Car of the Week: This 1957 Lincoln Restomod Is One of the Most Elegant Low-Riders We’ve Seen, and It’s up for Grabs
The Lincoln Continental Mark II debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October of 1955, about 18 months after Ford’s Thunderbird roadster shook things up stateside. The ultra-sophisticated Lincoln was notable for its understatement: no fins, bulges, obscene bumpers, or hundreds of pounds of blinding chrome. The Continental was, in a word, clean. It was also the most expensive automobile made in the U.S. at the time, selling for $9,966, with air conditioning as a $595 option.
It has been generally accepted that Ford Motor Company lost $1,000 on each Lincoln Continental Mark II that it built—by hand—with an attention to detail and perfection unheard of in postwar automotive assembly plants. In total, 3,005 examples of the model were produced from 1956 through 1957 (including three prototypes and 13 preproduction vehicles), making Ford’s halo car a rarity then and a near-chimera now. Notable owners who drove a Continental II included President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Senator Barry Goldwater, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor.
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Today, Lincoln’s Continental Mark II is what could be rightly called a collector car for connoisseurs, and when new, it was marketed in competition with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley Continental. Without the bling of a period Cadillac or Chrysler, it presented the design of chief stylist John Reinhart and Gordon Buehrig (creator of the Cord 810), and its aesthetic has withstood 70 years of scrutiny. That’s one reason it was chosen as the basis for one of the most exquisite restomods we’ve seen.
“Cashmere” is the name of this reimagined 1957 Lincoln Continental Mark II. Unlike custom show cars that announce themselves with candy-apple everything, Cashmere is about being subtle. The donor was a California-sourced car, built from the ground up for a client of Dan Van Auken of Havasu Speed Equipment, the highly esteemed Arizona-based automotive fabrication and speed shop. At first glance, it’s apparent that Cashmere is a no stock, concours Continental. Van Auken has chopped the roof by nearly two inches, necessitating a complete re-fabrication of all glass and window trim.
The signature spare-tire hump of the rear decklid has been shortened, and the front bumper and entire front end have been completely redesigned and “tucked” into the body, which was prepped and painted (in a Bentley color called Dark Cashmere) by Premier Street Rod of Lake Havasu, Ariz. Custom flush door handles follow the side body line for an even more streamlined look. About the automobile, Van Auken says, “It’s a very elegant car. Many people who come in the shop think it looks like a European car . . . like a Bentley.”
The fact that the vehicle weighs nearly 5,000 pounds necessitated a new front and rear independent suspension, designed by Kugel Komponents and featuring a RideTech system controlled by AccuAir management. Wilwood six-piston calipers reside behind 19-inch wheels cut by Colorado Custom, designed in homage to the original car’s wheel-cover design.
The signature of a top-tier restomod is in the details that no one sees. The smooth undercarriage is powder-coated in two-tone colors, with a custom center-section belly pan. The leather-appointed cabin, by Ron Mangus Interiors, is complemented by a dashboard designed by the client. The gauges, by Classic Instruments, are detailed with custom logos approved by Ford. Being a quintessential restomod, Cashmere is a thoroughly modern car, equipped with power rack-and-pinion steering, air conditioning, and power windows.
Instead of the Continental’s original 300 hp, 368 ci V-8, Cashmere features a Ford 5.0-liter “Coyote” V-8, impeccably topped with an Edelbrock manifold, all color-matched to the exterior and set in an engine bay more akin to a jeweler’s showcase.
A real attention-getter, Cashmere has garnered a fair share of industry recognition, including the inaugural Sam Foose Memorial Design Award—presented by Chip Foose—as well as the Al Slonaker Achievement Award and Al Slonaker Outstanding Interior—all at the 2020 LA Roadster Show. The car will be offered with no reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s 2024 Scottsdale Auction at WestWorld, a week-long automotive sales event held January 20 through 28.
Click here for more photos of this 1957 Lincoln Continental Mark II restomod.
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