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For Sale: 1963 Lincoln Continental That Carried JFK on Day of the Assassination

On November 22, 1963, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, JFK for short, was gunned down in the Presidential Limo, as he was making his way through Dallas. The car to have carried him alive for the last time is about to hit the auction block.
JFK's 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, the last car to carry him alive 7 photos
Photo: Picasa / Bonhams
JFK's 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, the last car to carry him aliveJFK's 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, the last car to carry him aliveJFK's 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, the last car to carry him aliveJFK's 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, the last car to carry him aliveJFK's 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, the last car to carry him aliveKennedy Air Force One replica
Bonhams has announced the items that will be part of a very special Presidential Experience auction on October 14 and, among them, is a 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible dubbed “Limo One.” This isn’t the Lincoln in which JFK was shot, but the one he and the First Lady traveled in in Fort Worth, before they boarded the flight to Dallas.

The Lincoln Continental in which JFK was shot was a 1961 model and is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It was actually kept in use as a Presidential limo until 1977 and has seen various modifications after that tragic day, serving no less than four other Presidents after JFK. Full armoring, bulletproof hardtoop and a new interior are among those modifications.

This 1963 model now on offer was used by JFK on November 21 and 22 while he and Jackie were in Fort Worth. It was a loaner by Golightly Auto Sales and, for carrying the President to Carswell Air Force Base for his flight to Dallas, it is the last car he rode in alive.

Bonhams notes that Limo One has a new engine now, and restored body and paintwork, but the interior remains original, including the red leather seats. It is expected to fetch between $300,000 and $500,000 when it hits the auction block next month.

Also part of the lot is another JFK car, dubbed his “personal” car around the White House: a black 1960 Lincoln Mark V limousine, which is armored. It’s mostly unrestored and has the original interior, and is expected to sell for $200,000-$300,000.

A full-scale replica of the Kennedy Air Force One is also available. It’s a piece of Boeing 707 fuselage retrofitted as the SAM 26000 JFK used for flying, and includes cockpit, workstations, the President’s quarters and the stateroom where Johnson was sworn in, as well as a framed replica of Jackie Kennedy’s now iconic pink suit. Bonhams estimates it could go for $300,000.

The auction takes place online on October 14.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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