1939 Royal Tour Lincoln
St. Catharines was going to be visited by the King and Queen. Not only would they visit, but they would open a section of The Queen Elizabeth Highway.
A special car was built for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for their tour of the United States and Canada in 1939. The car was manufactured in the Spring of 1939 and donated as a gift to the government by the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. The vehicle was exhibited at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto and also at the New York World's Fair. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II used the car during their 1957 and 1959 visits to North America. The car was bought by a Mr. Kughn of Michigan as part of his vintage automobile collection. He bought it from the Henry Ford Museum at an auction in 1985. Mr. Kughn allowed the car to be used in the 1989 highway re-dedication ceremony.
Features of the royal car included: a custom LeBaron body, shatterproof glass, extra high seats, and an extravagant interior upholstered in "poudre" blue broadcloth. The driver's section was finished in a darker shade of blue leather. The passenger compartment was separate from the driver's compartment. The top folded down from the partition between the driver's and passenger's seats. The car was a Royal Maroon colour with a red stripe along the beltline moulding. Royal crests were enamelled on the doors of the rear compartment and the rear deck.
The chrome bar which divided the centre of the windshield was topped by a special socket to hold the Royal Standard and below that was a small headlamp that gave off a blue light for night driving. A Royal Crest was attached over the lens of the lamp.
A two week driving couse was given to potential Royal car drivers who were chosen from the Militia and Air Force. T.S. Southgate. The Governor General's personal chauffeur ended up being at the wheel.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on June 7, 1939 in St. Catharines