Photo: Classic Auto Mall
Nothing brings to mind the concept of prohibition-era gangsters more than the association of Chicago with the looks of cars like this here Lincoln Model L. After all, it is in Chicago where the legends around the likes of Al Capone and John Dillinger were forged, and it was this type of cars (Fords, Cadillacs or Lincolns) they drove around in.
It’s not every day we get to see a 1927 car pretty much in the same condition as it was when it was made. People caring for them have a tendency to get ahead of themselves and end up modifying the vehicles, robbing them of their originality in the process.
That’s not the case with this car. A Lincoln from the L series by birth, it was not a gangster car in real life; it is so well preserved it got a role in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, though. It was the ride used by Valentin Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright), the main antagonist of season 4, as he went about his machinations.
But before it got to be a movie star, the Lincoln was a Chicago car. It was ordered back in 1927 by a Standard Oil Company executive living in the city. At the time of the purchase, we’re told it was worth $5,950 ($90,300 adjusted for inflation), which is higher than what people usually paid for Rolls-Royce vehicles.
The car’s first owner enjoyed it quite a lot, making extensive use of it until he died in 1938. It was then when the Lincoln was stored and kept as was, high on blocks, for the next 23 years.
It was saved from a life of oblivion and restored in 1961. The Lincoln was very well taken care of after that, and seldom driven for the next 30 years. It then went through another restoration process, one that made the only significant change to the original hardware: the updraft carburetors were replaced with Holley downdraft ones.
Other than that, everything else is as it was in 1927, including the 5.9-liter flathead V8 under the hood. The engine shows just 37,550 miles (60,430 km) of use, and warrants a $51,900 asking price for the car on Classic Auto Mall.
That’s not the case with this car. A Lincoln from the L series by birth, it was not a gangster car in real life; it is so well preserved it got a role in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, though. It was the ride used by Valentin Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright), the main antagonist of season 4, as he went about his machinations.
But before it got to be a movie star, the Lincoln was a Chicago car. It was ordered back in 1927 by a Standard Oil Company executive living in the city. At the time of the purchase, we’re told it was worth $5,950 ($90,300 adjusted for inflation), which is higher than what people usually paid for Rolls-Royce vehicles.
The car’s first owner enjoyed it quite a lot, making extensive use of it until he died in 1938. It was then when the Lincoln was stored and kept as was, high on blocks, for the next 23 years.
It was saved from a life of oblivion and restored in 1961. The Lincoln was very well taken care of after that, and seldom driven for the next 30 years. It then went through another restoration process, one that made the only significant change to the original hardware: the updraft carburetors were replaced with Holley downdraft ones.
Other than that, everything else is as it was in 1927, including the 5.9-liter flathead V8 under the hood. The engine shows just 37,550 miles (60,430 km) of use, and warrants a $51,900 asking price for the car on Classic Auto Mall.
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