1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III: Steel Barge (posted 7/29/2011)

The 1958 Lincolns and Continentals were totally new in body and appearance and were assembled in a new plant. The bodies were completely restyled with an aggressive, angular look replacing the Futura dream car inspired styling on the '56 and '57 Lincolns. The 1958 Lincolns had unit body construction; they were the largest and heaviest frameless passenger cars ever made. The '58 models weighed 5000 pounds and, at 229 inches long, they were the longest non-limo Lincolns ever made to date.

Four body styles were offered: a pillared four-door sedan, a two-door hardtop, a four-door hardtop (known as the Landau) and a 2 door convertible. The cars featured a new suspension - coil springs all around with trailing arms at the rear wheels.

The Continental was no longer a separate model line; it now was the model designation for the top-of-the-line Lincoln. The Continental Mark III featured a reverse slant, retractable rear window; regular Lincolns had wraparound rear windows. Continentals differed from Lincoln Premieres and Capris in the grille design and taillight design as well.

These big cars had power, too - a 430 cubic-inch V8 engine with 375 horsepower. These cars could go from a standing start to 60 miles per hour in 9.5 seconds. Unfortunately, the '58s were plagued by problems - poor workmanship, rattles, squeaks and vibration at speed.

Total Lincoln and Continental sales were 29,864 compared with total Cadillac production of 121,778 units. 1958 was the first year that Lincolns and Thunderbirds were produced in the same plant. The '58 T'Bird, which also featured unit body construction, was also produced at the new Wixom manufacturing facility.

Ford closed the Wixom Assembly Plant in 2007. The last car produced was a Lincoln Town Car which rolled off the line just after noon on May 31st. Over the plant's 50 years of operation, it produced over 6.6 million automobiles.

Remember When: 1958

In 1958, the U.S. experienced the worst recession since World War II. Jimmy Hoffa took over the Teamsters Union; Nikita Kruschev took over the USSR. At Arlington Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was completed. In March, Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army and became a Very Known Soldier. First-class letter postage increased from 3¢ to 4¢. Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, was launched. Starting in 1958, automobile manufacturers were required to post factory sticker prices in the windows of all cars sold in the U.S. New products included Sweet 'n Low and Bic pens. The hula hoop was introduced; 25 million were sold in the first four months. The first Pizza Hut opened in Wichita, Kansas. New TV shows included 'Peter Gunn', 'The Rifleman' and '77 Sunset Strip'. 'Kookie' Edd Byrnes' hot rod from the TV show, '77 Sunset Strip', on display at the Peterson Automotive Museum in 2002 'Volare' was awarded record of the year at the Grammys. Other hits included 'At The Hop' by Danny and the Juniors, Frank Sinatra's 'Witchcraft', Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode', Jerry Lee Lewis' 'Great Balls of Fire', Get A Job' by The Silhouettes and 'Tom Dooley' by The Kingston Trio. Rock and roller Little Richard quit the music biz and enrolled in preacher school at an Alabama Negro college run by Seventh Day Adventists. New movies included 'Gigi', 'South Pacific' and 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'. Lana Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane, fatally stabbed her mother's mobbed-up boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, in Lana's Beverly Hills mansion. Pius XII tomb Other deaths included Pope Pius XII, songwriters Lew Brown and Harry Revel, blues composer and musician W. C. Handy, actor Tyrone Power, radio and television actor Tim Moore (he played The Kingfish on 'Amos 'n' Andy') and movie producer Mike Todd (he was married to Elizabeth Taylor). The NY Yankees won the World Series, beating the Milwaukee Braves 4 to 3.