1969 Lincoln Continental

This motor car has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% duty + VAT as well as VAT (a company buying the car will always have to pay VAT on the hammer price, as well as duty + VAT).

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £350 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

The car will require recommissioning prior to full road use and is sold ‘as seen’. We cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

This is far and away the longest car we’ve yet welcomed to The Market’s HQ.

It occupies most of the horizon, has different post codes at each end and is probably heavy enough to shift the Earth off its axis.

Of course, we’re exaggerating.

But not much.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, this 1969 LHD auto Lincoln Lehmann-Peterson Limousine comes with no consistent history and few service records.

It does, however, come with a large box full of various manuals, documents, files, bills, invoices, receipts, press cuttings and some largely unsupported anecdotal evidence of its possible appearance in films.

VIN: 9Y82A999023

The car’s odometer reads 67,366 miles.

We believe it entered a private collection in the Middle East in 2013.

We also believe from some accompanying photos that the car was previously silver (which may or may not have been its original colour).

Either way, it’s very much gold now.

And when we say gold, we’re talking full-on, glittery disco-ball gold topped off with a thick, black, padded (yes, padded) vinyl roof.

We know that it was sold with 33,000 miles on the clock in 1988 in, naturally, Las Vegas.

Overall - and that’s a lot of all - it appears to be in reasonable condition, particularly on the inside.

With the proviso that we haven’t tried to start or drive this vehicle and can therefore only comment on its cosmetic condition, we think this 1969 Lincoln Lehmann-Peterson Limousine is quite a car and makes a statement like nothing else.

The acres of glittering gold bodywork look good from a few feet away.

Get closer, and you’ll see bubbling and blisters in numerous places, including the bonnet, the top of the middle door on the o/s, and at the base of the vinyl roof around the rear screen.

The panels are straight, even and free of any significant dinks, dents or creases that we can see, and the panel gaps and shut lines seem properly consistent and even.

The wheels are in decent order, as far as we can tell, as is most of the chrome work and exterior trim.

The interior, which is about the size of a three-bedroom apartment, is what you might expect – it’s all smoked glass and black leather and entertainment consoles from an era when it was more than acceptable for a man to be seen in public with a Zapata moustache, cheesecloth trousers and a poodle perm.

But it’s all in surprisingly good condition. The front cabin boasts black upholstery that has survived the ravages of time and use with commendable aplomb.

So, too, the rear cabin, which – if you listen carefully – still echoes to the shrieks and giggles of a thousand hen parties.

The carpets and mats look OK from what we can see (it’s very dark in here) and the door cards, headlining and internal fixtures and fittings all look pretty reasonable for the age of the vehicle.

All the toggles, stops, levers, switches and buttons appear to be fine, although, as we haven’t tried to start or drive the vehicle (we’re not sure it would get to the other side of the nearest roundabout without a Police escort and a couple of 17-point turns), we can’t make any claims about their full functionality.

The undersides are showing some bubbling and flaking in the sills.

Everything in the engine bay looks clean, dry and in its right and proper place.

This car comes with a box of old papers and license receipts. It doesn’t come with any maintenance history or comprehensive service records, although it does appear to have been owned by one person (in Monterey, California) for much of its long life.

The car is not registered anywhere. And there are no original registration documents.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this.

We think you’re going to need a bigger garage.

We also think that if you’re in the events, weddings, or party businesses and you want to leave your competitors in no doubt over who’s got the biggest dog in the fight, this is the car for you.

It’s quite a thing, that’s for sure, and it will get people talking and staring and pointing wherever it goes - provided, of course, that the engine, electrics and mechanicals are as amenable to recommissioning as the rest of the car.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £4,000 - £8,000

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.