JFK’s final ride hits the auction block

[jakeXT]

The Lincoln Continental that John F. Kennedy rode in hours before his assassination will be auctioned later this month.

Bill Golightly, of Golightly Auto Sales in Fort Worth, loaned the car to the president when he was in town. Kennedy rode in the car with Jacqueline Kennedy and Texas governor John Connally through the streets of Fort Worth before flying to Dallas.

Kennedy was assassinated in downtown Dallas hours later.

Lincoln specialist Baker Restoration of Putnam, Conn. has restored the 1963 Continental to its original condition. The company replaced the car’s engine, restored it exterior and refurbished the interior.

The starting bid for the Lincoln is $50,000.

http://blog.sfgate.com/topdown/2013/10/09/jfks-final-ride-hits-the-auction-block-2/

[JohnnyRingo]

1. I don't know why it was restored.

Perhaps the Linc had fallen into a serious state of deterioration due to decades of neglect, but collectors would certainly want the patina intact. One would want to sit on the original leather the Kennedys were seated upon and view the exact interior surroundings present in 1962. The error of improper storage cannot be undone by a restoration.

As it is now, it seems the VIN plate is the only thing left from that fateful day, and that doesn't bring the big bucks at auction. I guess it can still be displayed somewhere as a novelty, but the collector value is slashed.

Imagine if someone refinished JFK's wicker rocking chair because he wore the varnish thin on the arms while signing bills. That'd be a collector sin alone, but this is like replacing the arms altogether and recaning the seat because some idiot stored it outside. Sure, it's still technically the Kennedy chair, but only a percentage of it. Value is depreciated exponentially.

They'll be lucky to see reserve for such a relatively insignificant automobile.

[MrMickeysMom]

2. It was intended to never be restored for reasons we'll never know, JR

But for $50k, maybe someone would bother to replicate the original seats with an true story of why it was never restored to go with it.