1942 Lincoln Presidential Limousine

Photographed at the Blackhawk Auto Museum in Danville, California.

1942 Lincoln Presidential Limousine

This highly modified 1942 Lincoln limousine was used by both Presidnet Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman and was in White House service until 1949 when the totally redesigned Lincoln Cosmopolitan replaced it.

This car was the 59th of only 66 Lincoln Custom Limousines built in 1942, and the only one with armor plating and bulletproof glass. The steel plating is 3/16-inch thick, and the windshield and side windows are 9-ply safety glass measuring 1 1/8-inch thick. A stock Lincoln Limousine weight about 4,400 pounds, but this Presidential Limousine weights nearly 6,900 pounds.

After World War II, the limo received a major makeover, including a 1946 grille and front bumper, and the rear and side running boards were removed, as were the rear fender skirts to accommodate heavier-duty tires.

Engine: V-12, 306-cid, 130-hp.

Photos by Douglas Wilkinson