Lincoln
Continental SS-100-X / X-100 (Hess & Eisenhardt)

Why it matters

The SS-100-X, called X-100 by the Secret Service, is the 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible in which President Kennedy was killed in Dallas on 22 November 1963. It was rebuilt as an armoured car and served until 1977, and is now in The Henry Ford museum.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Ford assembled the car at the Lincoln plant in Wixom, Michigan, in January 1961, according to The Henry Ford; Old Cars Weekly says assembly began there in January 1961 and puts the unit on the line just before Christmas 1960. Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati cut it in half, reinforced it and extended it by 3.5 feet, with Ford and the coachbuilder sharing engineering and styling. It was shown at the White House in June 1961 and leased to the Secret Service by Ford for $500 a year. The conversion cost nearly $200,000 against a stock price of $7,347.

After the assassination the car was impounded and then rebuilt in the "Quick Fix" (Project D-2), finished on 1 May 1964, with new armour, a permanent roof with bullet-resistant glass, a hand-built higher-compression engine giving about 17 percent more power, and a second air-conditioning unit. Project R-2 followed in January 1967. Ford donated the car to The Henry Ford in 1978.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

As built the car had removable steel and clear plastic roof panels, a hydraulic rear seat raising the president 10.5 inches, four retractable steps for Secret Service agents, step plates on the rear bumper, flashing red lights, a siren, dual flagstaffs and 15-inch wheels with Continental Mark II wheel covers. In 1963 a 1962 grille and sombrero wheel covers were fitted. After 1964 the car had a permanent non-removable roof, armoured rear compartment and black paint in place of the original midnight blue.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   The history of the car in which President Kennedy was riding (Kennedy limousine) Level A The Henry Ford · 2025-12-15

   • The original car was a 1961 Lincoln Continental 4-door convertible
   • extending it 3 1/2 feet in length

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   The Henry Ford: Presidential Limousines at The Henry Ford Level B

   • 1 individual car (held by The Henry Ford)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   JFK parade car Level B Old Cars Weekly · 2009-01-15

   • wheelbase grew from its stock 123 inches to 156
   • grew from slightly more than 5,200 lbs. to more than 7,800 lbs. when finished

   Accessed 2026-11-12