Claims of survivor automobiles can often be debunked by the tell-tale trail of an orbital sander, or yellowed plastic interior bits that belie the like-new condition of the exterior paint. Worse yet is a glaring tin-pot head of a modern grade zero hardware store bolt holding on a fender. Not so with this 460-cubic-inch V-8-powered Lincoln, which as far as we could tell, was in such pristine original condition that even the driver’s seat looked as if no human rear had ever sat in it. Even typical faux brushed metal finish wear on electric window toggle switches was absent. The Continental Mark III coupe was on the block at the 2011 Gooding and Company Scottsdale Auction, and sold for $37,400. We’re not sure why the headlamp covers were in the up position, but the solid-state electronic eye on the cowl-mounted optional Automatic Headlamp Dimmer may have exerted eerie mind control over the bidders in this particular case.

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