You think you know everything about Panthers? Well, ever seen an Arquis LS? I hadn’t, until very recently. Indeed, despite my collection of L-M literature from the late ’60s to the late ’90s, I never once saw mention of this. A regional model, perhaps? Let’s keep Red Panther day going just a bit longer, with this rare find.
I happened to be on the lot of the local L-M Lincoln dealer, photograping a much more vintage CC on the lot, when I saw a blinding white Landau roof in the distance. Well, I do live in the Midwest, where such chrome- and Cavalry-twilled frippery is common among the more senior residents.
Unlike the more common GS model, this one is a top-trim LS, with alloys and leather seating. I can’t imagine more than a handful of Arquis LSs were built. The question is, were they prototypes, a dealer-added trim level, or some Iowa-only regional special? Why, it looks like they did nothing more than take the “Grand M” off of the rear nameplate!
As you would expect, this one was in fine shape, with clean paint, no door dings, and the pencil-thin whitewalls that were still available in the late ’90s and early Oughts.
The interior was equally pristine, with cushy La-Z-Boy benches in beige leather. You don’t drive one of these; you pilot it. I half-expected to see a Civic or Sentra hanging off the back, like a tender on a yacht.
Oddly enough, even though this is a rare Arquis LS, the aftermarket nameplates on the C-pillars said “Grand Marquis.” Clearly, there was some Landau-topped mishap and the proper–and scarce!–“Arquis” nameplates couldn’t be found. Still, a very nice car, for those of you who don’t break out in hives at the sight of vinyl roofs and coach lamps.
Sorry, the ‘grand’ and ‘m’ are both missing, so it isn’t Grand at all, just an Arquis LS.
Too bad Grandma didn’t get the ‘a’… Rquis LS has a nice ring to it.
That add on top looks so silly, couldn’t possibly be factory! Like those hideous fake Seville convertibles with the sunroof, excuse me moonroof in them. Ugh! Never a fan of the ‘Brougham’ effect anyway.
Right you are; fixed.
And yes, the “carriage top with moonroof” equipped land yachts are hideous. It always amazed me that someone would spend $40K on a Town Car Cartier and then drop another $4-5K for something so ugly. The pearl beige Cartiers with dark brown carriage roof were very common around here.
“Look, I can put the top down OR open the sunroof!” Um, no, not really.
Mostly off-topic to the feature car, but your comment reminded me about a conversation I had at a car show while admiring a 1957 Ford hideaway hardtop. We decided it needed a sunroof so you could access the stuff in the trunk box when the top was down. 🙂
It always amazed me that someone would spend $40K for a car with no outstanding features, no curtain airbags and would be worth half what you paid for it the next year. Ford just let those cars die on the vine.
The only thing worse than a factory Brougham is an aftermarket “upgrade” like this. I would love to see the response of the car’s stylists to such philistinism: maybe a “facepalm?”
BTW Mercury gets a star for putting the radio high in the dash: frequently-used controls should be closer to the driver’s vision.
I bet it rides good…
Is this a recent pic, its interesting to note the number of Grand Marqs and Mariners on the used car lot, I’ll bet this Lincoln dealer misses his Mercury franchise.
Very recent; this past Friday.
Here’s the posting on the dealer website: http://strietermotorlincoln.com/Davenport/For-Sale/Used/Mercury/Grand-Marquis/2000-LS-Red-Car/17071955/
I’m sure the few Lincoln only dealers left, really lament the passing of Mercury since the numbers I saw indicated that the average split of new sales was about 50/50.
Get yer FACTS straight!
That’s not an “Arquis!” There are just letters missing.
That’s a Marquis – with the de Sade trim.
In a related development, I live in an area with a very large population of car service black 2003-2011 Town Cars, and I have found that almost every single of them says “Town Ca” on the trunk lid. It makes me wonder whether there is something wrong with Ford’s glue that prevents the “r” from adhering, or if Ford is trying to suggest a relation to the fuel-efficient subcompact Ford Ka.
I always wonder if such “decklid badge erosion“ comes from clumsy owners, or many shocks from normal trunk-slamming. Maybe that’s why Cadillac had those silly motors which pulled the trunk down for the last inch or two.
For awhile there was a fad where Toyota pickup owners would paint over the last three letters on the tailgate.
A few years ago, I saw pictures of a Ford Ka with a large stencil along the bottom of each door. It appeared factory installed, and at first glance appeared quite attractive, with two stylized ‘Ka’ logos in slightly different colours.
A millisecond later I realized it spelled out ‘KaKa’, and had probably been installed by its disgruntled owner.
Although perhaps the owner of the Ka was a fan of Brazilian soccer star Kaka: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kak%C3%A1
I’ve got a Town Ca too. I think the missing letter came off in a ca wash. I suppose I really should buy a consonant, but every time I see “Town Ca” on my decklid it makes me want to say it in my best Click & Clack Boston accent!
Beat me to it! Clearly the Town Cahs originated at the Somerville, MA Ford assembly plant.*
*It closed in 1958, actually.
I do love finding Panthers in actual colors like this red one.
The padded roofs are goofy but yes shockingly common and there are times when I consider buying one with the silly roof and opera lights just to see if the looks on peoples faces are stranger when they get passed by what should be an old man’s car.
I have also observed that the Grand Marquis seem to be more likely to have the vinyl roofs than either Crown Victorias or Town Cars.
Much a do about nothing.
Luckily, mine doesn’t have this weird top treatment. It does, however, have the digital dash, which is certainly more annoying.
If you are going to have a GM and thus forgo a fake oil pressure gauge and voltmeter might as well have the digital dash. I had one of my son’s friend in ours and said “wow what did you do to your dash, that is cool” he was surprised that it was a factory set up. My daughter thinks the digital dash is really cool too.
The problem with it is that it has no option for full brightness with the headlights on. Makes driving during the day with no headlights a bad idea.
Mine is pretty bright w/o the headlights on but then again I have the post 98 version.
I saw a new Cadillac XTS with a fake ‘carriage roof’, but it’s rare to see a new 2010’s car with them these days, Thank the Lord!
Now, the companies that used to push custom roofs offer other ‘car personalization’ stuff, like 24″ rims.
Certainly they’re less common now, but I do spot 2007-2011 era Camrys with fake carriage roofs every once in a while.
I just saw a …..gasp…..MKS vinyl roof and sunroof on the way home tonight. Black on black. CHROME TRIM BARS. Would have snapped a pic but I’m driving challenged to begin with…