Curbside Classic Outtake: 1968 Lincoln Continental

Paul Niedermeyer
by Paul Niedermeyer

While I prepare the next full chapter of Lincoln’s (mostly downhill) roller-coaster ride, here’s a couple of shots of a 1968 Continental sedan. To my eye, the degradation of the original’s purity is now under way, although these ’66-’69 models still carry manage to convey a sense of dignity and exclusivity. That would change, all too soon.

Everything was now smoother and slightly rounded off, like a crisp bar of soap after the first couple of uses. The side windows have curved glass again, and the engine is bigger than ever: A 462 cubic inch version of the old MEL engine, then supplanted by the spanking new 460 V8. It all kind of works, sort of; like a middle aged woman wearing yesterday’s fashionable dress, let out here and there a bit. Looking at her is a mixed bag: you sadly remember her when she was young and fresh, and made a huge splash with her bold daring sense of style, yet you know those moments can’t be frozen in time. So you try to appreciate her before she loses even more of her assets, because you know it’s inevitable.

Paul Niedermeyer
Paul Niedermeyer

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  • Accs Accs on Feb 14, 2010

    Jeez.. what a trunk. How many dead bodies could ya store in there?

  • JeremyLawson JeremyLawson on Dec 20, 2012

    My first car was a 68 Lincoln Continental, and I owned it until it was stolen two years ago. Over the years I've owned 5; 3 - 68s, a 69, and a 65. Out of the 66 - 69 body style the 68 is still my favorite.

  • Tim Myers Can you tell me why in the world Mazda uses the ugliest colors on the MX5? I have a 2017 in Red and besides Black or White, the other colors are horrible for a sports car. I constantly hear this complaint. I wish someone would tell whoever makes theses decisions that they need a more sports car colors available. They’d probably sell a lot more of them. Just saying.
  • Dartman EBFlex will soon be able to buy his preferred brand!
  • Mebgardner I owned 4 different Z cars beginning with a 1970 model. I could already row'em before buying the first one. They were light, fast, well powered, RWD, good suspenders, and I loved working on them myself when needed. Affordable and great styling, too. On the flip side, parts were expensive and mostly only available in a dealers parts dept. I could live with those same attributes today, but those days are gone long gone. Safety Regulations and Import Regulations, while good things, will not allow for these car attributes at the price point I bought them at.I think I will go shop a GT-R.
  • Lou_BC Honda plans on investing 15 billion CAD. It appears that the Ontario government and Federal government will provide tax breaks and infrastructure upgrades to the tune of 5 billion CAD. This will cover all manufacturing including a battery plant. Honda feels they'll save 20% on production costs having it all localized and in house.As @ Analoggrotto pointed out, another brilliant TTAC press release.
  • 28-Cars-Later "Its cautious approach, which, along with Toyota’s, was criticized for being too slow, is now proving prescient"A little off topic, but where are these critics today and why aren't they being shamed? Why are their lunkheaded comments being memory holed? 'Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.' -Orwell, 1984
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