Driving a convertible is such a treat. You feel, see, hear, and even smell more of the world around you while you go for even the most mundane of drives. In my line of work, I’ve been fortunate to test several convertibles over the years, all of which were a pleasure for me; for the people in the second row, not so much as they needed to squeeze into the back, had a small amount of legroom, and had to tolerate the wind that was constantly whipping their hair around. Our Pick of the Day should be a more glamorous open-air experience for people in both rows. You can find this 1961 Lincoln Continental Four-Door Convertible listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Palm Desert, California.
A lot can happen in a year. The visual differences between the 1960 and 1961 Lincoln Continentals are so stark that it’s hard to believe they’re the same model. Both models have a certain boxiness to them, but the latter one looks simpler and sleeker and more stylish. With a wheelbase of 123 inches and an overall length of 212.4 inches, it’s also significantly shorter by eight and 14.8 inches, respectively. Width was also shaved from 80.3 to 78.6 inches. All those changes made the new Continental easier to maneuver and park, especially because the power steering required 25 percent less effort than before.
Despite the exterior downsizing, the cabin offered more legroom for the driver and more foot room for people in both rows because the tunnel hump was 40 percent smaller than before. Accessing that generous space and luxury features such as hydraulic windshield wipers, power locks, power windows with more powerful motors, hand-trimmed leather seats, and power top was easy thanks to four counterbalanced doors that opened wide.
Lincoln paired the redesigned Continental’s smaller dimensions with “America’s largest V-8 engine,” a 430ci V-8 equipped with a two-barrel carburetor and a Turbo-Drive three-speed automatic. Although the 5,403-pound ’61 Continental drop-top was heavier than its predecessor and significantly portlier than its Cadillac and Imperial rivals, it benefited from an 11-percent improvement in what Lincoln called “start-up acceleration.”
This particular Continental Four-Door Convertible benefits from several cosmetic and functional updates. The body was repainted black, a color which can obscure the lines of a car and dull their visual impact. But black is perfect for these big ragtops because it gives them a sinister and authoritative look. This one is even cooler dropped low on its air suspension, with its wide whitewalls tucked into the wheel wells. Like the paint, the black soft top is new; the same goes for the black upholstery.
In many ways, the 1961 Lincoln Continental showed that less could be more: more style, more interior space, and more rapid acceleration from a stop. You can get all that — and five of your family members and friends — in this 1961 Lincoln Continental Four-Door Convertible for $128,500.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
