285 bhp, 368 cu. in. OHV V-8 engine, three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission, independent coil spring front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel power hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 126"

• Comprehensive older restoration to concours standard

• Meticulous mechanical re-commissioning

• Rarest and most expensive of the Premiere series for 1956

• Offered from the Estate of Eugene Beardslee

Lincoln was the Ford Motor Company’s flagship from 1922. After World War II, the 1946-48 models were based on the innovative 1940 Lincoln-Zephyr, while the corporate redesign for 1949 had Lincoln sharing bodies with younger sibling Mercury. In 1952, new bodies were introduced company-wide, but although postwar sales had been healthy, Ford was engaged in cutthroat competition with General Motors, pitting their spectacular new Cadillacs against Lincoln. Ford was slow to respond and, to their detriment, the result was that their “new” Lincoln looked much like its Mercury nephew.

Lincoln did receive some advances beneath the skin, however. Chief among these was the introduction of a powerful overhead-valve V-8 motor, going head to head with Cadillac in the engine room. Displacing 317.4 cubic inches, it was slightly smaller than the flathead that had preceded it but developed more power. A side effect of this new engine was ball-joint front suspension, a concept denied to Ford and Mercury for two more years, since the width of the flathead precluded it. Proving its mettle in the Carrera Panamericana races in Mexico, in this era Lincoln competed successfully with the performance-oriented Oldsmobile 98.

Ford and Mercury received overhead valve V-8s for 1954 and were considerably freshened in time for the blockbuster five-million-car 1955 season. Lincoln, alas, held pat, with a fourth year of what should have been a three-year design. As the 1956 model year dawned, however, Ford’s flagship line finally received the dramatic new styling demanded by the high end of the market.

The longer, lower, totally-redesigned, stunningly-styled and thoroughly modern 1956 Lincoln was now a worthy competitor to GM’s Cadillac. Power was provided by an upgraded overhead valve V-8 with 368-cubic inch displacement and 285 horsepower. The three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission was standard equipment. Even at significantly higher prices, Lincoln sales reached record levels, increasing from 23,673 in 1955 to 41,531 in 1956. The Industrial Design Institute agreed, citing the Premiere hardtop coupe for “excellence in automotive design.” The rarest and most expensive model was the Lincoln Premiere convertible, of which only 2,447 were built.

Eugene Beardslee was an engineer by training and an industrialist by profession. Successful in both fields, he was able to devote the second part of his lifetime to the pursuit and perfection of fine classic cars, of which this Lincoln is a leading example.

Restored without regard to cost by Hibernia Auto Restorations, the late Robert Turnquist’s shop in New Jersey, it is finished in vivacious Admiralty Blue with tan and chocolate leather upholstery. All instruments and accessories (radio, heater, clock, power windows, power seat and power antenna) are reported to be in excellent working order. After a period in cherished storage, the car’s fuel system was recently serviced, with its tank removed and reconditioned and its carburetor and fuel pump rebuilt. The car has been prepared for the road with new ignition points, condenser, battery and spark plugs, and we are told it runs and drives impressively well.

The late Mr. Beardslee was a perfectionist, and his cars reflected that trait. A recent cosmetic detailing has ensured that this car would meet with his approval.