in '65.

[@daveallen8824]

"Elegant" is the word you are looking for; that is exactly what this is. i had a 63, and it oozed elegance and quality in materials and assembly. One of Lincoln's best designs ever, if not the best. Up there also would be the original Continental, and of course the KB Lincolns.

[@Gudi102]

Great video! It really is a masterpiece of a car! Today's cars are absolutely boring.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed the video, we've got many more in the works. - Craig

[@license2kilttheplaidlad640]

One thing that isn't mentioned is the whole front of the car is one piece aside from the hood. One small crunch of the front and you're screwed. Fenders and front cowl all one bit. And being a unibody makes it even worse for repairs. Lack of parts and support make these cars a forbidden fruit in the classic car game.

[@jamesstuart3346]

Henry Ford 2: Elwood, you were supposed to show me the design for the new 1961 Continental today. All I see is a big rectangular block of clay Elwood Engel: *GRIN*

[@chuckpeterson3262]

The rain water does run off.

[@allenmovies]

Still such a shame that Lincoln's 2002 Continental Concept was never produced, as well as a few of their other early 2000s concept car designs. Lincoln attempted looking to the past for inspiration with their split wing grille look they has in the mid 2010s, inspired by a classic Zephyr, but that didn't translate well with modern cars.

[@stickshiftdriver1832]

You should had started with the 61 design not 62

[@allenwayne2033]

Yep, I agree! The 61 "one year only" grille was exquisite! Apparently, redesigned to reduce manufacturing costs, or so I've heard, but it was stunning.

[@AutoEsoterica]

I picked the 1962 and '63 models because I like them more, though I can't decide which one I prefer. The more unique '61 front end is a bit too busy for me. Thanks! - Craig

[@allenwayne2033]

@@AutoEsoterica Opinions and buttholes.....we all have them 😁!

[@chuckpeterson3262]

THANK YOU!!!

[@Jack_Stafford]

I think he directly contradicted himself when he said a very neat and clean design would be lost in all the white noise of the extravagant designs we have now, isn't that exactly what the Lincoln did with great success when it came out? It was a super clean sophisticated design among a bunch of oversized extravagant vehicles, it seems like the time is right for someone to do that again and offer something big comfortable and luxurious but in a new package. Of course Ford and GM no longer look forward to the next new thing butt are always stagnant or playing catch-up so it probably will be a foreign car maker that does it, car makers that actually still make cars in every class from subcompact to luvury cars to trucks/ suvs, not ONLY suvs like ygr Big Three currently do. The next gas crisis which happens, and it always does, they will not be able to be saved because they have put all of their eggs in the big truck and suv market. Consumer tastes also always changed, they have never stayed the same forever and again, they have nothing to offer anybody but the same boxes with obnoxious grills with very little sophistication or style to them.

[@danielulz1640]

I could not agree with you more.

[@CalTxDude]

The model year pictured is a '62 Continental

[@nlpnt]

Biggest problem with bringing it back is that the comfort-focused luxury buyer just doesn't want to duck down into a 53-inch-tall sedan you can land an airplane on the hood or trunklid of, and so much would be lost in the translation to CUV proportions.

[@sgtalstrafficticketblog2452]

If the American market had a problem with the last gen LC, I doubt an Elwood Engel ‘61 LC redo would succeed unless it was a halo Ford GT-like made for order bespoke Rolls Royce-like competitor, something cancel prone Ford would be reluctant to do. Don’t overlook that this isn’t an SUV. Another sticking point: electric or gas? If gas it would be a shame to supplant it with an Ecoboost V6 as this demands a V8 that Ford wouldn’t be willing to do. This was a problem with the last gen. Besides, Ford already has a revised amended EV/gas plan for future vehicles adjusted for recent slow sales, and I don’t see such a car coming to market as gas even if it ever did materialize . . .

[@christopherstreet2214]

Lincoln should make continental a sub brand … and use the mid century modern designs from the 2000s concepts

[@AutoEsoterica]

I would LOVE to see Lincoln build a proper, modern Continental and Town Car. In the case of the Town Car, I envision it being like a budget Rolls-Royce Phantom -- huge, stately, elegant, powerful and priced from about 80 grand. Make this thing body-on-frame by building it on the F-150 chassis (with independent rear suspension, of course), offer the car with a 5.0-liter V8, hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, and maybe even as an EV. I think these things would sell very well. - Craig

[@mrjasonwhite73]

There was a Continental brand for a hot minute.

[@JustinHoggatt-q9j]

Your Ford V8 video gotme, your videos are well done

[@AutoEsoterica]

Awesome, thank you so much! We've got a lot more design videos like this one in the works and more content about my '36 Ford as well, so stay tuned. - Craig

[@morthedgebuckle227]

That is THEE Lincoln. John F. Kennedy and Auric Goldfinger had great taste in cars.

[@NLBassist]

On such a car the suicide doors are better when a driver let's a woman in skirt or dress in the back. I think the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow has similar clean lines.

[@gormanwpjr]

Another great design by Elwood. The 1965 Chrysler New Yorker. I now have a Chrysler 300 grill with the centr light installed. Beautiful design, and has the front to rear fender top trim as well as a sort of "squashed tube" rear grill very similar to the 1961-63 Lincoln Continental. Beautiful side surfacing as well. And a beautiful instrument panel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3uofa2NZZuLrLc

[@incompetentdiplomat3716]

I think the subtly argument in design, could be compensated with more color, for example, if a very clear, but eye catching in the way it uses light, chrome, and cues to draw attention, one could use brighter colors or a whole set of colors not usually seen on cars, more 60s colors essentially, to set them apart, so that the color does the initial work of grabbing attention, but the design keeps eyes on it, slowly mentally undressing the car.

[@david.sivella]

Brilliant

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

Subtlety will only work when other cars are not following suit to that. Such as a 1962 Chrysler/Imperial, 1962 Plymouth, 1962 Dodge, and 1962 Cadillac. I think people much prefer having both together at the same time. I can say that there is nothing garish about a 1962 Dodge Coronet in firemist lavendar. It's elegant, international leaning, and unique in design, not overbaring with a bright red color.

[@rmick66]

Dodge didn’t use the Coronet name in 1962. The big car was the 880 and the mid-size was the Polara/330, etc.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@rmick66 Yes, the Polara is what I meant, however Dodge used the name Coronet before 1967. It was first used for Dodge as a fullsized model in 1949. Then somehow went out in 1960. So I wasn't really wrong, just wasn't so obsessed with studying the history of 1962 Dodges at the moment.

[@emjayay]

Odd he printed 1962/3 Lincoln Continental when the basic design came out in 1961, and that one is the purest version. Every yearly change after 1961 (like the more normal front bumper/grille) was something execs forced on them.

[@AutoEsoterica]

I picked '62 and '63 because I like them more than the inaugural 1961 model. I find the '61's front end to be a bit too busy. Thanks! - Craig

[@daveallen8824]

Interestingly enough, I bought my 63 in the early 70's, during the first gas crisis, and I think I paid like $500 for the car with maybe 60k miles on it. Don't we wish we could do that now...

[@jerrydarden3072]

The trough that you’re talking about is a result of what is basically a small tail fin running along the fender. It’s a carryover from 50’s style.

[@emjayay]

Clean design today? Land Rovers. Neither Land Rovers nor Jaguars (same company) sell that much in the US, but have the biggest design influence. Check any Mazda (Jaguar) or the new Hundai Sante Fe (a very obvious combination of the new LR Defender and various Range Rovers). Also other less obviously influenced SUVs like Ford Expeditions.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Yes, the new Range Rovers are real stunners, so clean and elegant. Mazda has done some interesting work in recent years, too. - Craig

[@Sashazur]

Rivians look clean to me, as well as the smallest Tesla model.

[@dj33036]

Why did they snub the '61 model? I understand that you have preference but ignoring the '61 is sin.

[@AutoEsoterica]

Please forgive us, we are guilty! Yes, I prefer the front-end design of the 1962 and '63 models, which is why I picked them for this video, but the '61 is where it all started. - Craig

[@busman2050]

The continental styling was great, except the car had a very soft suspension. Whenever you see the car making turns, the car leans over so much

[@mrjasonwhite73]

Famous quote from Donnie Brasco; a Lincoln is like driving a waterbed. Lol

[@ericbishop3468]

The pig snout BMW. Thought I was the only one cringing.

[@peterhogan9537]

in 1961 Ford and G.M. had the modern look, but Chrysler was still in the old design from the late 50;s.

[@anthonyrowland9072]

I never liked the fin era cars, always preferred a 55 Chevy to a 57. Cadillac and Chrysler got absurd with it. 1962 to 1965 was peak American styling imo.

[@gormanwpjr]

My 1961 White with blue interior Lincoln Continental 4 door convertible (no rust ever!). I also have a matching 1961 sedan, white with blue interior with 36K miles. ENJOY! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqnIXp2gaZalY80

[@AutoEsoterica]

Oh, man, that's so nice -- you've got one of each! Personally, I prefer the sedan (I don't care for open-top cars), but that's an undeniably beautiful convertible. Thanks! - Craig

[@gormanwpjr]

@@AutoEsoterica The two of mine including the sedan. (bad music I know, but don't know how to change it). kzbin.info/www/bejne/earcqH2Fr92iqNk

[@1951jmds]

I was 11 when the 62 was launched. People who owned one couldn’t park the car on the apex of a hill because the frame would flex and the doors wouldn’t open. Another quirk was on the highway, you could watch the gas gauge move down when accelerating. But, what a beautiful work of art. 0:06

[@AutoEsoterica]

That's fascinating! I assume the parking issue was just for the convertible, right? I'm probably an outlier, but I much prefer the Continental sedan over the droptop. - Craig

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

My favorite of the '61-'65 series is the '65 (4:31-4:38), I thought the front end looked stately, it had more back seat leg room thanks to a wheelbase stretch in '64 and by '65 I'm sure the build quality was superb.

[@danielulz1640]

Sadly, the build quality slipped a bit with the 64's and just a bit more with the 65's.

[@dj33036]

The slab side windows were off putting.

[@Romiman1]

To me the proportions aren't perfect. The c pillar is some inches too far in front and so the rear side window too short and the deck a little too long. Almost perfect proportions I see at the 1981 Dodge Mirada.

[@emjayay]

Those proportions were intentional to recall the two door Mark II and give a limo-like wide C pillar, hinting that someone important and famous was in the back seat. Long rear decks were also fashionable then.

[@TheRealDrJoey]

C'mon, man, the Mark II is #1.

[@williamwoolcock]

Looks like big Mustang, same silhouette.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

I miss the days when "icon" only meant religious art.

[@OldSkoolUncleChris]

It’s a literal example of what Fredrick N predicted in the 19th century .. the substitution

[@jamesmcinnis208]

@OldSkoolUncleChris "Literally/literal" is another overused and misused vogue word.

[@allenwayne2033]

@@jamesmcinnis208 Yep, and I absolutely detest "meta"!!

[@jamesmcinnis208]

@allenwayne2033 Oh, yeah, that's a tired one. Some snowy evening by the fire, I'll read you my entire list.

[@stickshiftdriver1832]

The 58 Cadillac had suicide doors on their Fleetwood brand

[@emjayay]

No, only on the Eldorado Brougham, which was completely unique and cost close to $200K in 2024 dollars. It was their answer to the Continental Mark II.

[@danielulz1640]

Not on the Fleetwood 60 Special or 75's, only on the Eldorado Brougham.

[@MagnusUS1776]

Another slab side Lincoln with suicide doors would have to be electric; and would absolutely have to be designed and equipped to directly compete with the Cadillac Celestique. Anything less will be just as doomed to failure as the 2020 Mercury Grand Marquis... I mean Lincoln Continental.😂

[@chuckpeterson3262]

Why in the hell are you not talking about THE 1961??????????????????????????????????? 😮 The 61 has the best front end. 😮 61-63 is the discussion. Not just 62-63. Embarrassing.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

Yes odd, the 1961 was the first year of all of that, not the 1962. Also 20 colors, and really good colors at that. Lincoln has a very balanced color showcase and I love seeing super bright pastels like glacier mint or electric white biege. Hard to name it exactly.

[@howebrad4601]

The only thing i disagree with your guest is his claim that nowadays mfg are all doing extravagant designs. Where are they. 90 percent of whats made today all look alike and most are blob like. All look contorted and angry. Nothing much elegant anymore unless you go way upscale. Too much looks like a transformers toy. Not much style, no two tones, blah interiors with no color. Limited exterior color choices that arent achromatic

[@gerry-p9x]

Wow great car styling neighbor bought car Nov 1963was to pick up. Nov 22. 63...… She refused JFK got shot she got it the next week after funeral

[@chuckpeterson3262]

The 61 WON THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INSTITUTE AWARD. Not the watered down 62. Good grief.

[@andrewhefner289]

Nice job of sidestepping one of the ugliest grills of all time.