1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible Used By JFK Gorgeous Restoration

1962 Lincoln Continental Additional Info:

I purchased this car from the second owner over three years ago. He was located in Buffalo, NY and is currently a known and respected collector of classic cars. In 1962, as a child, he attended a parade in Buffalo, NY in which John F. Kennedy was participating in riding in an open car. JFK was seated on the passenger side rear seat of a brand new white Lincoln Continental Convertible. The child eagerly snapped pictures of the President as he passed by and never relinquished the photos or the special memory. Being a small town, he was very familiar with the owner for the entirety of his life.Some 40 years later, the car came up for sale from the estate of the owner and the now successful adult gentleman who had taken those pictures and admired the car and the president four decades earlier purchased the car from the estate. It was a rust free, low mile car that was in need of cosmetic refurbishment. In 2014, he set out to restore the car on the frame and proceeded to do everything including all mechanical components, paint, trim, interior, top and of course, the pesky relays that operated the top. When completed, the car was the rare combination of being a beautiful car ready for show and ready to drive anywhere. The car shows under 39,000 miles believed to be original, however, by law, I have to sell the car TMU (True Mileage Unknown).The John F Kennedy History: In the early 1960's once JFK was elected, He was known for touring the country and participating in parades in front of adoring crowds enchanted by him and his wife Jacqueline. A fleet of privately owned Lincoln's was chosen with each car in a given region of the country and each would be made available for when the president visited. This car was the upstate NY car and was used in at least two parades according to the photos and information with the car.He rode in the car on 'Polaski day' in Buffalo, NY on October 14th, 1962. This occasion is commemorated by a White House plaque given to the car and affixed to the spot Kennedy rode in ever since. Aside from the plaque and pictures accompanying the car, this event is substantially documented locally and online as well including news articles showing the car.The car was also used for a Niagara Falls event that the president participated in at Bell Aircraft Company but no documentation of this event has been found to date although the event has been confirmed as having happened with the president in attendance riding in a Lincoln.The car: Once restored in 2014, the owner enjoyed the car sparingly, to this day, he has a large collection of cars and using them much can be a challenge. In 2021, he decided to sell a few cars and I purchased this one from him and it joined my collection. Overall, the restoration was outstanding but a couple of things bothered me about the car so I set out to correct them over the last 18 months or so. First was the top. He had chosen white cloth for the top and it looked incorrect and stained easily so I replaced it with a correct OEM style black vinyl top. The top is perfect. In the process, I sorted out the rear side window lifts which worked perfectly but failed to raise the windows once the top was raised. I corrected that issue. Another thing that looked great but had incorrect material was the seat material. Ford used a heavier leather in the day and the car had a very fine (and expensive) leather that was sadly, wrong for the car. I replaced the seat overs while carefully preserving the White House plaque and in the process, I went ahead and replaced the carpets too with correct weave style from Ford and added a stunning set of logo'd floor mats. The interior is not only beautiful, it is correct.The 430 engine from Ford had minimal valve clearance and there was some noise coming from the engine that indicated a slight valve tick. I went ahead and rebuilt the engine earlier this year and re-detailed the engine bay while in the process. The engine has under 200 breakin miles on it.The paint overall is excellent with only minor blemishes upon very close inspection. The door gaps are better then when new and the overall fit and finish is also better than anything Ford produced in the 1960's. The trim and brightwork is all in excellent condition indicative of a very recent restoration.The interior is gorgeous. The seats and carpeting are flawless. All of the controls and instruments are excellent and in working order. The car is a factory air conditioned car and when the previous owner restored it, he upgraded all of the A/C components to modern equipment. The radio and power antenna work, the power seat works, the car needs nothing.The underside is as it was in 1962 with the original factory Ford undercoating still in place. It was a rust free car when purchased from the estate so the need for a frame off restoration did not exist. As such, the underside shows as extremely authentic and solid.This is one of the most interesting Lincoln Continentals I've had the privilege of owning and it is also easily the nicest. I have priced it fairly and do wish to sell it. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me at 860-883-3998. I do have many many more pictures of the car and am happy to send along the link to any interested buyer. Further, I have a driving video and a video of the top in operation for any interested party.Lastly, I have a set of modern radial tires on it for safe driving currently. I have a set of NOS show tires bias ply that I am including with the car with the strong recommendation that you only use them for display. Also with the car are the original owners manual with the Ford factory service supplement, parade pictures, a lifesize cardboard Kennedy display and of course, the White House plaque on the car.