1963 Lincoln Continental
Lido Show Car

Built to test public reaction to new features

The 1963 Lincoln Continental Lido was a specially-prepared 1963 Lincoln Continental Sedan that began life as a stock production model, but was pulled off the assembly line to be customized for an introduction at the 1963 New York Automobile Show held in the spring of that year. The Lido was finished in a special Persian Sand metallic paint color, and featured a matching Persian Sand-colored interior. The metallic leather seats included bolsters with a diamond-lustre crinkle grain leather that matched the color of the metallic Persian Sand leather inserts. Matching mouton carpeting was placed on the floor.

The stock bench front seat was replaced with two bucket seats, which Lincoln called "individually adjustable front seats." Between the seats was a console that included a small snack bar.

The roof of the car was covered in black vinyl, and Lido script appeared just to the rear of the Continental Star on the sail panels. New wheel covers provided a hint of things to come, and decorative chrome plated vertical louvers were placed at the bottom of the rear doors, just ahead of the rear wheel openings.

The Lido was built to test public reaction to new features being considered for the production Lincoln Continentals in the coming years. For instance, the wheel covers appeared on the 1964 models, and the vinyl roof was offered as an option in 1965. The individually adjustable front seats with console (minus the snack bar) were also introduced as an interior option for the 1964 model year, as did a new biscuit-style sew pattern for the seats, first seen on the 1963 Lido show car.

This would not be the first Lincoln to bear the Lido name. Lincoln offered a Lido Coupe model in 1950-1951. It was introduced mid-year during the 1950 model year, and discontinued after the 1951 model year. The Lido models of this era featured a vinyl or canvas-covered roof, fender skirts, and a custom interior.