The Premiere series was known for its stylish exterior design, rich interior finishes, and exclusive features. Calling the Lincoln Premiere a classic luxury would be inaccurate. Still, the car was undoubtedly stylish, expensive, and bright for its time, attracting hipsters of all stripes like a magnet.
Source: Hyman LTD
The 50s were marked by Ford and Mercury cars’ major restyling. The luxury brand’s turn came later, and there were several reasons for it. First, the potential clientele of expensive and luxury automobiles, which included the Lincoln brand, had always been inherent in conservatism. Automobiles of this class were mainly guided by the tastes of the wealthiest part of the consumer audience, who didn’t like extravagant and trendy automobiles, preferring old classics to them. An excellent example of those mentioned above was the legendary British Rolls-Royce, whose models didn’t change their design for decades. The American Cadillac also did not always stand out with frequent updates, and until the very beginning of the fifties, it kept pre-war limousine design in production. The second reason for delaying Premiere restyling was the forthcoming Continental Mark II in 1956, on which the brand’s creative team chose to concentrate. After the resounding success of the latter, the brand’s team had enough time for the primary automobiles of the production program. In 1956 the completely new and handsome automobile was introduced.
Source: Hagerty Broker Business Centre
The restyling of Lincoln models was led by designer William Schmidt, who took the early prototypes of the Futura, a concept car on which he worked from 1952-1954 for the Chicago Auto Show, and the Mercury XM-800 concept car as a basis. The newly created model was very similar to Futura: Schmidt only straightened the line of the latter’s wings, removed the concave front end, and redid the tail end. The trendy finish of the top made the new model completely handsome. The body received a perfectly flat waistline emphasizing its elegance. The protrusion on the sidewall received visors on the headlights. In addition, a two-level radiator grill, which was integrated into the front bumper, exhaust pipes built into the rear bumper, and a panoramic windshield completed the stylish look of the model. The vehicle was equipped with a Y-block V8 368 engine with an improved volume of 6029 cm3, which developed 285 hp. The independent front suspension was fitted with an anti-roll bar. The restyled automobile was even called the champion in the “restyled and horsepower race,” a reference to the title of the past (1952-1955) when Premier vehicles won several races in Carrera Panamericana. Thus, the era of chrome, whimsical fins, and panoramic windshields was completed by another stylish automobile by the luxurious American brand.
Source: Mecum Auctions
The prestigious automobile of the 1956 release was launched as a hardtop coupe, sedan, and convertible. The cabin of all these vehicles had a spacious 6-seater interior with a wedge-shaped instrument panel, a horizontal speedometer, and a safe recessed and stylish steering wheel. The front seats were electrically adjustable in 4 positions. The vehicle was also equipped with power windows and a 3-speed automatic transmission Turbo-Drive, which was included as standard. An air conditioning system with air ducts on the roof was optional. At the time of the start of sales, the automobile cost $4,601, which today equals about $40 thousand. Despite the price increase, Lincoln sales almost doubled in 1956 to just over 50,000 sold automobiles, 47,531 of which were Lincoln Premieres.
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The Premiere of 1956 was a real movie star featured in many movies and TV series. The list included Leave It to Beaver, Deep Cover, Far from Heaven, The Girl Can’t Help It, Dance with Me, Henry, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, Crime of Passion, High Society, and many more.
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