We Can't Decide If James Brown's Lincoln Mark III Or His Learjet Has More '70s Swagger

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, had to be feeling good when he purchased a brand-new $713,000 Learjet 23 in 1966 (that's just shy of $7.2 million in 2026 dollars). While Brown pegged the acquisition as a means to increase the number of shows he could play, the plane came to symbolize something much more important: success in the Black community. Just two years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law, Brown became the first Black person to own a private jet, a milestone amid the ongoing fight for equality.

Though a groundbreaking buy, the jet also made sense for the artist known as the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business." His work ethic, after all, is what made it possible to travel in style, but not just in the air. Brown later picked up a totally boss 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III, a stylish luxury ride befit for Mr. Dynamite. It can't be denied, the man had style. But we can't make up our minds, does the far-out Learjet or the outta-sight Continental have more swagger? Help us decide in the poll below.

James Brown's jet-powered charter enthralled his fans, leading some to post up outside the airport in the performer's hometown of Augusta, Georgia, hoping to spot the aircraft. As significant a purchase as it was, the Learjet 23 is historic in its own right. Introduced at the end of October 1964, the six-passenger (or a cramped eight) used two General Electric CJ610 turbojets to climb as high as 45,000 feet and hit a cruise speed between 485 to 518 mph. With a top speed of 561 mph when settled in at 24,000 feet, it lands among the fastest private jets ever built. These performance numbers helped the 23 launch a whole new market: business jets.

Beyond executives, the 23 became a preferred means of transport for celebrities ranging from Frank Sinatra to Arnold Palmer. While the plane appealed to the rich and famous, the interior hardly offered the level of comfort one might expect. With a cabin slightly more than four feet wide by four feet tall, Learjet occasionally had to respond to critiques of the cramped space. The company's rebuttal, per Aviation International News: "You can't stand up in a Cadillac."

While the Model 23 was innovative, Learjet built a little more than 100 before moving on to the upgraded 24. At the end of 2015, the FAA implemented a Stage 3 noise compliance rule that grounded any remaining Model 23s without a hush kit installed. As of writing, a single LearJet 23 remains flyable and went to auction in November 2025, though it did not meet its reserve. Several examples are displayed in museums, but as for Brown's jet? There's no word if it's still kicking around.

Many of James Brown's songs had strong sexual undertones, so perhaps it's no surprise he bought a car with a hump — albeit an unsatisfying hump in place of a real Continental kit spare tire. Hump or not, the Continental Mark III, introduced for the 1969 model year, represented the era's apogee of American luxury. Brown secured one for his personal ride and was photographed with it and his Learjet in 1970, as seen on the James Brown Facebook page. Based on the visible windshield wipers (they disappeared in 1970), and clear turn signal lenses, it appears to be a 1969 model.

Priced originally at $6,741 (more than $63,300 today), the base Lincoln cost $30 more than a Cadillac Eldorado and sold 7,000 more than its Caddy competitor in 1969. Granted, the Continental was introduced in early 1968 for the '69 model year, giving it a bit of a head start. Each came off the line equipped with a 365-horsepower 460-cubic-inch V8 connected to a Select-Shift Turbo-Drive three-speed automatic transmission. (For a bit more get-up-and-go, a V10-swapped Lincoln Continental wouldn't be a bad choice.)

How Brown optioned his ride isn't documented, but each came standard with power windows and seats. Factory upgrades included choices such as cruise control, a tilt wheel, air conditioning, and a variety of radios. Hot take: Given it's a Los Angeles-based car, can we assume he opted for the AC and, being James Brown, the best possible sound system?

So would you rather go "Night Flying" in Brown's Learjet or "Drive Your Funky Soul" in his Lincoln Continental?

https://poll.fm/16800898