Big, bold and one of the grandest land yachts of its time, the Lincoln Premiere was introduced for the 1956 model year when Ford’s luxury brand presented a complete makeover in style and features while taking direct aim at affluent trend-setters.
The Pick of the Day is a 1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible in a flattering pale Sunburst Yellow, its gold trim glittering and its mighty tail fins reaching for the sky.
With the Lincoln Capri becoming the base model, the upmarket Premiere came loaded with every bit of regalia and trim, such as power seats, windows, steering, brakes and convertible top; premium leather; console; tinted glass; and chrome, lots of chrome.
The knight’s helmet hood ornament is an artwork in itself. The Premiere emblems on the tail fins have sparkling flourishes. Now, that’s pizzazz.
This was a futuristic design in its day that evoked a bright future of jet travel and glittering modernity. The ’56 Lincoln turned out to be essentially a single-year design, as the ’57 versions were bumped up with quad headlights and even grander tail fins. To my eye, ’56 was the sweetest year for the post-war Lincolns.
The Premiere convertible was an expensive car when new, and quite showy, as notes the Hilton, New York, dealer advertising the Lincoln on ClassicCars.com.
“If you had one then, you were part of a very elite group of affluent socialites,” the seller says. “This car screams American ’50s luxury.”
While there is no restoration information included in the ad, this Premiere looks likes it was done over with an eye on authenticity. Looking very clean under the hood, it’s powered by the standard and probably original 368cid, 285-horsepower overhead-valve V8 mated with automatic transmission.
There are no photos in the gallery showing the car with its top down, but at 18½ feet long, it must make quite an impression.
The asking price for all this grandeur is $39,995. Pound for pound, a fabulous deal.
Many collector cars of the mid-century era have been cascading in value as the generation that loved them ages and passes on. Yet for those who still admire the baroque American masterpieces of the mid-century, this represents a fine opportunity to buy and enjoy one of them while banishing worry about investment return.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Daddy,
‘…can we go for ride in the banana…’
Please send additional photos, underneath the hood, front and rear suspension and interior as wells as trunk capacity, spare, etc etc.
Need location of the vehicle where can be seen
Click on the Pick of the Day red link at the end of the article, which will take you to the seller’s ad, with more information, including price and location.
That was my favorite by far. I would bring my dads 1955 Capri for service and would get a 1956 as a loner, always was a 4 door. I remember seeing one for the first time at the County Fair in September. I just liked being close to them. The 1957 was a turnoff.
Truly and impressive looking automobile. No longer are cars being designed so that with only a view of the front, side, back, or even just a tail light, one could identify the year and model of it from 100 feet away. Richard Herilla