The 1961 Lincoln Continental was a radical style departure from its predecessor and leaned heavily to a more modern 1960s-era automotive design, complete with subtler vertical tailfins, as well as horizontal headlights in an updated front grille.
Perhaps the most unique new feature built into the ‘61 Lincoln Continental was its suicide rear doors.
Suicide doors opened at the front instead of the rear and were largely phased out many years earlier by the Big Three (GM, Ford and Chrysler) auto builders, so their reintroduction by Lincoln Continental in 1961 was a very bold decision by parent company Ford at the time.
Jim Sutherland
An even bolder move was Ford’s decision to include the suicide door feature on their Lincoln Continental convertible models. The 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible left the dealership as a low-slung drop top already halfway to a custom build with its suicide rear doors. It is a rare member of the vintage car world 65 years later.
MyStarCollectorCar spotted a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible at a spring car event and tracked down the owner after he parked the car at the other end of the show. We followed the ‘61 Lincoln drop top on foot, so it took a while to catch up with its owner, but it was well worth the effort.
Jason Haffner is the owner of the vintage full-sized convertible, and he has blended its very cool retro style with some smart upgrades. Jason’s Lincoln was formerly a white convertible but now it sports a custom maroon paint scheme that really enhances the overall design of the big drop top.
Jason added aftermarket wheels with modern tires that have less tread height and give the car a lower slung appearance on the street. He also added a better power brake system that includes front disc brakes to slow the big Lincoln convertible down whenever the situation warrants it.
However, he retained the car’s original 430 big block engine coupled to its factory 3-speed automatic transmission.
Jason is like many car guys because he owns several vintage rides, but the ‘61 Lincoln Continental is his regular driver by comparison to his other vehicles. He has owned the car for seven years and told MyStarCollectorCar he drives about 15,000 miles a year in it.
The 1961 Lincoln is now a senior citizen, but it can easily handle modern traffic-and then some, according to Jason. The convertible’s big block engine produces plenty of horsepower, so it will still run with the big dogs all day every day.
One of Lincoln’s unusual features is its windshield because the glass dates back to the 1960s and has a vintage national park sticker, as well as a safety sticker from 1970, so Jason has preserved his car’s history on its glass.
Jason is a hands-on car guy who likes to do everything possible on his vehicles, including the 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible. It’s clear by his Lincoln’s superb condition that Jason likes to do things right.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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