1956 Lincoln Premiere Convertible in Taos Turquoise & Engine Sound - My Car Story with Lou Costabile 

Beautiful example of perhaps one of the top 5 best looking Lincoln's ever produced. Thanks Lou and a big thank you to the owner. These cars are very difficult to find. The cost and expertise needed to restore one to this level could approach Ferrari money. I think the owner may have 2 facts wrong. This was NOT the only year for this design. It WAS the first year. This body design was used in 1956 and 1957 as well. The 1957 version has some trim reshuffling as well as longer, taller and sharper rear tail fins. I believe the headlights on the 1957 also had a more forward leaning hooded look as well as large driving lights added underneath the headlights giving it a 'quad' headlamp look. The 1957 also gained a faux 'air scoop' just behind the door. This was at the top leading edge of the rear quarter panel and it provided a starting point for the upswept rear fin. I believe the rear fender skirts were disposed of as well. I have always found the 1955 original design to be the FAR better of the two. By crow-barring the latest 'fads' onto the car I believe it lost much of the under (and over?)stated purity and elegance. The second mis-statement from the owner I believe..., The Industrial Design Award was given to Continental for the Continental MKII. In 1956 Lincoln and Continental were 2 entirely separate divisions, or makes, under the Ford corporate umbrella. The award went to Continental for their stunning MKII. This had nothing to do with the more 'mundane' Lincoln division. Apologies if I'm wrong. This is all from memory. But if I'm right I just wish owners of all classic cars could get their facts straight. It's easy. Read..., Research?? Just don't spread 'myths' as if they are fact. A lot of people watch this and they want to hear the factual information about these cars. Just buying a classic doesn't make anyone an expert on 'that' car. There is no crime in simply saying 'I don't know'. A car like this is beautiful enough without the 'stories'. It speaks for itself. Now THAT, is called a backhanded compliment lol. Best wishes.

I remember the first time I saw a ‘56 Lincoln in the showroom in 1955 - I was only 16 but fell in love with a car for the first time - it’s still my favorite all-time car. ❤️

This is an iconic Lincoln, the 56 Premier, and when you factor in Continental Mark II was also being offered the same year, it had to be one of the great years in Lincoln history. Thanks for sharing this wonderful car Lou, and I could see how excited you were by viewing such a masterpiece of automotive engineering. The car in this color is sensational, and Jeff is a lucky man to own this one!

Fortunately there is a trend now to restore all these beauties coming from a bygone happier epoch. These cars were so elegant and joyful testifying far brighter years! It remains my dream to buy somewhat like this, however they are far too expensive for me. However dreams are for free. Thanks for loading this!

Jeff: you and I suffer from the same illness. I've been in love with the '56 Premiere since I was a kid. I'm 70 now and would kill for that car. Absolutely beautiful, please baby that beautiful creation until the day you die. Sadly in the Canadian climate it's almost impossible to keep a collector car in that pristine a condition. Good on you sir!!!

This Lincoln is stunning in this color, and is truly, one of the greatest designs ever in the history of the automobile business! It is one of the iconic Lincolns of all time, and for 1956, Lincoln had one of the greatest years in history, introducing this car and the Continental Mark II. Amazing year that has so long been overlooked as magical!

THE most beautiful Lincoln of recent memory.

We chose this car for the 2023 Rose Parade!🌹It carried our Rose Bowl HOF members. Thanks Jeff!

I feel this was one of the most beautiful offerings from Lincoln in the 50's. I have an 1:18 scale diecast of this one except purple with black convertible top. Figure sense I know I will never have the cabbage for a real one. Very classy, yet not over the top. You really know how to honor these motorcars.

Now that is a nice classic car

Wow!, what a gorgeous peace of rolling architecture. It looks like it’s moving while standing still!

Lou, if you’re ever out here in Ct, @New Haven County, there’s a fellow who faithfully brings his pristine black ‘56 Premier to all the local car meets. It’s got the correct black, white & orange interior which he’s very proud of. The orange tone is literally the same color as Cheetos. Speaking to him about his car and hearing his point of view is like going back in time!

What a beautiful, amazing rare car! Love the color and interior combination. Thanks for featuring!

Lou, You're on a roll at the moment! Another of my fave 50s cars! This is stunning in a convertible - & that color scheme is something else! This must be the best example on the planet!!! Thanks for the crystal clear close-ups. Cheers Tiger.

The original 56 or 57 sales brochure was oversize and had the torquoise car on it. A beauty!!

Great job yet again Lou! You always find the most interesting (and unaffordable with my budget) cars.

Beautiful car, must weigh about three tons. The emblem on the hood must be about 20 lbs. The Turquoise color just shouts 50's, and the old town and country signal seeking radio. Too cool.

One of the classiest cars ever featured on this channel. This thing is pristine! Although I have a soft spot for the 57 Premier with dual head lights 😍

One year later...binge watching 👀 😌.

It was a brave man indeed who signed off the investment for bodywork tooling on a car as vast as this knowing it would only be produced for one year. And those counterbalance springs on the hood dwarf the suspension springs on my tiny Lotus 7 ! Great video of a car I'd never heard of. And this time, I guessed where the gas goes in before Lou had chance to point it out...

Stunning car,color,etc.when cars were pieces of art.

The 1956 models are the best looking Lincolns ever made!

Another one of my Favorite Cars and designs Lou! And this color WOW in a convertable with the skirts just Beautiful! Love love love it. That must of been some event!

What a beauty and one of my favorite cars! When I was a kid, there was a 1956 Lincoln Premiere 2-door hardtop permanently parked in the driveway several blocks away from where I lived. I was so enthralled with its design, I asked the owner if I could sit in it. He told me that I could sit in it whenever I wanted to do it. I spent many hours sitting in that Lincoln pretending to drive it. Unfortunately, it was eventually sold and towed away. I was heartbroken as I thought that it was the most beautiful car that I had ever seen.

Love the color - so 1950's! Beautiful example. Over to the right there is a video of a 1956 Premiere in Wisteria. I love the Wisteria color too. Not sure which I would have chosen in 1956. Well, if I had enough money to buy one, perhaps I'd have enough to buy two! Imagine two of these in your garage? The average house had but a one car garage in those days. But if you had enough for a Lincoln, you probably had more than an average house! Thanks for the lovely detail. Beautiful, simply beautiful! Happy Holidays Lou.

Lou it's nice to see this car and the owner is obviously proud of it and thrilled to show it. You do not always see that!

Beautimous Lou! Even though I am a Cadillac guy, this is a great land yacht in Florida living color. Thank you.

Remember they used one of these in the 1957 movie 5 Steps To Danger.

1956 Lincoln Premiere and Capri is the only car that is redesigned instead of minor changes from 1955 and using 1955 body shell, except for 1954 Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile which continued through 1956. For 1956 Lincoln, it was totally redesigned instead of 1955. For 1955 Lincoln, it still uses the 1952 body shell for the fourth and final time. 1956 Lincoln uses wraparound windshield, more powerful V-8 engine, 12volt electrical system, tailfins with new larger taillights, and newer dashboard. Seat belts are the new option for 1956 Lincoln as well as dished steering wheel for added safety, as well as padded dash.

Beautiful. Reminds me of the '55/'56 Packards.

Oh God, what a beautiful Lincoln, i love it! Thanks for the video, Lou! :)

Not sure if the owner knew this but that upside down metal can to the right of the Brake booster at 07:06 is linked to the Button on the lower dash at 06:09 that is an Auto-Lube feature that sends grease to about 12 fittings and the Ball Joints when pushed. While there are different claims for a ball joint, Lincoln invented the automotive Ball Joint for the front end geometry in the early 1950's . That can of Lubricant held 7 ounces and you just bought them where the screw-cap came off and had a matching threaded hole on the pump unit to install . This unit was from 56-58 but became a dealer installed Option by FORD and GM up to 1960 but the price was a bit high and didn't last long for low-end cars . The Lincoln promo photo shows the button on the lower mid-point of the dash panel , but I saw a 1956 Premier in 1977 that I almost bought where the seller showed me the Lincoln Multi-Luber option button to the left of the steering column as seen on this car. That dome disk above the button is the GREEN light that comes on to show it's done and to let go. It claims to provide a quiet squeak-free Highway ride where it needs to be pushed every 50 miles , but the can was simple to install and had about 250-300 pushes which got you almost 1500 miles each . As for the Auto-seek radio....I'm pretty sure that the floor button at the 05:21 mark is the foot operated manual Seek function to scan channel , this was common on high-end GM cars about 1959 when the National Highway Program was compete and long drives on Interstates during vacations by car was annoying when Radio Stations drifted in and out from weak Wattage signal and daytime impact from the Sun's power to affect signal transmission . I like the Speedo because once you get to 30 mph the numbers get bigger to warn you when doing City driving , then the bright needle is vertical at 65 mph for highway cruising to reduce the eye scan for the speed . Since the Highway Limit was 70 mph in 1956 , the 12 O'Clock position assured you that you weren't speeding . That 130 mph mark was impressive , but the car was rated by Lincoln as topping out at 115 mph . www.lincolnindustrial.com/history/1950-1960.htm btw The reason I didn't buy the 56 4 door for $800.00 was that the driver side rear passenger window had a serious crack . The car had AC with Tinted windows and I wasn't sure how many Auto wreckers had one I could remove and maybe swap mine for the difference. The body was solid as a Florida car and it was a 2-tone with light Green body and dark Green roof plus light green interior. Any paint Shop could have stripped off the pollution from the paint and buffed back a high gloss finish to apply a protect wax . The inside just needed detailing to steam clean the carpet and clean the seats from 21 years of dust . But that cracked window would make it a hard sell for a quick flip.

Totally cool. Thanks for sharing Jeff!

wow ! you know there is hardly a car from 55 thru 57 that isnt great looking , but this one may be tops in the class department.

My Dad had one of these back on Long Island in Port Jefferson NY. Ours was a black convertible with red interior. Long doesn't even begin to describe it. I'm sure my Dad (all 6' 4'' of him) bought a convertible to show of his beautiful wife and gang of 4 blonde kids (and occasionally "Sam" our Collie) in the back seat. Regular trips to Caravel ice-cream on a summer nights was like being in a parade.

Cool car, they were monsters. Some of them came in four-door models!

My parents bought the sky blue version, not a convertible. Somehow I knew this was a magical car. I remember thinking that if somebody had a lot of money, they should put this car in storage for 50 years because it would still be beautiful.

The 1956 Lincoln was a stunning automobile. certainly the best styled Lincoln of the 1950's. The lights under the trunk lip were the backup lamps designed to reflect off the rear bumper at night. This was not a "one year body" but was also used in 1957. The owner sounds like a member of the Lincoln PR department whose comments add nothing to the overview of this truly fine car.

One of the features 100degrees find yourself on side of road vapor locked .was magnificent car had a Capri in the day. When Lincoln merc.dealers were still around.in neighborhood's.😎

a real gem of a cruiser

My Dad when I was 17 had a 56 Lincoln Premiere black 2 dr hardtop with a continental kit. The car had to be over 235 inches long. I used to borrow his cars as a teenager from time to time, but one of the girls I took out in it for the first time said I see you've got Daddy's car tonight. I was humiliated and never took another girl out in it.

Back in the day our family driver was a 56 Lincoln Premier, Red on White 2 Dr hardtop. I'm not a big Ford fan but that was a beautiful automobile. A great Road car. It would go down the highway all day long. Like a 1980 Fairmont that I had with a 255 cubic inch V8 that Lincoln J motor was a morphodite. The folks sold it to friends of the family he was commuting 80 miles a day and it and unfortunately it caught on fire and was destroyed never learned what the cause of the fire was. One Design flaw was they placed the battery was under the right passenger seat floor right behind the exhaust manifold. Access was to lift the carpet and the floor panel which was a hassle. But again, it was a beautiful automobile and a nice driver.

Bill Schmidt was the designer. For '57 Lincoln introduced Qudra-Lites which combined both regular and driving/fog lamps into the fender nacelles. They added rear blades that ended with gothic triangular taillamps. There's an ad for '57 convertible in Taos Turquoise which read "So Lincoln Long. So Lincoln Low. So Lincoln Lovely. It featured a well dressed couple with a notation that the female models coat was designed by Vera Maxwell.

It's a time capsule, pretty 1950's color scheme, a quality car back in the day. A lot of style and engineering went into these cars.

had 56 Capri. premiere was awesome .liked to vapor lock in summer .great example.saw a black one in FLA.yrs ago w.top down.

what a good sport. and what a treat seeing this masterpiece of american knowhow. it puts to shame any other vehicle produced that year. oh my goodness. wow.

LOU WHAT A WONDERFUL CAR I ALSO HAVE A BLACK SCALE OF THIS ONE

That is truly the definition of a land yacht. But nonetheless a beautiful Sunday in the country cruiser. Two thumbs up!

Lou, a really lovely old car in flawless, like new condition! I wish you had asked the owner about the car's radio? I like radio's and stero's. Thank You! Peter Brooks.

Gorgeous , that's worth a pretty penny

Designed by John Tjaarda, inspired by the iconic 1955 Lincoln Futura, which he also designed. An American Beauty!

Very smooth running engine beautiful!

Hello Lou & Jeff / Excellent ride.Well told story. • Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂

I guess it doesn't need a neutral safety switch.night in shining armor, wow its gorgeous.i want it,lol.

Beautiful specimen I have the same car in the same color in a hard top with a/c option I love it.

Beautiful, enjoy and drive it in good health Jeff. You lucky SOB! 👍🏻😉

Very stylish. A year later and beyond, Lincoln's styling started to get pretty strange, but strange is good. Strange is imaginative. This car looks restrained and elegant in comparison, something Lincoln was very good at, but I still prefer a car that looks like a spaceship. (I'll argue it out with myself anyway.) = )

BEAUUUUUTIFUL CAR!!

Lou, you ol' "gallavanting petunia" you! My "car LUSTER" is dragging on the floor! Only the "insane" would dare drive this ultra-gorgeous piece of sculpture! It's definitely not a "driver"!!! Lord Almighty, if I only had "moola" to spend on such luxury as this!! Buy this one for Christmas for me Lou! "Ach du lieber, mein schatz", you "Italian bamboozler" you! Love ya!!!!!

Fascinating car! I never knew they had wall to wall taillights, or knight's helmet trunk key covers. But I'll bet that bumper exhaust, though it looks cool, is high maintenance. Otherwise the exhaust would always blacken the chrome and corrode the bumpers. I remember seeing that a lot on late '50's cars when I was a kid in the '60's. No doubt that was why bumper exhaust was discontinued. But the full width ("wall to wall") taillights had been employed again by Ford with the T-bird in 1967 (though the '66's came close). As re: those trunk key covers, that's a first that I have ever seen!

amazing car indeed

Very beautiful amazing car just love the colour beautiful looking car

Wow!

This was Also a T-bird Color; Ford used Different Engine Colors to tell the Displacement at a Glance...

boy that engine is sure quiet.

just beautiful

Wish you could feature a 1967 AMC Ambassador DPL

Thank you very much: - What a dream car!

TAKEN FROM THE FORD FUTURA SHOW CAR THAT GEORGE BARRIS USED TO CREATE THE BATMOBLE WITH

So beutiful!

2:47am Here in San Diego. Grab me a cuppa coffee and watch cars all night(?).

lou look at the first batmobile and then look at this Lincoln

Nice nice nice car.

Beautiful true work of art!

Combining elements of the '56 Mercury front and the '56 Packard Caribbean tail end. A real beauty! By '58 Lincoln had lost its good looks, becoming far too angular.

Better looking than any American car built in 1956 bar none

Nice :)

Those lights mentioned that glow at night there under the lip of the trunk lid are where Lincoln “hid” the backup lights. They wanted the rear end design crisp, clean and uncluttered. I’m confused though why those would be on at night and not only on when backing up? Maybe they designed those lights to glow softly when the headlights were on and then when you put the car in reverse glowed extra bright to act as back up lights?

Electric window switches mounted on the dash, in a secure corner? An interesting location...I think maybe GM had that layout as well, but for which divisions I'm unsure...

Could I ask a question, it looks like this car has electric wipers, my 1958 had vacuum wipers. Was this an option in 1956? Car is design at it's finest.

Those front wheel openings look like a 56 Nash. The body looks like a lower 56 Packard from the same year. I have always hated the dashboard, very plain. Exterior color is very 50's for sure, as was the lavender.

I have a hard time distinguishing a 56 Lincoln from a 56 Packard.

Fabulous details...

Wish I can be in the 50s

I see one of these in a driveway everyday I walk my dog (not a convertible). The owner gave me a tour of car; It’s mechanically sound (59,000 miles) but needs final restoration. I had to ask him!; the car is not for sale!

AWESOME. THX. LOU

This car was also the basis for the Batmobile in the Batman TV series

Much nicer than the '57.

the '56 Lincoln is one of the few 'complete' cars for design...like the '63-'65 Riviera, the '66-'67 Toronado, and the '67-'68 Eldorado...no improvements can be made. the '56 and '57 Lincoln's are really the same car, but the '57 was tarted up to the latest 4 headlight and big fin trends of the day, which didn't fit the original style of the '56. Beautiful.

all new turbodrive automatic transmission!

Huge hood lift springs

I'm seeing a potential batmobile!.

eugenics,but never tell.

All 56 Ford vehicles now had safety equipment incl dished steering wheel,

Except for that one Jeep,do you ever do trucks?

Came to see the car not the owner. Two minutes in.... By.

Lou when you have such an intelligent and informed owner of the car you are featuring would you please defer to his description and video what he is talking about. Please refrain from your usual fetish video features.

Fast, jerky camera moves make it unwatchable in places.

but Lou the real batmobile is a chevy concept car

:)