2017 North Star Calendar Lincoln - Nothing Can be Finer The North Star Region Car of the Year 1956 Lincoln Premiere Coupe owned by Brad and Joanie Videen Some people, including Brad and Joanie Videen believe the 1956 Lin- coln Premier was the best-looking Lincoln ever built. In 1956 the vehicle featured a 368 cu in Lincoln Y-Block V8 and it was ap- proximately 223" long in 1956 and used a 12-volt electrical system for the first time. The vehicle weighed 4357 pounds and had a base price of $4,183 in 1956. Unusually, it didn't share an appearance with the Continental Mark II which was sold at the same time at a substantially higher price. Styled by Bill Schmidt, the Premiere's appearance borrowed from the radically different concept cars, the Mercury XM-800 and the Lincoln Futura, and the Premiere was known for its stylish exterior, high-grade interior and some unique features. 1956 was the year Lincoln decided to take on Cadillac.” Lincoln almost doubled its sales with the 1956 models. It was available in two series: the Capri, the less-expensive model, and the Premier, which had all the bells and whistles available in the mid-1950s. Standard equipment with the Premier included TurboDrive automatic transmission, a power front bench seat, and power windows, steering, brakes and antenna. It also had an automatic headlight dimmer. Two un- usual features are an interior rear-view mirror that can be raised or lowered and the Multi Luber. Every day, when you started the car, you pushed the button (on the dash) to automatically lubricate the whole car. The Premier had driving lights, front and rear heaters, and a town and country AM radio with a rear-seat speaker. Air conditioning was an option, but less than 1 per- cent of the 1956 Lincolns did. Air conditioning, the Premier’s only option, cost about $1,000. The air conditioning unit is in the trunk with outside air vents on the rear fenders. The cool air goes through the rear package shelf in clear plastic tubes to overhead air ducts that function similarly to airline vents. In that time period, great size equaled great status. The 1956 Lincoln sedan sat on a 126-inch wheelbase, was more than 18½-feet long and weighed 4,822 pounds. As a comparison, a 2014 Lincoln MKS sedan sits on a 112.9-inch wheelbase, is about 17 feet long and weighs 4,151 pounds. In 1956 Lincoln produced 50,322 automobiles, of which, 19,619 were Premiere Coupes. January 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 New Year’s Day Festival of Sleep Day Trivia Day National Bird Day Cuddle Up Day Old Rock Day 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Sleep in a Puddle & Houseplant Apprecia- Splash Your Friends National Pharmacist Dress Up Your Pet Bubble Bath Day Play God Day tion Day Day Day Friday the 13th Day 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Martin Luther King Ditch New Years Thesaurus Day National Popcorn National Butter- National Hugging National Hat Day Jr. Birthday Resolutions Day Winnie the Pooh Day Day Crunch Day Day 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 National Blonde Brownie Day National Pie Day Compliment Day Opposite Day Spouse’s Day Punch the Clock Day National Kazoo Day 29 30 31 Bubble Wrap Appre- National Bath National Blood National Oatmeal National Puzzle Day ciation Day Backward Day Safety Month Donor Month Month Hot Tea Month Dan Staehle owns arguably one of the sportiest Lincolns ever built. There is no doubting the 1952-54 Capris’ performance pedigree – the early 1950s “Road Race Lincolns” famously dominated the Carrera Panamerica Mexican Road races of the era. The early Capris were undeniably handsome, plenty nimble and went like crazy — a muscle car before the term was invented. But for all its “un-Lincoln-like” personality traits, Staehle found his high- octane Capri did share something in common with every other Lincoln he had ever been in. “I swear, you cannot feel a road bump,” he says with an incredulous laugh. “You can be on the roughest road, and it will just be as smooth as can be! It’s just hilarious!” With that combination of great looks, hot performance, and a pillowy ride, Staehle figures he’s got the best of all worlds with his Lincoln — and his Capri is an amazingly low-mileage car to boot. Before 1952, the Cosmopolitan was Lincoln’s top tier, but that changed Joyce, Tommy and Dan Staehle pose for a picture with their 1954 Capri next when the Capri was unveiled for the ’52 model year. All three body styles — to Ray Crawfords Panamerica Road Race car at Hickory Corners, August two-door coupe, two-door convertible, and four-door sedan — used 123- 2016. inch-wheelbase chassis. Some major styling changes that gave the ’52 Lin- colns a leaner, less-rounded profile. The headlights protruded slightly in front instead of being recessed, and there was “wraparound” glass in both the windshield and back window. A new ball joint suspension system and refined power steering compli- mented Lincoln’s classy looks and helped provide a quiet, luxurious ride — nothing new for a Lincoln. But it was in the drivetrain where things really got interesting and set the Capris apart and gave them their wolf-in-sheep’s- clothing persona. A new 317-cid engine for 1952 was Lincoln’s first foray into the world of overhead-valve engines, and while the company was scrap- ping its L-head design, it also decided to swap the Holly two-barrel carbure- tor for a four-barrel version in 1953. That kicked the Capri’s horsepower rat- ing up to 205. Staehle isn’t kidding when he says you can barely hear the Capri run. It’s almost impossible to hear idling unless you are standing close and the hood is up. “Yeah, people always tell me that — you can’t even hear it!” he said. “But it’s starting to show some signs that maybe it’s time to rebuild it.” Staehle’s car is one of only 14,003 Capri two-door hardtops produced for 1954. The cars carried a base price tag of $3,869 and tipped the scales at Dan Staehle’s 1954 Capri. 4,250 lbs. He says he doesn’t run into to too many other ’54 Capris during his travels, which makes the car a bit of a conversation piece among Lincoln buffs when it arrives at old car events. February 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 American Heart Canned Food National Month Month Grapefruit National Freedom The Day the Music Month Day Ground Hog Day Died Create a Vacuum Day 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 National Weather- Send a Card to a man’s Day Lame Duck Day Friend Day Kite Flying Day Toothache Day Umbrella Day 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Abraham Lincoln’s Clean Out Your National Organ Do- National Gum Drop Do A Grouch A Favor Random Acts of National Drink Wine Birthday Computer Day nor Day Day Day Kindness Day Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 National Chocolate Love Your Pet Day George Washington’s National Tortilla Chip Mint Day President’s Day Card Reading Day Birthday Tennis Day Day Pistol Patent Day 26 27 28 National Pistachio National Tooth Fairy Great American National Cherry Day Polar Bear Day Day Pie Month Month This 1957 Lincoln Premiere convertible belongs to Gary and Loni Rosenwinkel of Minnetonka. When Gary mustered out of the service in 1957, one of the first things he did was go down to Capitol Lincoln- Mercury in St. Paul and buy this blue Premiere. He has had it ever since. Mechanically, the 1957 Lincoln was very similar to the 1956. The 1957 was slightly larger in most measurements over the 1956, and featured vertical quad headlights and canted rear fins. 41,123 Lincolns passed out of the factory, and Gary’s Pre- miere convertible was one of 3,676 made that year. Robert and JoAnne Bufka of Homer Glen, IL are the owners of this 1957 Premiere Coupe. It was shown in August 10 2016 at the Lincoln Museum homecoming at Hickory Corners, MI. There were 15,185 Premiere Coupes manufactured in 1957. March 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 Employee Apprecia- National Frozen National Peanut tion Day Food Month Month If Pets Had Thumbs National Pig Day Old Stuff Day Day Hug A GI Day 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Multiple Personality National Crown Roast Panic Day Middle Name Pride Day Dentist’s Day Of Pork Day Be Nasty Day Popcorn Lover’s Day Day Worship of Tools Day 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 St. Patrick’s Day Girl Scouts Day National Potato Chip Everything You Think Everything You Do is Corned Beef and Daylight Saving Time Ear Muff Day Day Is Wrong Day Right Day Cabbage Day National Quilting Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Tea for Two Tuesday National Goof Off National Chocolate Poultry Day Proposal Day Olga’s 7th Birthday Day National Puppy Day Covered Raisin Day Waffle Day 26 27 28 29 30 31 Make Up Your Own Something on a Stick Smoke and Mirrors National Doctor’s Red Cross Holiday Day National “Joe” Day Day Day Day World Backup Day Month Tony Russo of Collegeville, PA owns this very fine 1927 Lin- coln model L, Judkins Opera Coupe, which he brought to the Lincoln Museum homecoming, August 2016.