1965 Lincoln Specifications

• The Continental was Ford's high-end luxury model for the 1965 year. Offered under the Lincoln brand, the Continental featured the same basic body design of the previous four years, but some minor changes were made, such as the installation of front disc brakes, a new grill and redesigned tail lights. Like its predecessors, the '65 Continental was very expensive and extremely heavy. Its large engine was not designed for fuel efficiency but was necessary to compensate for the car's weight, and the expense was offset by the joy of driving one of the most luxurious vehicles of the era.

Body Styles and Model Numbers

• The 1965 Continental was available as either a sedan or a convertible. Both styles were equipped with four doors. Model title 53A was assigned to the sedan. The convertible was model 74A.

Dimensions and Weight

• The dimensions of both body styles were identical. The Continental's total length was 216.3 inches. The car was 78.6 inches wide and 54.2 inches in height. The Continental's wheelbase was 126 inches. Front tread width was 62.1 inches. Rear tread width was 61 inches. The sedan was the lighter of the two models weighing in at 5,075 pounds, while the convertible weighed 5,475 pounds.

Engine

• Both 1965 models were equipped with a 429-cubic-inch engine. The engine featured eight cylinders, a compression ratio of 10.1:1, hydraulic lifters and a four-barrel Carter carburetor. The 429 produced 320 horsepower at 4,600 revolutions per minute and 465 foot pounds of torque at 2,600 rpm. The engine featured a stroke of 3.703 inches and a bore of 4.296 inches.

Brakes and Suspension

• Eleven-inch power front disc brakes were standard equipment for the first time in the car's history. The rear brakes were 11.09-inch drums. The front suspension system utilized independent ball joints in conjunction with coil springs. The rear suspension was a pair of semi-elliptical leaf springs.

Colors

• The 1965 Continental was available in the following exterior colors: Black Satin, Arctic White, Fiesta Red, Platinum, Nocturne Blue, Powder Blue, Desert Sand, Royal Maroon, Neptune Blue, Teal, Turino Turquoise, Willow Gold, Persian Gold, Spanish Moss, Burnished Bronze, Heather, Madison Gray and Charcoal Frost.

Optional Equipment

• Optional equipment for the 1965 models included: air conditioning, tinted glass, automatic speed control, a vertically adjustable steering column, automatic headlight dimmer, rear seat belts, individually adjustable front seats and an AM-FM radio.

Base Price and Number Produced

• The sedan was offered for a base price of $6,292. The convertible's base price was $6,938. A total of 36,824 sedans were produced. Only 3,356 convertibles were produced.