Jay Leno enjoys cruising the land in his 1958 Continental Mark III.

The Lincoln Continental today is a shadow of its former self. The Navigator, Lincoln's flagship, has replaced the current model, but once upon a time the name Continental meant America's most prestigious luxury car. One such car was recently featured on Jay Leno's Garage program.

This 1958 Continental Mark III was built in the last of the three years that Continental was sold as a separate brand. A facelifted version of this car became a Lincoln in 1959. As a stand-alone brand, the Continental stood above the Lincoln in Ford's hierarchy.

This land yacht was powered by a 430 cubic-inch V-8 sending 375 hp to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission. Leno estimated that the new car's 0-60 mph acceleration time was in the range of 8.0 seconds, which was very fast in the 1950s. Jay estimated the car weighed nearly 6,000 pounds with two passengers, but it actually weighed only 4,865 pounds. The owner's manual promised a measly 10.3 miles per hour.

Design was the most unpleasant aspect of the car. The heavily chromed front end, "dagmar" and custom car-inspired cant lights not only did not adorn the Continental, but represented the worst design of the Continental just one year after the Mark II, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cars in history. That the design priorities of 1950s designers were different from those of today is evidenced by the fact that the wheels on this model were reduced from 15 to 14 inches to reduce the height of the car. This meant fitting smaller diameter brake drums, which were instead made wider to provide enough stopping power for such a monster.

The car was also equipped in pristine condition with auto-dimming headlights, which were made possible by sensors mounted in front of the steering wheel.

Leno is the third owner of the car, which was parked in a garage in Anaheim, California in 1990 and sat there for nearly 30 years before Leno purchased it. The car has not been restored and has its original strawberry coloring, although Jay believes the interior was redone by the previous owner.

For a closer look at this 1950s time capsule and to see Jay driving the car, watch the video. While not all cars from that era were great, such as poor fuel economy and lack of safety systems, this car represents a time when the U.S. auto industry was at its peak.