1966 Lincoln Continental Base 7.6l Classic Deserves Restoration Great Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

High-tech, remote-controlled Golden Sahara II custom car going for auction

Imagine a vehicle with automatic braking, remote operation, self-opening doors and a big screen on the dash. You're probably imaging a Tesla Model X, but we're actually talking about a car called the Golden Sahara II, a custom car originally built in the 1950s, and it's going for auction at Mecum's event in Indianapolis. According to Mecum, this custom car started out as a 1953 Lincoln Capri owned by George Barris, the man who created the original Batmobile. He didn't have it long before it ended up in a crash that led him to use it for a major custom project. He teamed up James Skonzakes, known as Jim Street, to create and pay for the build. In 1954, the car was finished with wild body work, actual 24-karat gold-plated exterior trim and a pearlescent gold paint created from fish scales. It carried the name of Golden Sahara, and it cost $25,000 to build. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In 1956, Street decided to invest a whole lot more into the car. He sent it to a shop in Dayton, Ohio where it was fitted with a myriad of high-tech features. These included a central control stick that could operate the throttle, steering and braking, push-button steering controls on the dashboard for both the driver and the passenger, a remote control for moving it slowly and for opening the doors. It had sonar antennae at the front for automatic braking, a TV in the center stack, a radio, a phone, and even a cocktail cabinet in the back and mink carpeting. All of these features were on display when Street appeared with the car on the TV show I've Got a Secret, seen above, as well as in a period news story in which Street's wife demonstrated the features including the light-up wheels and tires for turn signals. That clip is visible below. The total cost of the car, now called Golden Sahara II, was $75,000. Adjusted for inflation, that's nearly $700,000. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Eventually, Street stopped showing the Golden Sahara II, but he never got rid of it. It was recently found in his garage, and the car will finally go for auction in May at Mecum's Indianapolis auction. The car will be sold in unrestored condition, which looks to be fairly rough, but savable. It appears the remotes are still there, too. The car will be auctioned with no reserve, so it will have a new owner.

Lincoln MKC spied in final form

When the Lincoln MKC Concept debuted back in January, it received fairly positive feedback from both Autoblog editors and readers alike, and this bodes well for the production version of the luxury crossover judging by these latest spy shots. Reader Ivan Lo captured a few pictures of some MKC prototypes driving around with minimal camouflage, which gives us our best look yet at the design of this new Escape-based Lincoln.
Based on the spy shots from back in May, we already knew that the production MKC would sport some real door handles, a little side cladding and bigger door mirrors, but these latest shots also show us that the rear quarter windows have been enlarged and the integrated dual exhaust outlets have been replaced by round pipes. This means that the MKC will retain the concept's narrow headlights and what is arguably Lincoln's best execution of its split-wing grille. Even better, the rear view confirms the stylish horizontal taillights will remain intact, as well as the Audi-like wraparound liftgate. Since the entire taillight assembly rises along with the liftgate, redundant lights were also added into the rear fascia.
Unfortunately, the low angle of these spy shots leaves us without a view of the interior, but based on its looks alone, the MKC is shaping up to be a promising vehicle for a brand that so badly needs some fresh metal.

2020 Lincoln Aviator final specs drop — it makes even more power than before

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator is getting more power, and we haven’t even driven it yet. Well, itÂ’s not getting more power, but the final numbers are officially out, and theyÂ’re higher than what Lincoln promised at the initial reveal. We were told at last year's L.A. Auto Show that the base 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 would make 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Lincoln's spec sheet shows itÂ’s still going to make 400 horsepower, but the torque figure is now up to 415 pound-feet. We're looking at the same spec sheet, but a hat tip to CarBuzz for noticing the change first. The plug-in hybrid model has received an even larger bump to its ratings. Lincoln said it would be 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque combined, but itÂ’s actually going to be 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. We were a bit slack-jawed at the numbers before, and this just takes it one step further. Lincoln still isnÂ’t quoting any acceleration numbers, but with this amount of power, something in the 4- to 5-second range seems likely for a 0-60 mph time. ItÂ’s a legitimate shot across the bow in the German SUV horsepower wars. That said, the Aviator persona comes across as much more muscle car-like than a performance SUV meant to tackle lap times like the AMGs and M car SUVs of the world. We donÂ’t know the all-electric range yet, but Lincoln did tell us the size of the battery pack and the electric motorÂ’s output. Aviator PHEVs will be working with a 13.6 kWh battery pack and a 101-horsepower electric motor. There are two modes: One is called Preserve EV, and the other is called Pure EV. Preserve EV is able to charge the battery up to 75 percent using the engine while driving, whereas Pure EV is designed to keep the car in electric-only mode. YouÂ’ll get blue accents in the Lincoln star if you buy the plug-in hybrid, too. Some cool headlight technology is coming to the Aviator in the form of optional adaptive pixel LED headlights. Lincoln says itÂ’s capable of speed-dependent lighting, which adjusts the beam based on your speed. At fast speeds, Lincoln says more light is directed at the road, while driving at low speeds disperses it wider to cover more area directly in front of the vehicle. WeÂ’ll be driving the new Aviator soon, so look out for our first drive impressions coming later this month.