Factory publicity photos for the beautiful new 1961 Lincoln Continental proudly displayed a pillarless hardtop sedan. But in reality, Lincoln never actually offered it to the public.
“Prices, features, and specificatios are subject to change without notice.” We’ve all seen that curt disclaimer in the fine print of the carmakers’ advertisiing materials. And here at Mac’s Motor City Garage, we’ve reported a few of the times when, at some point between introduction and serious production, the manufacturers decided to make significant changes: For example the 1955 Ford Thunderbird, the 1933 Willys, and even the familiar 1957 Chevrolet. We can add to the list the 1961 Lincoln Continental—the hardtop that, in reality, wasn’t really offered as a hardtop.
Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury division faced a number of technical challenges when it drastically downsized the Lincoln platform for 1961, chopping eight inches out of the wheelbase and more than a foot from its overall length. To provide more comfortable entry and exit for the rear seat passengers with the smaller package, the rear doors were engineered to open at the front—“suicide doors” in the popular venacular.
Meanwhile, it was also decided that a four-door convertible would be part of the product line, a body style where a fixed B pillar between the front and rear window openings would not be appropriate. So instead, the body engineers devised a somewhat complicated setup in which the rear side glass seal slipped in behind the front glass, with an automatic drop-down feature that made the rear glass drop down out of the way when the door was opened.
Originally, all this complicated wiring and hardware in the rear doors was to be included on a version of the fixed-roof Continental as well, which would make it a pillarless hardtop. Reportedly, around 10 early–production cars were built this way, and at least one of them was used to shoot the company’s promotional photos for the Continental introduction. The body style was listed in the Lincoln parts catalog, too.
But at some point not long into the production process, the decision was made to not use all the tricky door-and-window hardware on the sedan. Instead, all would include a fixed pillar between the front and rear glass. The slim B post didn’t add much in the way of structural rigidity, but it did provide a better seal between the front and rear side glass, with much less wear and damage to the weatherstripping. And it also reduced the component count and simplified production. When an automaker can improve the product and reduce cost at the same time, that’s an easy call to make.
What became of the handful of pillarless hardtops isn’t entirely known, but it seems that none of them survive today. At least none have turned up anywhere in enthusiast circles, apparently, though a few customizers have used the convertible hardware to convert their sedans to the pillarless look. Ultimately, the presence of a B pillar (below) had no discernible effect on the public’s reception of the ’61 Continental or its place in automotive history. Sedan or convertible, it’s still one of the most striking luxury cars the Motor City has ever produced.
In the auto manufacturing process there is often something lost in the translation between what is designed, and what is actually constructed. It may be a factor of cost, or engineering, or both. We have seen it not only with this handsome Continental, but also with the ’62 Tempest hardtop, the ’70 Monte Carlo convertible, the ’79 Camaro Turbo, and more recently the Camaro and Challenger: both concepts were hardtops but became coupes in production.
Additionally, in the past there was some hoopla regarding the ’69 Mustang Sportsroof (fastback): those that had power windows, the quarter windows slid backwards into the sail panels, whereas those with manual (crank) windows had flipper quarter windows. Rumor or fact? It’s all very interesting,
and the facts and photos MCG provides are always appreciated. Thanks!
I’ve always heard those referred to a Kennedy convertibles, from what happened in 1963. Heard a lot of older guys say they’d never own one due to that happening. I was too young to see it happen, my only reference is books and film of the event that changed the world.
That’s a odd idea those people had and probably not someone who would buy one of these anyway. Kennedy was not riding in a stock Lincoln Continental convertible, it was a custom stretch limo that was only a convertible or a bubble top which was plastic and wouldn’t have given him any protection
There has been a lot of speculation as to how the situation might have been altered had the Plexi-glass bubble top been in place. I’ve done extensive research into the various vehicles used by the White House over the years.
In addition to owning one of the two 1955 Eisenhower Imperial limousines, I’ve owned several armored limousines over the years, including the 1975 Daimler DS420 with a Vanden Plas limo body used by the British Ambassador here in Washington DC, and used by the Queen during the Bi-centennial celebrations. That car had 1/2″ sheets of solid Kevlar behind the sheet metal, but no armored glass.
In discussions with Willard Hess of Hess & Eisenhardt, a major supplier of armored limousines, we both felt that if those bullets in Dallas had first struck that curved Plexi-glass surface, they probably would have been deflected enough to not be lethal. But of course we’ll never know for sure.
Kennedy [and other occupants] disliked riding in the closed bubble top Lincoln when in hot & humid locales, as the A/C was not capable of cooling the occupants to acceptable levels, especially with 4 people inside. I’ve read reports that this was the main reason the top was left off that fateful day.
It should be noted that there was no folding top, so another specially outfitted panel truck followed along in the parade group, carrying the multi-piece bubble top roof, along with a crew who could quickly assemble it onto the car if needed.
I’ve always found it ironic that none of the official presidential limousines were armored in any manner until the 1963 assassination, and the Lincoln in question was quickly rebuilt with armored body panels for future use.
As an aside; When WW2 began, there was only one heavily armored sedan or limousine in the US government’s hands, it was a 1928 Cadillac that had been owned by Al Capone, seized by the government when Capone went to prison.
That armored Cadillac was used by Roosevelt, Truman, and others until suitable armored vehicles could be delivered to the White House garage.
I’ve always had an interest in the Lincoln 4-door convertible and have owned several and worked on far too many to remember. My shop used to specialize on the PROPER repair and maintenance of these tops, and the Lincoln electrical systems in general.
I don’t remember where I read about the primary reason for the lack of a 4-door hardtop, but I think it was in a conversation I had with Willard Hess, one of the founders of the coachbuilding company Hess & Eisenhardt. The conversation indicate it was a problem of the body twisting due to the sheer size of the unit body. He said that during long-term testing, minor ripples formed in the top’s surface from body twists on bad roads.
The twists were minimal, but with shiny paint they were easy to see. Some discussion was the possibility of making a padded vinyl top standard on the 4-door cars, but that was quickly abandoned.
Lincoln battled problems with unit-body twisting, especially on the convertibles. To remedy a particularly nasty vibration on the convertibles, Lincoln ended up mounting very heavy cast iron weight suspended on short leaf springs. The other end of the springs was attached to the place where the bumper brackets mounted to the frame ends, the weights being hidden behind the bumpers at each outer end. Those 4 weights eliminated most of the body vibrations, but not all.
In the 1980s I had 2 Continental convertibles come in to my shop because of vibration issues, and both situations were the result of other shops doing the restorations and the weights being left off, probably to reduce weight to gain MPG. Sourcing the weights and springs, both cars no longer had the vibration problems after the weights were re-installed.
Same reason for the weight canisters on the ’66-’67 Fairlane convertibles. Right behind the leaf springs.
I didn’t know the Fairlane drop tops had them as well, thanks for the info!
1965 and later Corvair convertibles have something similar on each of the four corners of the car. They’re affectionately referred to as “cocktail shakers,” and are canisters containing a weight held in place by a heavy spring on both ends, and filled with oil. These mitigate or “cancel out” vibrations.
Actually, I think the 1958 Thunderbird was the first to use them, so I’m kind of surprised that Lincolns built in the same plant instead used cast iron weights.
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Got to ride in a convertible version at the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo (LA) California a few years ago. Thought we would get seasick from the rocking and rolling!