Now virtually synonymous with the Lincoln marque, the legendary Continental started out as a personal, custom-bodied one-off “special Lincoln-Zephyr” commissioned by Lincoln boss Edsel Ford. Styled by Ford designer Bob Gregorie on the existing V-12 Zephyr chassis, the new Continental was delivered to Mr. Ford on 1 March 1939 and would go on to become a design legend in its own time. Due to the attention and acclaim the prototype received, a production version was planned. Just a year after the prototype was first approved, the Lincoln Continental first became available to the public in 1940.

With just 350 convertibles and 54 coupes produced, the beautifully styled Continental found adoration within the art and automotive worlds, with Frank Lloyd Wright and Rita Hayworth among the car’s noteworthy owners. It would become the basis for the Lincoln image for the next nine decades. With a few scattered years of non-production, the Continental was manufactured in 10 generations and for a total of 55 years until its most recent discontinuation in 2020.

The stunning example offered here was assembled at the Long Beach, California plant on 22 May 1940, according to the car’s build sheet. Shipped to its original owner on 29 May 1940, the car wore Beetle Green paint with tan leather upholstery and a matching top. Nicely appointed with whitewall tires, radio, two-speed rear axle, clock, and the optional stone deflector, this stylish and rare Continental cabriolet must have turned heads in 1940, as it does today.

Now wearing an older restoration in an attractive ivory finish that showcases the car’s voluptuous lines, this Continental features a light tan interior that coordinates well with the exterior. Said to perform well, the car has reportedly been driven on Classic Car Club of America CARavans.

Fitted with the legendary Lincoln V-12 and an overdrive transmission, this rare and stylish 1940 Continental Cabriolet makes an ideal choice for further touring, or simply cruising on the great American highway, just as it did for the man who conceived the legendary car from the start, Edsel Ford. All proceeds of this sale will go to the James and Sherry Raisbeck Foundation.