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2023 Author: Charles Youmans | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-20 18:41
The Lincoln Futura was originally created to showcase Ford's success. The company did not expect the model to gain popularity thanks to the filming of the Batman series. At that time, the appearance of the car was very extravagant. In addition, the model, in spite of the fact that it was an exhibition one, was ready for trips around the city and further sale. A successful advertising campaign made Lincoln Futura a real star, thousands of motorists wanted to own a car. And even today, the original version of the car sells for big money.
The history of the appearance of the model
The Lincoln Futura was originally created as a production model. This is a fully functioning car, which was to go into production. Ford, whose efforts to create the model, placed special bets on it. First of all, potential buyers should have been interested in the futuristic design and excellent technical characteristics. The car was designed by leading Ford designers Bill Schmidt and Jonathan Nijar. The famous Italian studio Ghia was responsible for the bodywork.
The body of the model was developed in just three months. The original car had a completely different color. In the film, a black "Batmobile" appeared before us. But initially the body of the model was painted in white mother-of-pearl. From the moment the car arrived in the United States, its stellar fame began. An important factor in this was the right marketing campaign. The manufacturer actively collaborated with the Dream Factory, however, the first presentation of the supercar took place at the Chicago Auto Show. A little later, the car was brought to Detroit, where a similar motor show took place.
But the model made a real sensation at the auto show in New York. Then, the developers of the car took a ride on the main streets of the city, stirring up interest in the Lincoln Futura. The model contrasted very strongly against the background of other cars, which spurred the Americans to become interested in it. In general, we can say that Ford organized a very successful advertising campaign at that time.
Design
The exterior of the car was very different from the existing models. The developers have put together a futuristic design and 50s standards well. The car was endowed with a domed windshield, which was double. It is also worth noting that the pearlescent white color was not typical for cars of those years. Of the standard elements, the manufacturer used optics and the so-called "fins", as well as a concave grille.
The interior of the car was also original. Of the interesting details here, it is worth noting the dashboard and steering wheel. There is a speedometer in the center of the steering wheel. A similar solution was used by the company earlier when creating the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket model. But during the production of Lincoln, the developers decided to improve this part a little by installing several indicator lights around the speedometer. All of them were responsible for the position of the automatic transmission. So, thanks to the color indicator, the driver could see in what position the box was - moving forward, "neutral", reverse gear or reduced speed.
A compass was also installed on the dashboard. Another interesting feature is that in order to emit a signal, you did not need to press in the center of the steering wheel. The horn was activated using a separate pedal.
Specifications
As noted earlier, this concept car was fully functional. The car was based on the Continental Mark chassis. A V-shaped power unit with a capacity of 330 horsepower was installed under the hood of the vehicle. The volume of the engine was almost 6 liters. The transmission was a 3-speed automatic gearbox. The drive is exclusively rear.
Also worth noting is the excellent sound insulation of the cabin. With the dome and doors closed, the car interior was completely isolated from external sounds. If the owner wanted to hear these noises, then he could activate the built-in microphone, which was heated on the circular antenna at the rear after the passenger compartment.
In the basic version, the car was equipped with an air conditioning unit. However, with a fully closed dome, its capacity was clearly insufficient. Also, bucket seats were installed in the model, which were separated by a block with automatic transmission control buttons and a telephone. In addition, the vehicle was equipped with power steering and brakes, electric seats, hood and dome itself.
Among the main technical characteristics of the model are:
- length - 5765 mm;
- width - 2148 mm;
- height - 1341 mm;
- the location of the motor - longitudinally in the front;
- power system - 4-chamber carburetor;
- valves per cylinder - 2;
- cooling - liquid;
- fuel type - gasoline.
The car was based on a rear-wheel drive architecture. An independent spring suspension was installed in the front of the model, and dependent on springs at the rear. All four wheels were equipped with hydraulic drum brakes.
Car cost now
Over time, the popularity of this car came to naught. The model was sold to the famous auto-costomizer George Barris for just $ 1, although the initial cost of the car was $ 250,000. At the current exchange rate, the price of a car would be about 18.1 million rubles. The model stood in George Barris' workshop for many years until he was used for filming in the Batman series.
Today, replicas of the legend are still up for sale. True, they are made only upon prior request. The car was slightly modernized, improving its technical characteristics. The original Batman model was put up for auction for $ 4.2 million. How much the buyer ultimately gave for it is currently unknown.