Lot details
Registration No: XSK 437
Chassis No: 57WA27798L
Mot Expiry: Oct 2010

The Premiere, as its name suggests, was one of the top offerings of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury division and ranked above the Capri and below the Continental in the model range's pecking order. The 1957 variant was a mildly restyled version of the '56 model, which itself had been inspired by the 1955 Futura show car. The newcomer featured distinctive blade-like rear fins and unique dual-switch headlights that were intended to counter the move by a number of US states to ban normal quad headlamp systems. The cars were well equipped and the standard specification included power seats, power steering, power brakes, electric windows, a new-style padded dash and a deeply dished steering wheel. An optional item was the so called 'Multi-Luber' system that allowed the driver to lubricate the front suspension by the touch of a facia button.

The Premiere was available in three body styles - two and four-door Coupes and a limousine version with division window. The cars were some 18.5 ft long and weighed in at just under two tons. Power came from a 6-litre V8 unit said to produce around 300bhp. Premiere production ceased in 1960.

The LHD four-door saloon being offered is a 1957 model that was re-registered in the UK in July 1993. It sports yellow coachwork and yellow interior trim. The coachwork and paintwork seem generally fair, however there is some visible blistering on the rear wheel arches. Areas of the 6-seater interior could also now do with a bit of TLC.

Priced at some $4,600 new, the Premiere was aimed at an elite clientele for whom luxury and prestige were basic requirements. If you like your cars big and brash, then this one could be for you. If you want to blend into the crowd - it just may not be!