Better than the real Kennedy Lincoln?

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It could be one of the best-known cars (or most-known may be more appropriate here) in American post war history, if also one of the saddest: the 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, coachbuilt by Hess & Eisenhardt, which provided John F. Kennedy his last ride on that fateful November-day in Dallas in 1963 (spot marked to this day). But did you know the car served another 13 years as a presidential limousine after it made headlines all over the world? You may not recognise it immediately, though, since it was heavily modified months after the assassination. It was now armoured with heavy steel, titanium and inches-thick glass (unlike before…). It now also received a fixed roof, an upgraded and more powerful engine and a new airconditioning system before returning to the Presidential motorcade. The only thing that remains locked in the National Archives in Washington is the car’s original windscreen, with bullet hole. It was supposedly President Lyndon Johnson who insisted the car to be painted black, rather then its original dark blue. Johnson is said to have never been comfortable riding in it.

So what exactly is this car then? A morbid replica of the JFK car? Not exactly, says Coys, who offer it in their upcoming sale. They write: “Built by the 'presidential' coachbuilder, this Lincoln Limousine rolled out of the Hess and Eisenhardt specialist coachbuilt factory in 1963”. That’s two years after the original car was made - photographs of the build supposedly come with the car. But who did they build it for? That remains unknown. The car comes with similar grab handles on the boot for bodyguards, presidential flags on each wing, flashing red lights and siren on the front bumper plus wings and floor mats wearing The United States President Seal. The extended, platform-type rear bumper was restored in 2010, says Coys. There is also an internal communications system and two hand-operated spotlights located on either side of the windscreen. Indeed, all like on the JFK car. Remarkably, the car’s history seems shrouded in mystery and was offered at auction last year, too when it did not sell. All that’s known is that the stretched Lincoln was purchased in Florida in 1985 by a Frenchman (for 25,000 dollars) who turned it into the centrepiece of his 'Musée automobile des voitures de chefs d'État', but the museum curator says he never found out exactly why the car was built. What do you think?

(text Jeroen Booij, picture courtesy Coys of Kensington)
 

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