The famous “slab sided” “suicide door” Lincolns introduced in 1961 are forever associated with President John F. Kennedy.
This car was the last vehicle in America whose design (both interior and exterior) was spearheaded by one person, Elwood Engle. It is powered by the venerable Lincoln 430 cubic inch CID V-8 with Carter 4 barrel set up, producing 320 horsepower.
In any given year from 1961 to 1965, an average of only 3,000 of the “suicide door” convertibles were built. This was at a time when Cadillac was building 20,000 convertibles a year.
This car was delivered to California in its current factory-correct Ermine White with light turquoise-diamond luster crinkle leather. The car has had extensive but selective frame-on restoration under Jim’s supervision and has only 77,000 original miles.
John Cashman, the most knowledgeable convertible Lincoln expert in America, has said this car is one of the 10 best examples in existence.
It proudly wears the “Pascal Dilday” dealer frames from a long-gone but well-respected San Diego Lincoln dealer who sold this car new in 1963.
In 2015, Jim’s Lincoln won a Second Place award at the Annual Western Regional Lincoln Continental Owner’s Club Meet, scoring 95 points out of 100 for both mechanical performance and authenticity/appearance.