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Details
1956 LINCOLN PREMIERE CONVERTIBLE
Chassis No. 56WA3806L
Pink with pink and white leather interior
Engine: 90: V8, two pushrod operated valves per cylinder, single 4-barrel carburetor, 368ci., 285hp at 4,600rpm; Gearbox: three speed automatic; Suspension: independent front solid rear axle and leaf springs; Brakes: four wheel drums. Left hand drive.
Devoted to quality and precision Henry M. Leland also possessed a Vermonter's legendary stubbornness. He knew how to build great motorcars, but less of selling them. After leading Cadillac to greatness as The Standard of the World he and his son Wilfred fell out with William C. Durant and started Lincoln to build Liberty aircraft engines during the Great War. Luxury cars succeeded Liberty engines after the Kaiser's demise. Lincoln engineering was typical Leland: advanced, reliable and rugged. Its styling wasn't and the enterprise was quickly into receivership and snapped up by Henry Ford. The Lelands were even more quickly history at Ford and management passed into the hands of Edsel Ford who contributed aesthetic values that complemented the Leland engineering legacy.
Edsel Ford led Lincoln to a great classic history with consistently beautiful and powerful automobiles, but his greatest contribution was the landmark Continental of 1940, a design of style and grace that remained in production until 1948 and is still coveted by collectors. Restyled in 1952, Benson Ford, now Lincoln-Mercury General Manager, took Lincoln in a new direction with factory participation in the Pan American Road Race where Lincolns swept the first 4 places, a feat repeated in 1953. In 1954 Lincolns were first and second.
The success of the Continental was still in Ford's mind, and in 1956 the Continental Mark II was introduced, again a triumph of subtle style that stood out in the offerings from Detroit where styling seemed to mean ever more flamboyant and extraneous decoration, chrome and embellishment. Taking their lead from the Continental Mark II, Lincoln's Capri and Premiere lines also were restated with their emphasis on elegance and simplicity. The 1956 Lincolns' styling stands out among their contemporaries as fresh and innovative, a tasteful combination of physical size (fully 18.= feet long) with moderation in adornment. Unfortunately, the restraint that characterized the '56 Lincoln was lost in 1957 when elaboration triumphed.
Befitting its luxury market, '56 Lincolns were fully equipped. The 285hp Lincoln V8 provided ample power. Premieres, which physically differed from the less expensive Capri only in exterior identification and interior trim level, came with power seats and windows along with standard power steering, power brakes and Ford-built three-speed automatic transmission.
All 1956 Lincoln convertibles were Premieres. The example offered here has full factory options including factory air conditioning and, of course, a power operated top. It has a Continental style spare tire with extended bumper. Particularly notable, it has a rare Lubricare automatic chassis lubrication system to keep its ride plush and Lincoln-quiet. Finished in characteristic pink, with pink and white leather interior and white convertible top, it has only 70,278 miles and is, with exception of paint and interior, exceptionally original. Following a lengthy storage period the Lincoln Premiere was purchased by its present owner who has owned it for over ten years. Only 2,447 Lincoln Premiere convertibles were built in 1956 and fewer still have this example's comprehensive options, making it a rare and distinctive example of a landmark year.
Chassis No. 56WA3806L
Pink with pink and white leather interior
Engine: 90: V8, two pushrod operated valves per cylinder, single 4-barrel carburetor, 368ci., 285hp at 4,600rpm; Gearbox: three speed automatic; Suspension: independent front solid rear axle and leaf springs; Brakes: four wheel drums. Left hand drive.
Devoted to quality and precision Henry M. Leland also possessed a Vermonter's legendary stubbornness. He knew how to build great motorcars, but less of selling them. After leading Cadillac to greatness as The Standard of the World he and his son Wilfred fell out with William C. Durant and started Lincoln to build Liberty aircraft engines during the Great War. Luxury cars succeeded Liberty engines after the Kaiser's demise. Lincoln engineering was typical Leland: advanced, reliable and rugged. Its styling wasn't and the enterprise was quickly into receivership and snapped up by Henry Ford. The Lelands were even more quickly history at Ford and management passed into the hands of Edsel Ford who contributed aesthetic values that complemented the Leland engineering legacy.
Edsel Ford led Lincoln to a great classic history with consistently beautiful and powerful automobiles, but his greatest contribution was the landmark Continental of 1940, a design of style and grace that remained in production until 1948 and is still coveted by collectors. Restyled in 1952, Benson Ford, now Lincoln-Mercury General Manager, took Lincoln in a new direction with factory participation in the Pan American Road Race where Lincolns swept the first 4 places, a feat repeated in 1953. In 1954 Lincolns were first and second.
The success of the Continental was still in Ford's mind, and in 1956 the Continental Mark II was introduced, again a triumph of subtle style that stood out in the offerings from Detroit where styling seemed to mean ever more flamboyant and extraneous decoration, chrome and embellishment. Taking their lead from the Continental Mark II, Lincoln's Capri and Premiere lines also were restated with their emphasis on elegance and simplicity. The 1956 Lincolns' styling stands out among their contemporaries as fresh and innovative, a tasteful combination of physical size (fully 18.= feet long) with moderation in adornment. Unfortunately, the restraint that characterized the '56 Lincoln was lost in 1957 when elaboration triumphed.
Befitting its luxury market, '56 Lincolns were fully equipped. The 285hp Lincoln V8 provided ample power. Premieres, which physically differed from the less expensive Capri only in exterior identification and interior trim level, came with power seats and windows along with standard power steering, power brakes and Ford-built three-speed automatic transmission.
All 1956 Lincoln convertibles were Premieres. The example offered here has full factory options including factory air conditioning and, of course, a power operated top. It has a Continental style spare tire with extended bumper. Particularly notable, it has a rare Lubricare automatic chassis lubrication system to keep its ride plush and Lincoln-quiet. Finished in characteristic pink, with pink and white leather interior and white convertible top, it has only 70,278 miles and is, with exception of paint and interior, exceptionally original. Following a lengthy storage period the Lincoln Premiere was purchased by its present owner who has owned it for over ten years. Only 2,447 Lincoln Premiere convertibles were built in 1956 and fewer still have this example's comprehensive options, making it a rare and distinctive example of a landmark year.