Last of the LEVIATHANS
Classic American|November 2020
Stuart Wilkinson's land yacht was an immaculate, low mileage classic but, nevertheless, turned out to need a lot of time and money spending on it. Luckily, he wasn't entirely surprised...
Jon Cass
Last of the LEVIATHANS

Incredibly, the Lincoln Continental has been around since 1939 with a production run of 59years and counting, admittedly with a couple of interruptions. It’s one of the longest-lived nameplates in the automotive industry. That iconic badge disappeared from the showrooms for a brief time during the early Fifties and again in the early 2000s, but it seems Lincoln’s flagship Continental is always ready and waiting to make its comeback.

Lincoln’s current offering is the 10th-generation Continental, but it was this fifth-generation 1979 model that caught Stuart Wilkinson’s eye when he was on the lookout for an American classic a few years back. Its sheer size and presence, along with those cool hidden headlamps, ensured that this car was bound to turn heads. Make no mistake, the fifth-gen Continental is a vast car and the addition of those oversized 5mph bumpers fitted from the early Seventies make this model the longest automobile Ford Motor Company has ever produced.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Classic American.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Classic American.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM CLASSIC AMERICANView All
On your Mark VII
Classic American

On your Mark VII

In our sixth instalment of the Continental story, we’re looking at the seventh iteration of the Continental Mark series: the evergreen Mark VII, a powerful, aerodynamic coupe that looks as fresh today as when the covers were first pulled off 37 years ago…

time-read
7 mins  |
August 2021
Mercury Cougar
Classic American

Mercury Cougar

A ‘posh’ Mustang? It could only be the Mercury Cougar …

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2021
Chrysler Concept 70X
Classic American

Chrysler Concept 70X

Safety as a marketing concept for cars? Well, Richard Heseltine reckons we have Ralph Nader to thank for that. This month Richard examines a concept vehicle that was a direct result of the sudden interest in vehicle safety after Nader’s campaigning…

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2021
Stock or modified?
Classic American

Stock or modified?

Evans debates the merits of keeping your classic in factory condition or adding upgrades to make it more suitable for today’s roads

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2021
HEAVY METAL COLLECTION
Classic American

HEAVY METAL COLLECTION

With a bit of luck we might be able to fly to the US again by the end of the summer. If Los Angeles is on your itinerary, then make sure you include the Petersen Museum for a very special exhibition that’s been extended due to the pandemic. Keith Harman explains why…

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2021
Patience is a BARRACUDA 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
Classic American

Patience is a BARRACUDA 1970 Plymouth Barracuda

We’re often reading about people who have an ideal car in their mind, and who wait decades until that dream becomes a reality. We meet another beautiful dreamer, Tom Aspinall, and his Detroit-inspired dream from Mother Mopar…

time-read
8 mins  |
August 2021
1960 Cadillac Sedan De Ville Johnny Cash's CADILLAC?
Classic American

1960 Cadillac Sedan De Ville Johnny Cash's CADILLAC?

Country crooner Johnny Cash famously sang about a Cadillac created by a worker at the Cadillac factory – One Piece at a Time – as he, errr… took bits of car home over a period of years to create a car… but was it a ’60 or a ’61 or a…?

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2021
1929 Lincoln Limousine NICE JAG MATE!
Classic American

1929 Lincoln Limousine NICE JAG MATE!

It’s not often we come across a Gatsby-era luxury car that has been in the UK since the roaring Twenties and with the same owner since 1966! Meet Derek Brown’s magnificent 1929 Model L seven-passenger Limousine…

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2021
Remembering The K-Car
Classic American

Remembering The K-Car

Evans looks back to the humble compacts that saved Chrysler…

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2021
Classic American

Idaho Red!

This early 1965 Ford Mustang still looks to be wearing most of its original paint and proves the point: it’s only original once!

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2021