1947 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet V12

1947 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet

Same local Missouri owner for the past 13 years!Older restoration to like original conditionNumber 702 of 738 Continental Cabriolets made in 1947292 CID Flathead V-12 engine; the last of the V-12 Lincolns everproducedThree-speed manual transmission with 4.22 gearingOpal Blue Green exterior with cloth power-folding top and two-tone green leather interiorPower windows, four-wheel hydraulic brakesOriginal wiring and Continental kitHidden cruise control, doors open via pushbuttonsClassic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic

Beautiful, rare and stately. How many 70-year-old boulevard cruisers do you remember with a V-12 engine under the hood? MotoeXotica Classic Cars presents this 1947 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet. This example, 702 out of 738 produced that year, is ultra-rare today and was made at Ford’s Lincoln Assembly in Detroit, Michigan. This example is also one of the last of the Lincoln V-12s. It presents as original condition courtesy of an older restoration by the previous loving owner for the past 13 years.

Finished in a stately Opal Blue Green, the car’s paint and trim are in overall very good order. The car’s cloth, power-folding top is in good, original condition. The car’s hand-crafted bodywork is straight and solid, it has its original wiring, pushbuttons open the doors instead of handles, the engine bay is very tidy, the rear wheels have deep skirts, the battery appears new, out back is the spare tire kit that started it all – a Continental, and the car’s chrome bumpers are in good, original condition. There’s even a third brake light just above the rear license plate.

This Lincoln rolls on Goodyear Custom Super Cushion wide whitewall radial tires with wheels topped by factory wheel covers. The tires and wheels are all in good, original condition.

Under the hood is Lincoln’s 292 CID Flathead V-12 engine. Though it was similar in design to the 90° Ford flathead V-8 introduced for 1932, the Lincoln-Zephyr H Series V-12 had a narrower 75° between cylinder banks. The engine used aluminum-alloy heads and cast-steel pistons, as well as two water pumps. It also had a unique distributor with a coil assembly that actually consisted of two coils, one for each cylinder bank and a Chandler-Grove two-barrel carburetor.

Initial power output was quoted as 110 horsepower at 3,900 rpm, a rather high-power peak for the period. The torque curve was quite flat, however, with at least 180 pounds/feet available from 3,500 rpm all the way down to 400 rpm, which made for incredible top-gear performance. Though the Zephyr V-12 no more resembled previous Lincoln engines than the ubiquitous V-8 (despite sharing the latter's stroke), it was more like a “12-cylinder Ford” than a classic multi-cylinder powerplant in character.

Backing this V-12 motor was a three-speed, column-shifted manual transmission and a 4.22:1 rear end. Driver convenience feature includes hidden cruise control and four-wheel hydraulic brakes.

Inside, the car’s two-tone green leather interior is in overall good order. The dark green front and rear bench seats are in great shape while the contrasting green carpet is in good, original order. The stock, two-spoke steering wheel is in very good order, as are in the inner door panels and instrument panel. The speedometer is inoperable and is in need of a new cable. Completing the interior is a factory AM radio.

The Lincoln Continental made its debut in 1940 and stemmed from Edsel Ford’s desire to build a high class, stylish luxury model to compete with the finest marques of Europe. Designed by E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, the Continental shared many characteristics of the Lincoln-Zephyr, including the legendary flathead V-12 engine.

For the 1942 model year, all Lincoln models were given squared-up fenders, and a revised grille. The result was a boxier, somewhat heavier look in keeping with then-current design trends, but perhaps less graceful in retrospect. Nineteen fourty-two production was shortened, following the entry of the United States into World War II; the attack on Pearl Harbor led to the suspension of production of automobiles for civilian use.

After World War II, the Lincoln division of Ford returned the Continental to production as a 1946 model; Lincoln dropped the Zephyr nomenclature following the war, so the postwar Continental was derived from the standard Lincoln (internally H-Series). To attract buyers, the design was refreshed with updated trim, distinguished by a new grille. For 1947, walnut wood trim was added to the interior.

Following the death of Edsel Ford in 1943, Ford Motor Company re-organized its corporate management structure, which led to the 1946 departure of the Continental’s designer, Bob Gregorie. 1948 would become the last year for the Continental, as the division sought to redevelop its new 1949 model line as Mercurys; the expensive personal-luxury car no longer had a role at Lincoln.

The 1939–1948 Continental is recognized as a “Full Classic” by the Classic Car Club of America, one of the last-built cars to be so recognized. As of 2015, the 1948 Lincoln Continental and 1948 Lincoln were the last cars produced and sold by a major U.S. automaker with a V-12 engine.

Competition to this Continental in 1947 included Buick’s Series 50 Super Convertible, Cadillac’s Series 62 Convertible Club Coupe, Chrysler’s New Yorker Town and Country and Windsor convertible coupes, Hudson’s Commodore Eight Brougham Convertible, Jaguar’s 3.5L Drophead Coupe, Mercury’s Club Convertible, Oldsmobile’s 98 Custom 8 Cruiser Convertible Coupe and Pontiac’s Torpedo 8 Convertible Coupe.

If you desire one of the most sought-after collector cars made just after World War II ended, then you should definitely make a point to stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars to check out this ’47 Lincoln.

VIN: 7H172270Body#: 5EH 56 702

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 74,166 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt Missouri title.GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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