Just thought of something I wanted to ask about a '55 Lincoln

[John_Maine]

I was at a car show last month and was looking at a '55 Lincoln Capri 2 door hardtop. Looking at the dash, I saw a starter button to the left of the steering column. My first thought was that there was something wrong with the ignition switch or something, so the owner installed this starter button. As I was looking, the owner came up to the car so I asked him about it and he said no, that Lincolns still had a starter button in '55. I thought starter buttons had gone away by '55 and was really surprised that Lincoln, of all cars, still had one. This has to be the last use of a starter button until recently. Now they seem to be all the rage again. Just wondering if Lincoln was the last to use one back in the 50's.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

I'm a doubting Thomas on that one too.

[Rusty_OToole]

Some English cars had them in the late fifties, possibly into the early sixties. MG had a pull handle connected to a cable, that controlled a heavy duty switch wired directly between the battery and starter. No solenoid.

[John_Maine]

Thinking about it, maybe the guy put a fake starter button on just to pull people's legs - and when asked said it was factory. His idea of a joke?? Anyway, does anyone know for sure if Lincolns still had a starter button in '55?

[Rusty_OToole]

I had a 53 Ford Victoria hardtop and not only did it have a starter button it had a hand choke both factory equipment.

[JD in KC]

I believe it did have a starter button, but I am not positive. It's been like... 50 years :eek:.

Edited August 29, 2011 by JD in KC
adding picture of 1955? Lincoln Capri Starter Button (see edit history)

[John_Maine]

JD, looks like what I remember if that's a picture of the '55 dash. Would this be the last US production car with a starter button? (until recent time)

[junkyardjeff]

A friends 54 has one too,I think Buicks of the same era had something similar but was under the gas pedal.

[John_Maine]

On Buicks through the 50's, the car was started by turning on the key and flooring the accelerator pedal. I'm not sure when this feature was introduced or when it was discontinued, '60 or '61 maybe?

Edited September 2, 2011 by John_Maine (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

John and Jeff, the Buick "starter" was not underneath the gas pedal. The switch was on the carburator. Activated by depresing the accelerator pedal.

Ben

Edited September 2, 2011 by First Born (see edit history)

[JD in KC]

The 'Carter Carstarter' carburetor based switch was in use on Buicks from 1939-54 and on Packards from 1941-53.

Edit: Just realized that the date range I used above for the Buick is from a Motor's Auto Repair Manual from 1954... so the 1954 end date for Buick ain't necessarily so. 1953 is correct for Packard. I should stick with what I know!

Edited September 16, 2011 by JD in KC
another correction (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

I have been telling people my 1960 Electra has "Voice Command". I just point at the dash and say "Start". They don't see my foot on the gas pedal.