As the 1956 model year dawned, Ford’s flagship Lincoln line at last 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 its archrival, the Cadillac. Power was provided by an upgraded overhead-valve V-8, displacing 368 cubic inches and producing 285 horsepower, mated to a three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission as standard equipment. Even at significantly higher prices, Lincoln sales achieved 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.”

Rarest and most expensive of the 1956 Lincolns was the Premiere Convertible, of which only 2,447 were made. It was offered in a broad palette of fascinating colors that could only have been worn by a 1950s automobile.

The car shown here, resplendent in Taos Turquoise, resided for decades in the San Francisco Bay Area. After a cosmetic restoration in the late 1980s, it was featured on the cover of the January 1991 issue of Cars & Parts magazine, as well as in a future article within. The writer described the Lincoln as having “performance impressive in every respect.” After some time in Los Angeles, the car was acquired in 2007 by the present owner, who completed a fresh frame-off restoration two years later. He campaigned the car in 2010, resulting in AACA First Junior and Senior honors, as well as the Best Reflection Award at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, where it was admired by General Motors design legend Chuck Jordan—showing that high style knows no boundaries.

Equipped with factory-correct dual spotlights/mirrors, fog lamps, pinched-seam leather upholstery, a four-way power seat, a Town & Country radio with power antenna, correct trunk lining, and replacement “New Old Stock” Lincoln floor mats, as well as all of the expected power luxuries, this comfortable cruiser is ready to add a little flair to a new owner’s collection. Just as it was in 1956, it is “unmistakably the finest in the fine car field.”