A Look at baT Auction Success Story: Joy and Floating in Las Vegas

BaT member 88csanderson penned our latest Success Story after winning this 1988 Lincoln Town Car from Billzlost in a November 2025 BaT auction:

When I began looking for a car on BaT, my intention wasn’t to find the nicest, cleanest, and most rare car. My taste in vehicles has always been more on the “land yacht” side of American car manufacturing, and what better vehicle to look into than an old Lincoln Town Car? I searched for one that was the right price and age, and I found this 1988 model located in Southern Las Vegas. It piqued my interest.

The car was well cared-for. It had had some work done to it previously, and seemed to be within my reach from Salt Lake City, Utah. There isn’t much on I-15 between Vegas and Salt Lake, so we needed to be reasonably sure that the car would make it. I was confident, and brought my brother and two friends along on this journey to make memories and lend a helping hand in case we encountered any issues along the way. We met the owner, and the transaction went smoothly. We were quickly off and headed north in a car that I was all too familiar with. As I sat in the Lincoln’s overstuffed white seats and grabbed the leather steering wheel, I could feel myself being transported back in time.

When I was 16 years old, my Dad brought home a 1989 Town Car and told me to get acquainted with it. I told him I wouldn’t be caught dead driving that thing, ’cause all the other kids were driving Jeeps, Mustangs, and lifted trucks. Little did I know that I was going to be one of the most recognized kids at school. Everyone wanted to ride in my Town Car. It was black with a black vinyl top and black leather on the inside, and honestly, it looked straight out of a presidential motorcade or the mafia. I still think about that car and the hard-to-duplicate memories that were made in it.

Twenty-five years later, I found myself behind the wheel of another old Lincoln, floating down the road and smiling from ear to ear. Only this time, it was a white-on-white example, and I was driving through the desert with my buddies trying to get the 38-year-old Town Car home.

Our first stop was at In-N-Out because we needed sustenance to keep us going and make sure we didn’t fall asleep. As we got through the first few miles, we stopped at Napa and checked all the fluids, which were topped off. The Lincoln wasn’t losing a drop of anything. I was impressed, and it did 75 mph on the freeway without skipping a beat. It drove straight down the road as well. I was always impressed by the way Ford engineered the Panther platform to float down the highway. We got a lot of thumbs up and “rock on” signs as people passed us, doing well over what the old Lincoln could do.

It was not what you would call a “Hot Rod Lincoln” since these cars produced 145 horsepower back in the day, but it pulled up the mountain passes with ease and did what it was asked to do. The 5.0L EFI V8 paired with an overdrive automatic produced 22 miles per gallon. By today’s standards and for an older V8, that was quite incredible. We stopped two times for gas, and before we knew it, we were bearing down on the Salt Lake valley in a car that most would have laughed at if they saw grandma and grandpa drive up in one.

It was the color combination of this 1988 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series that drew me to it when it hit BaT. The white leather with the white top, as well as the sunroof, really set this one apart from the other land yachts I had been looking at. I was so glad that I was able to purchase this one and get it on the road. Since owning it, I’ve put on 1,000 miles driving it back and forth to work and found little things to do on it. My plan is to drive it and enjoy it, make memories, and show it to people who say, “I knew someone who used to have one of those.” Would I buy another Town Car and drive it on a road trip? Absolutely! It was a special car for me back in the day, and it is a special car for me today. With soaring car prices over the years, these can still be had for a bargain if you find the right one. They are getting the love that they deserve, and to say I am the only one in town driving an old Lincoln Town Car is something I am not ashamed of!

If you have a Success Story about a car you’ve bought or sold on BaT, please send a few lines and pictures (or a video) to community.content@bringatrailer.com, and we’ll send you a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store when your story posts to the site.

We love to hear from satisfied BaT buyers and sellers, and a Success Story feature is a great addition to any car’s history when you’re ready to sell.