The Lincoln Continental was introduced in 1940, just prior to the onset of World War II. The Lincoln marquee had weathered The Great Depression and the Continental signaled to the world that they were serious about their desires to compete in the luxury car segment. The design was modern, elegant, and slightly European with a long front bonnet that gracefully concealed a potent V12 engine. On the inside, they were lavishly appointed and with amenities being offered as standard equipment. Exteriorly, there was little trim or chrome which was done to keep the car simple, relying on the beauty of its design rather than trying to attract based on eye catching bright pieces. The rear fenders were covered with skirts over the wheels. This was stretched to match the rear trunk. Located in the rear of the vehicle was a covered spare tire. This was sort of an afterthought; as production came to a close, the designers noticed there was little room for a spare, so they covered it and incorporated it into the vehicles trunk. This would become a signature design for the Continental series.This particular Continental is said to be a 17,411 original mile car. Although we don't have any documentation on the mileage unfortunately, by driving the car, it feels and behaves like the mileage is correct for the car. The small details on the car make us believe the miles are actual (condition of the original interior, wear to the pedals, condition of the underside, etc.). Nearly this entire vehicle appears to be original. Outside, the paint appears to be original and is showing its age. There are some thin spots, minor scratches and small dings to the body but overall it looks good. The body is extremely straight and shows no spots of filler or bubbling. Both doors open and shut with no problems and leave a nice even gap all around. The same goes for the trunk. The chrome front and rear bumpers both look great with no pitting or dents. The front, passenger side corner of the front bumper does have a spot where the chrome has started to chip off as you can see in the photos. The power convertible top appears that it may be original for the car and looks great for its age with no major staining or tears. There are only some minor blemishes that are expected with the age. The top goes up and down with no problems. Inside, the original leather seats look great with no major wear showing. There is some very minor cracking but no splits or tears. The carpet is very nice as well with only some minor wear down by the pedal where the heel of your foot would rub. The pedals show no major wear and make the car appear to be a 17,000 mile car. The dash looks great with no damage to the paint. All gauges are in good working order. Even the clock and AM radio work, although the radio's tuner dial doesn't work, the radio does emit static. Lights, blinkers, wipers and horn all work with no problems. Under the hood, the V12 runs great and starts up with no problems. There has been an electric fuel pump installed for better reliability. Connected to the 3 speed manual transmission with overdrive, the car is a joy to drive. At 65mph on the highway, the car just floats down the road and is a pleasure to drive. The engine compartment is extremely clean and shows no damage. Under the car, the underside is very clean and solid with no rot that we have seen. The floors are solid as well as the frame. The trunk is equally as solid and nicely carpeted in the original pattern. Currently the car shows 17,411 miles which is said to be original for the car. The VIN number is 7H155187 and the car is being sold on a clean Missouri title.