Lincoln Mkx Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l,06' -08' Parts Car on 2040-cars

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High-tech, remote-controlled Golden Sahara II custom car going for auction

Imagine a vehicle with automatic braking, remote operation, self-opening doors and a big screen on the dash. You're probably imaging a Tesla Model X, but we're actually talking about a car called the Golden Sahara II, a custom car originally built in the 1950s, and it's going for auction at Mecum's event in Indianapolis. According to Mecum, this custom car started out as a 1953 Lincoln Capri owned by George Barris, the man who created the original Batmobile. He didn't have it long before it ended up in a crash that led him to use it for a major custom project. He teamed up James Skonzakes, known as Jim Street, to create and pay for the build. In 1954, the car was finished with wild body work, actual 24-karat gold-plated exterior trim and a pearlescent gold paint created from fish scales. It carried the name of Golden Sahara, and it cost $25,000 to build. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In 1956, Street decided to invest a whole lot more into the car. He sent it to a shop in Dayton, Ohio where it was fitted with a myriad of high-tech features. These included a central control stick that could operate the throttle, steering and braking, push-button steering controls on the dashboard for both the driver and the passenger, a remote control for moving it slowly and for opening the doors. It had sonar antennae at the front for automatic braking, a TV in the center stack, a radio, a phone, and even a cocktail cabinet in the back and mink carpeting. All of these features were on display when Street appeared with the car on the TV show I've Got a Secret, seen above, as well as in a period news story in which Street's wife demonstrated the features including the light-up wheels and tires for turn signals. That clip is visible below. The total cost of the car, now called Golden Sahara II, was $75,000. Adjusted for inflation, that's nearly $700,000. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Eventually, Street stopped showing the Golden Sahara II, but he never got rid of it. It was recently found in his garage, and the car will finally go for auction in May at Mecum's Indianapolis auction. The car will be sold in unrestored condition, which looks to be fairly rough, but savable. It appears the remotes are still there, too. The car will be auctioned with no reserve, so it will have a new owner.

Junkyard Gem: 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III

The story of the Continental features plenty of fascinating plot twists during its off-and-on 1940-2020 history, and one of the most interesting is the car that resulted from the decisions of the Ford Motor Company's mighty warlord during the 1960s: Lee Iacocca. That was the 1969-1971 Continental Mark III, a car that printed bales of money for Ford. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those cars, found in a Northern California car graveyard recently. Iacocca wanted a Lincoln to compete with Cadillac's snazzy new Eldorado coupe, and he wanted to do it on the cheap. Since the original Mustang had been so profitable in large part because it was based on the Falcon compact, the same philosophy would be used for the new Lincoln coupe. The Ford Thunderbird, which had become a well-over-two-ton behemoth by 1967, would provide the Mark III's platform; this had the added benefit of using excess production capacity at the T-Bird's assembly plant in Wixom, Michigan. Focus groups disliked the Mark III, but Iacocca and Henry Ford II ignored them and pushed forward with production. This worked out well; Mark III sales beat the Eldorado's immediately and the platform-sharing with the Thunderbird kept costs low and profits fat. Along with the Mustang and the Chrysler minivan, the Mark III stands as one of Iacocca's greatest business triumphs. These cars used to be reasonably easy to find in wrecking yards, but they've been junkyard rarities for at least the past decade. This one lived a hard life. The 460-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, rated at 365 horsepower and 500(!) pound-feet of torque, was gone when I arrived. The chrome received a gold-plating treatment by a customizer at some point. It's possible that this car was once a good-looking lowrider, but that would have been decades ago. About the only remaining hint of its former opulence is the rear seat. The MSRP for this car was $7,281, or about $59,286 in 2023 dollars. The 1970 Cadillac Eldorado cost $6,903 ($56,208 now). Of course, the out-the-door cost for both cars would have been quite a bit higher, after not-so-optional options had been added by the customer. This individually decisive motorcar has no peer.

Lincoln says MKZ supply crisis over

After an excessive number of recalls on the 2013 Escape and Fusion, we can't really fault Ford for being a little extra cautious with the launch of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ. Last month, we reported that dealer supply of the car was extremely limited due to more attention being paid to quality checks of cars rolling off the assembly line, which led to a 73-percent drop in MKZ sales from last year on top of a 32-year low in monthly sales for Lincoln in January.
The reason for the delay was that the sedans were being shipped from the Hermosillo, Mexico assembly plant to be inspected even closer at Ford's Flat Rock, Michigan plant before they were able to head to dealers. Things seem to be straightening out for Lincoln and the MKZ's production now, as Automotive News is reporting that supply should be up to a "normal level" by the end of this month.