1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet

Finished in Grotto Blue with a grey and blue interior, ‘PXS 147’ is a 1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet that’s created more of a stir in the office than almost anything else that’s passed through our hands this year.

A V12-engined behemoth with the presence of the American president’s company car, it arrived here in November 2021 and has been in the care of its sole registered UK keeper ever since.

An older US-restoration, it was quite the show-winner back in the 1990s and is said to still run beautifully. Very rare in the UK, the fact the hood needs some attention means it might end up being more affordable than you think…

Gloriously over the top, the Lincoln Continental Cabriolet’s design reveals itself inch by inch; what at first seems slightly ever so slightly overwhelming soon becomes a cohesive succession of wonderfully lavish features.

Like the front bumper, which incorporates a badge bar and overriders as well as double-height corners. It’s a fantastic piece of design that merely acts as a hors d'oeuvres for the main frontal event, which is the bifurcated radiator grille.

Shaped like an upside down ‘T’, it holds both the driving lights and the colourful emblem. The headlamps are, of course, also set in ornate chrome trims, and everything that should be shiny is.

This industrial-scale use of chrome continues as you make your way backwards, ending in a massive rear bumper whose even bigger overriders protect the spectacularly OTT ‘Continental Kit’ spare wheel assembly.

And it doesn’t end there because even the exhaust tailpipe is both baroque and chromed.

And all the chromework on the Lincoln is impressive, but then it should be because the seller spent a lot of time and money in getting a lot of it rechromed, an investment that took care of what little pitting and corrosion it had when he bought the car.

The use of chromed metal extends to the vast hub caps, which include a gold ‘Lincoln’ script across their centre. The painted steel wheels they’re fitted to are shod with matching whitewall 7.00-15 Firestone tyres.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The bodywork is in an excellent condition too. It fits well with good shutlines and a reassuring air of solidity about it, and it’s got some lovely hidden features like spring-loaded doors that pop open at the press of a button.

As you can see, the Grotto Blue paintwork is in good shape. It shines well, has no obvious damage or scratches, and the hue looks surprisingly modern on a car that is well past its 75th birthday.

Of course, there are some areas that have been touched up, most notably around the offside door mirror, but these are limited in scope and don’t affect the car’s overall presentation.

As for the grey hood, it fits well and rises and falls as it should hydraulically. It’s got a proper glass rear screen too, and while it isn’t in a bad shape it does have some wear.

But that deterioration is largely confined to frayed edges and some discolouration, which means it could almost certainly be saved if you can find a trimmer with the required skills, a suitably vast cutting table, and who likes a challenge.

Of course, in the short-term you leave it folded away under the very good tonneau cover and only take the old girl out when the sun is shining – and nothing lasts as long as a temporary fix, does it?

The interior features almost as much chrome as the coachwork – and it’s been designed and crafted every bit as carefully.

Take the Art Deco instruments, for example: have you ever seen a nicer speedometer? As for the clock, it’s big enough to double-up as a timepiece for the mantelshelf. The valve radio, which takes a couple of minutes to warm up when it is first turned on, is even wider – and yet even its width is eclipsed by the sheer scale of the speaker that sits below it.

As for the steering wheel, it’s constructed of a maroon Bakelite-style material – the whole world was crazy for this new-fangled plastic stuff back then – and is all the better for being so obviously of the period. The same material is used around the window winder handles, the door releases, and some of the controls.

The rest of the instruments, which cover fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and battery charge, are finished in the same design as the clock and speedometer, which means they’re utterly gorgeous to look at while still managing to convey their information in a clear and unequivocal way.

Even the foot pedals are interesting because the brake and clutch pedals are round rather than oblong. All are floor-mounted and fitted with good rubber pads.

In fact, everything in the cabin we’ve mentioned so far is in a great condition – and that’s before we start on the soft furnishings.

The front seats are vast, but then they would be as they’ve got almost two metres to fill. And they too are an unusual design as the one-piece base forms a bench seat, but the two backrests reclines so driver and passenger can find their preferred seating position.

Their fabric faces are topped and tailed by blue leather under the thighs, at the shoulders, and on their backs. The combination is therefore warm and grippy while still offering durability at the rubbing points.

And it’s clearly worked because they’re in great shape with no obvious rips, tears, or other damage.

They also pivot around an inner hinge to allow for easy access to the (very good and identically trimmed) rear seat. It is – again – a mark of the care and thought that went into the Continental’s design.

And that care includes the windows, which are hydraulically powered just like the hood – and that’s quite something to be able to boast about, isn’t it?

Blue leather has also been used for the door cards and rear quarter panels, and this too reflects careful curation over the years.

The grey carpets are in a very good condition, and this assessment extends to the blue leather heel protector in the driver’s footwell, which is unworn and undamaged.

As for the hood frame and inner headlining, these are both excellent, something your trimmer and wallet will appreciate when the time comes to sort the outer fabric.

The boot is huge, something the external spare wheel helps create. It’s well trimmed too, and the boot floor appears to be solid.

The flathead V12 engine fires into life at the press of a button. It idles perfectly and is one of the quietest engines we’ve heard in a long time. It also revs well and shows good oil pressure.

The seller tells us he’s used it a lot in the summer, usually with the roof down and his family relaxing in the back.

He’s only selling it because he’s retired to a part of Devon whose quaint streets are simply too small for him to be able to waft around in the same way he could when he lived further north.

As for the aesthetics, if we were to tell you that the only jarring note under the bonnet is the presence of one modern spark plug cap you can fill in the blanks for yourselves, can’t you?

Because the rest really is that good. Yes, there is some wear and patination, but it’s limited and entirely in keeping with the time that’s elapsed since the car was restored.

(Interesting note: it spent 15 years dry-stored in a garage by the wife of a previous owner who caught him playing around. She exacted her revenge by taking his car, but that’s another story for another day…)

The patent and body number plates are both still riveted in place on the bulkhead, the cooling louvres run straight and true, there is evidence of attention to the 6-volt electrical system as well as recent sparkplugs, and the bits of the engine we can see look dry and oil-tight.

If it were ours, we’d give it a wipe over with an oily rag and call it good.

It’s much the same for the underside. Built on an industrial scale and still impressively robust, it’s been nicely painted, and we can’t see a single thing under there that would concern us.

The Lincoln doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car.

The Lincoln has some paperwork from its time ‘Stateside, including many invoices for work, some as recent as 2021, the same year shown on the Californian title that’s also in the history file.

That history file also includes the Operator’s Manual, an American magazine featuring the same model, and some awards and rosettes from its time as a show car in America.

If you want to dig deeper into the car’s history and factory build specification then apparently the Benson Ford Research Center will send you a copy of the Build Card if you ask nicely, which should answer a lot of your questions.

In the meantime, there is a video online that talks about this very car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hCq7MfHwmI

With a list price of around $5,000, or around $150,000 in today’s money, the Lincoln Continental Cabriolet was a very rare and expensive car when it was new. The preserve of the ultra-rich, few of us would have been able to buy one.

But depreciation is a cruel master, so while we accept our guide price of between £30,000 and £35,000 still represents a hefty chunk of money, it does make it rather more affordable than you might have imagined.

Yes, the roof needs some attention but that’s the only the work we are aware of.

Besides, you could leave it folded down for the time being while you enjoy a V12-powered American cabriolet the likes of which we will never see again – and, in fact, the world didn’t see again after this one was discontinued.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.