Pair of John F. Kennedy Lincolns coming to auction

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 01.10.2020

A 1963 Continental (not *that* Continental) that JFK rode in the day of his death, is up for grabs

Two Lincoln limousines with connections to John F. Kennedy, the 35^th President of the United States, are coming to auction as part of Bonham’s ‘American Presidential Experience’ Auction on October 14 in New York – three weeks before the next Presidential election.

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The first is a 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, which serendipitously carried the President on the day of his assassination.  Before you ask, no - it’s not THAT Lincoln Continental convertible: this one is white, and was tasked with carrying the President and the first lady on the morning of November 22, 1963, for a tour of Fort Worth with Texas Governor John Connally.

Codenamed Limo One, the Lincoln Continental was provided on loan from Bill Golightly of Golightly Auto Sales. It transported the Kennedys for duration of the Fort Worth tour, and then on to the Hotel Texas Ballroom - where Kennedy delivered his final speech – before seeing them off at Carswell Air Force Base from which they departed for Dallas.

John F. Kennedy would be assassinated later that day in Dallas at 12:30pm local time, riding in another Lincoln Continental convertible. Known as SS-100-X, that historic limousine was actually a 1961 model, although with a 1962 grille, 1957 wheelcovers, and over a metre of extra sheet-metal.

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Bonham’s pre-auction estimate for Limo One sits at US$300,000 to $500,000, or about AU$420,000 to $700,000.

The other Lincoln-made limo in the auction is a 1960 Continental Mark V Executive. Unlike Limo One and its official duties, this one actually served President Kennedy in personal use; and is outfitted with bulletproof doors, divider window, passenger air control, and a two-way telephone in the rear seating section.

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The car was sold to one James C. Walsh in March of 1964. Walsh was a doctor who had known JFK and stated in an accompanying letter, that: "He [JFK] did use this car for his own personal uses in contrast to the official use of the larger White House limousine".

According to Bonhams, the Continental V has had its body restored, however the car presents as-original inside. It’s estimated to fetch between US$200,000 and $300,000 – or AU$280,000 to $420,000.

Of course, as not strictly an automotive auction, there are a bevvy of other collectible curiousities available. One of which is a life-sized and fully-furnished replica of the Boeing 707-based Air Force One fuselage, or even a full-scale replica of the Oval Office.

You can view the full auction at Bonhams.com

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