The luxurious Lincoln division was Henry Ford’s only son’s “patrimony.” Unlike his father, who loved production efficiency, Ford Jr. valued design, comfort, and speed. After becoming head of the premium division, Edsel ran the company according to his taste. One of the most successful projects under his leadership was the luxury Continental.
Source: Hemmings
It’s hard to be the great Ford’s son. But Edsel Ford tried his best. To avoid remaining in the shadow of his famous father, he decided to create the best car. With these thoughts in mind, he took up the luxury brand of his father’s empire as head of the Lincoln Motor Company. Under his leadership, several successful vehicles, including Continental, appeared in the pre-war period. However, post-war vehicles became the standard of style, classicism, and technical superiority. One of those cars even had the honor of being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in 1946, and the architect Frank Lloyd Wright called it “the most beautiful car in the world.” He even bought two such cars for himself.
Source: Kimballstock
The company of the legendary Henry Leland experienced a rebirth after Ford Motor Company bought the bankrupt Lincoln for $8 million in 1922. Lincoln was led by Ford’s son Edsel, who was eager to build and develop the luxury brand. Most importantly, the reputation of Lincoln after the transition under the control of the Ford family did not suffer. Thanks to the new management’s efforts, the brand’s models became more powerful, beautiful, and cheaper. In 1933, Lincoln abandoned the eight-cylinder engines in favor of the V12, and for the next 16 years, all cars of the brand, regardless of the configuration, were equipped only with them. An essential step towards creating the legendary Continental was introducing the Zephyr model in 1935. Then, the most famous pre-war Continental debuted on September 2, 1939. Initially, its prototype was made in a particular order for Edsel Ford. But it was so successful that designers finalized it and put it into mass production. The new flagship developed the stylistic theme of “Zephyr” but was more extensive, luxurious, and expensive. Edsel’s friend and colleague Eugene Gregory created the aerodynamic appearance of the first vehicles. A professional yacht designer gave the flagship model the impression of a land cruiser. Sure, the production of civilian automobiles was temporarily suspended on January 30, 1942, due to the war and resumed immediately after it. The luxurious brand left only two models in the post-war period – the Lincoln and the high-end Continental. Thus began the new era of the brand.
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After World War II, the luxury brand returned to regular production, and in 1947, it was slowly getting back on track. 1,569 Continentals were built for the entire year, including 738 cabriolets. The Convertible featured distinctive lines and a retractable roof. It was equipped with a flathead V12 engine and 3-speed manual transmission. By the way, the vehicles of 1946, 1947, and 1948 years were the last ones with a V12 engine. The 1947 convertible developed 125 horsepower with a maximum speed of 145 km/h. The price for such a luxurious automobile was about $ 3,142. In addition, the exterior of the 1947 convertible was similar to the previous year, except for the wheel covers. Midway through the model year, the hood ornament was changed, and minimal mechanical changes were made to the starter drive and the generator.
Source: Hemmings
According to some reports, today, only ten convertibles of the 1947 release exist in private and auction collections, which makes them a remarkable automobile for any classic car collector.
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