TheContinental
New LVC Member
In January of 1997, I was a high-school senior with a late birthday and was, at that time, unable to legally drive. Even if I was, my family's cars were less than impressive. My best friend came from a very comfortable family. That put him in a rather unique position that was not accessible to anyone else in my large group of friends... the ability to drive a vehicle that had less than 70k miles.
On a cold weekend night, my three closer friends and I made a plan. My friend was to pick us up in his then-current model year Isuzu Rodeo and we would plan to just cruise, play with the 4wd, go to a diner an call it a night by 12:00AM. The fact that he had a new car (let alone an SUV) made him very popular in my group. Initially, everyone was in awe of this automobile.
A few hours before we were to meet at another friend's house, my friend with the Isuzu called us to break it to us that his brother was home from college and, having seniority, would be taking the SUV for the night. I don't remember being too let down, as I rode in the vehicle many times and perhaps the novelty had worn off. My other friends were severely let down. My friend with the Isuzu offered what was thought to be a consolation prize: he could POSSIBLY arrange to borrow his parents seldom-used 1996 Lincoln Continental.
My friends were even more let down when they heard he was offering to chauffeur us around in what the other two guys were referring to as a "old man car" or "some boring crapmobile". I, on the other hand, was just happy to be in a positon to not be driven around by my parents at all and I remember not complaining. One of my friends even threatened to stay home. This was the ultimate threat at the time. What brats some of us were. Nevertheless, with a sour mood, we all ventured out into a freezing cold night (probably driven by our parents) and assembled at another friend's house and waited for my buddy to show up in the Lincoln.
I remember the following details vividly because nobody expected much. Inside, while waiting, my friends brought CDs to listen to in the car and we pondered if the car even had the technology needed to play CDs. When pressed about what it was like, I remarked that I had only seen it in passing and with the snow dumped on us lately, I had only seen it dirty. At around 8:30PM or so, we received a call on my friend's house line from my friend with the car. Apparently, his parents gave him their cell phone for the night (impressive to have a cell phone back then). He called to tell us he was a few minutes away. We went outside for a few mins while trembling in the cold and waited for my friend to show up.
On a quiet street with very nice homes and lots of space, the perfectly manicured lawns were covered in hard snow. The streetlight in front of my friend's corner property shimmered off the snow, creating a bright "warm" effect. We were lost in conversation when headlights turned about 300 feet away. The car was moving slowly toward us as my friends asked if this was the car. I could only say "I think so...I'm not sure". The car came to a stop and my friend had the window rolled down. He was always a sharp dresser with a clean look and was wearing a deep yet vibrant red sweater. I describe the setting like this to recreate the mood. The whole setting was perfect to present this car.
I, being a diligent observer, noticed my friends with their mouths agape...perhaps ready to eat their words. The car's appearance was sharp like a strike to the abdomen. It was finished in a dark gold. It was almost a bronze (I apologize for not knowing the exact name of the color for that year). You could see from the streetlight that the car had a camel colored, perhaps caramel interior. The aerodynamic swoopiness of the style was so polarizing that we were awestruck. The flow of the grill into the body panels were complemented perfectly by the strident glow of the uniform, vibrant tailights. We needed a moment to take it all in. We knew what we saw, but we didn't know the word to describe it as teenagers. We know it now...the word was "class". Until that point, Lexus was all the rage in our minds. Lexus was forgotten by us from that point on.
As young people often do, one of us "called shotgun" and he had the privilege of riding up front while two of us were relegated to the rear seats (not exactly a punishment). We stepped in and were captivated by backlit gauges that were floating, the feel and smell of sumptuous leather, the curvature of the dash, the radio that my friend was adjusting (I think I remember one of the sound settings being "Concert Hall" or "Jazz Hall"), the tilt of the open moonroof and the vast array of buttons to tailor your experience. I don't think anyone spoke for about 3 minutes as we were taking it all in.
As we rode with no destination in mind, my friend was showing us the many options this beautiful monster had. I remember obsessing over the pillowed seats. There was not a chair as comfortable as this in any of our homes. Heated and memory seats? Whats that you say? There's a system that even memorizes the driver's radio stations? Well that kind of thing is just not possible! I can not emphasize how no one gave a rat's tail about the Isuzu anymore. As we drove (I have to say that BMWs and Mercedes were common in our neighborhoods) we got so many admiring glances from females. Maybe they didn't know we were in an "old man's car" or maybe we just appeared very original. On top of that, our lives were one big fashion show around that time. We all had after-school jobs that gave us maybe $100 a week to dress and spend above our means we did! So...we looked like young millionaires who were on the buy-American plan.
While we stopped at a very prominent diner that had a covered parking area, the car was again parked with just enough light to highlight it's smooth and elegant contours. Being young men, we had a very unique sense of humor that was interactive and often jived with adults as being creatively playful, yet respectful. The friend who had the Lincoln was the master of this humor. He really missed his calling as a great impressionist and sharp-witted imitator. He would sometimes (as he did this particular night) pretend to be a waiter to a neighboring table or talk to someone while claiming to have amnesia and/or talk with a variety of foreign accents. The wait staff knew us and we kept them entertained. We often left while making friends with other tables as our interaction was never confrontational. Even burly muscleheads with seemingly short tempers took to us as we kept them and their dates laughing. This night, we were complemented by a spry retired couple who enjoyed our humor. We all exited the diner together. As we left, the couple saw us entering the vehicle after we bid them goodnight and again rushed over to share similar amazement with the car. The woman, said to us "boy, you guys are really something else. Very few yong people have personalities these days and very few stand out like you do...and what about this car?".
The presence of the car, the looks and attention we got, the butter smooth ride, the silent cruise, the amazing sound system and the endless array of toys assured that no one would go back to school and talk about a BMW on Monday. Luxury had a new name (well, new to us). I couldn't put it into words then but it was a marvel to me that the designers made the car BEAUTIFUL yet MASCULINE at the same time. I remember all of us smiling that night and being thoroughly impressed.
Jumping ahead for a moment, the car did have a recurring problem. It had a tendency to intermittently stall at stops and red lights. Numerous attempts were made to rectify the problem and the family was lent every color Mercury Tracer available over the course of the next year but the problem was never cured. The car was eligible to be Lemon Lawed but the family never did since they rarely drove it. They returned the car after a 2 year lease with just about 9,000 miles (mostly put on by the three children in the household). It still smelled brand new before it went back and amassed several new admirers from friends and strangers as time went on...save for a few.
I find that with the modern naming conventions, the names don't stick like they used to. When we refer back to old memories, we always say "remember that time in the Continental...?" Other friends that had luxury cars attempt the same but it doesn't have the same ring..."remember that time in the 328ci?" Huh??? "Yeah, right after I got out the 300TD we had." It just doesn't work as well. Part of me wishes they would have stayed firm in their naming convention and been a lone-wolf in that regard. Bentley sure doesn't seem to be shy about it!
I went on to become a fan of just about every car in the lineup. I would love an all-Lincoln garage (I'm also a huge Cadillac fan!) but I'm not yet that accomplished. I'm especially interested in Lincoln's history from the late 70's-early 90's as I consider these to be some cars that I "missed" before becoming a licensed driver. The Japanese luxury makers have some great products but they just don't stir me emotionally. I do admit to loving Jaguars. While a lot of my friends gravitate toward German makes, I am impressed and certainly respect those marques but I like a car with rich history I can relate to. MB, BMW, Audi, Porsche etc certainly all have rich histories. It's just that IMO...it's someone else's history.
Getting back...Of course that following Monday, the boys in the school cafeteria scoffed at the idea of being impressed with the Lincoln and said we didn't know what we were talking about. "Wait til ya see the new 3 series...then talk!". Right...I guess they'd have to have been there to get it.
Whoa...sorry for the book!
Regards,
JM
On a cold weekend night, my three closer friends and I made a plan. My friend was to pick us up in his then-current model year Isuzu Rodeo and we would plan to just cruise, play with the 4wd, go to a diner an call it a night by 12:00AM. The fact that he had a new car (let alone an SUV) made him very popular in my group. Initially, everyone was in awe of this automobile.
A few hours before we were to meet at another friend's house, my friend with the Isuzu called us to break it to us that his brother was home from college and, having seniority, would be taking the SUV for the night. I don't remember being too let down, as I rode in the vehicle many times and perhaps the novelty had worn off. My other friends were severely let down. My friend with the Isuzu offered what was thought to be a consolation prize: he could POSSIBLY arrange to borrow his parents seldom-used 1996 Lincoln Continental.
My friends were even more let down when they heard he was offering to chauffeur us around in what the other two guys were referring to as a "old man car" or "some boring crapmobile". I, on the other hand, was just happy to be in a positon to not be driven around by my parents at all and I remember not complaining. One of my friends even threatened to stay home. This was the ultimate threat at the time. What brats some of us were. Nevertheless, with a sour mood, we all ventured out into a freezing cold night (probably driven by our parents) and assembled at another friend's house and waited for my buddy to show up in the Lincoln.
I remember the following details vividly because nobody expected much. Inside, while waiting, my friends brought CDs to listen to in the car and we pondered if the car even had the technology needed to play CDs. When pressed about what it was like, I remarked that I had only seen it in passing and with the snow dumped on us lately, I had only seen it dirty. At around 8:30PM or so, we received a call on my friend's house line from my friend with the car. Apparently, his parents gave him their cell phone for the night (impressive to have a cell phone back then). He called to tell us he was a few minutes away. We went outside for a few mins while trembling in the cold and waited for my friend to show up.
On a quiet street with very nice homes and lots of space, the perfectly manicured lawns were covered in hard snow. The streetlight in front of my friend's corner property shimmered off the snow, creating a bright "warm" effect. We were lost in conversation when headlights turned about 300 feet away. The car was moving slowly toward us as my friends asked if this was the car. I could only say "I think so...I'm not sure". The car came to a stop and my friend had the window rolled down. He was always a sharp dresser with a clean look and was wearing a deep yet vibrant red sweater. I describe the setting like this to recreate the mood. The whole setting was perfect to present this car.
I, being a diligent observer, noticed my friends with their mouths agape...perhaps ready to eat their words. The car's appearance was sharp like a strike to the abdomen. It was finished in a dark gold. It was almost a bronze (I apologize for not knowing the exact name of the color for that year). You could see from the streetlight that the car had a camel colored, perhaps caramel interior. The aerodynamic swoopiness of the style was so polarizing that we were awestruck. The flow of the grill into the body panels were complemented perfectly by the strident glow of the uniform, vibrant tailights. We needed a moment to take it all in. We knew what we saw, but we didn't know the word to describe it as teenagers. We know it now...the word was "class". Until that point, Lexus was all the rage in our minds. Lexus was forgotten by us from that point on.
As young people often do, one of us "called shotgun" and he had the privilege of riding up front while two of us were relegated to the rear seats (not exactly a punishment). We stepped in and were captivated by backlit gauges that were floating, the feel and smell of sumptuous leather, the curvature of the dash, the radio that my friend was adjusting (I think I remember one of the sound settings being "Concert Hall" or "Jazz Hall"), the tilt of the open moonroof and the vast array of buttons to tailor your experience. I don't think anyone spoke for about 3 minutes as we were taking it all in.
As we rode with no destination in mind, my friend was showing us the many options this beautiful monster had. I remember obsessing over the pillowed seats. There was not a chair as comfortable as this in any of our homes. Heated and memory seats? Whats that you say? There's a system that even memorizes the driver's radio stations? Well that kind of thing is just not possible! I can not emphasize how no one gave a rat's tail about the Isuzu anymore. As we drove (I have to say that BMWs and Mercedes were common in our neighborhoods) we got so many admiring glances from females. Maybe they didn't know we were in an "old man's car" or maybe we just appeared very original. On top of that, our lives were one big fashion show around that time. We all had after-school jobs that gave us maybe $100 a week to dress and spend above our means we did! So...we looked like young millionaires who were on the buy-American plan.
While we stopped at a very prominent diner that had a covered parking area, the car was again parked with just enough light to highlight it's smooth and elegant contours. Being young men, we had a very unique sense of humor that was interactive and often jived with adults as being creatively playful, yet respectful. The friend who had the Lincoln was the master of this humor. He really missed his calling as a great impressionist and sharp-witted imitator. He would sometimes (as he did this particular night) pretend to be a waiter to a neighboring table or talk to someone while claiming to have amnesia and/or talk with a variety of foreign accents. The wait staff knew us and we kept them entertained. We often left while making friends with other tables as our interaction was never confrontational. Even burly muscleheads with seemingly short tempers took to us as we kept them and their dates laughing. This night, we were complemented by a spry retired couple who enjoyed our humor. We all exited the diner together. As we left, the couple saw us entering the vehicle after we bid them goodnight and again rushed over to share similar amazement with the car. The woman, said to us "boy, you guys are really something else. Very few yong people have personalities these days and very few stand out like you do...and what about this car?".
The presence of the car, the looks and attention we got, the butter smooth ride, the silent cruise, the amazing sound system and the endless array of toys assured that no one would go back to school and talk about a BMW on Monday. Luxury had a new name (well, new to us). I couldn't put it into words then but it was a marvel to me that the designers made the car BEAUTIFUL yet MASCULINE at the same time. I remember all of us smiling that night and being thoroughly impressed.
Jumping ahead for a moment, the car did have a recurring problem. It had a tendency to intermittently stall at stops and red lights. Numerous attempts were made to rectify the problem and the family was lent every color Mercury Tracer available over the course of the next year but the problem was never cured. The car was eligible to be Lemon Lawed but the family never did since they rarely drove it. They returned the car after a 2 year lease with just about 9,000 miles (mostly put on by the three children in the household). It still smelled brand new before it went back and amassed several new admirers from friends and strangers as time went on...save for a few.
I find that with the modern naming conventions, the names don't stick like they used to. When we refer back to old memories, we always say "remember that time in the Continental...?" Other friends that had luxury cars attempt the same but it doesn't have the same ring..."remember that time in the 328ci?" Huh??? "Yeah, right after I got out the 300TD we had." It just doesn't work as well. Part of me wishes they would have stayed firm in their naming convention and been a lone-wolf in that regard. Bentley sure doesn't seem to be shy about it!
I went on to become a fan of just about every car in the lineup. I would love an all-Lincoln garage (I'm also a huge Cadillac fan!) but I'm not yet that accomplished. I'm especially interested in Lincoln's history from the late 70's-early 90's as I consider these to be some cars that I "missed" before becoming a licensed driver. The Japanese luxury makers have some great products but they just don't stir me emotionally. I do admit to loving Jaguars. While a lot of my friends gravitate toward German makes, I am impressed and certainly respect those marques but I like a car with rich history I can relate to. MB, BMW, Audi, Porsche etc certainly all have rich histories. It's just that IMO...it's someone else's history.
Getting back...Of course that following Monday, the boys in the school cafeteria scoffed at the idea of being impressed with the Lincoln and said we didn't know what we were talking about. "Wait til ya see the new 3 series...then talk!". Right...I guess they'd have to have been there to get it.
Whoa...sorry for the book!
Regards,
JM