(first posted 6/19/2013) Since I have decreed this week Lincoln Continental Week, I would be remiss in not mentioning what is perhaps the most collectible four-door Lincoln of the Seventies: The ’79 Collector’s Series. This car, and its Mark V CS companion model, marked the end of the lovely, lardly Lincoln Continentals of yore. Starting in 1980, the Connie went on a crash diet (thanks, CAFE) and never wore such an ample frame as these.
It was the end of an era, with the big, blowsy Chrysler New Yorker bowing out after 1978 and the zaftig Caddys in ’76 (though the big Eldo and Toronado carried on through ’78, same as the NYB). Ford Motor Company held out the longest, perhaps due to Henry Ford II’s long-held disdain for little cars, though he did have a customized Pinto.
CAFE, as related by CraiginNC’s great GM insider article, really bit the American manufacturers in the butt. Americans liked big cars. True, many went to imports and Vegas, Pintos and Gremlins after the ’73 gas scare, but, true to form, went out and bought their traditional Delta 88s, LTDs and Impalas once prices dropped. But CAFE’s arrival in 1978 changed the status quo, and the Big Three were going to have to either adapt, or pay through the nose in government fines.
Thus, really big cars started to drop off one by one. GM was the early adopter with their right-sized 1977 B- and C-bodies. Continually strapped Chrysler “downsized” their Monaco by slapping the nameplate on the ex-Coronet B-body, and the C-body Royal Monaco and Gran Fury departed that same year. Ford introduced the “downsized” LTD II, but it was really just a Gran Torino in a Nehru jacket.
In 1978, Ford was the only company that still had a full line of big LTD, Marquis and Continental coupes and sedans–plus the Colony Park and Country Squire wagons. But the Panther took over for the 1979 model year, leaving Lincolns as the only full-figured option.
If you walked into a L-M showroom in the fall of 1978 and ordered just a plain white, no-option Continental Sedan, you still got quite the comfy, well-equipped vehicle. All that weight, the long wheelbase and sound deadening combined to make for a very plush ride, if a bit sea sickness-inducing at times. The only concession to CAFE was the departure of the big-block 460 CID V8–all Continentals had to make do with the 400 CID engine.
Yes, it was the end of a long line of big, cushy Continentals, but it wasn’t quite over yet. As long as the music’s still playing, might as well dance while we’re here, right? So to celebrate the last of the biggies, the Collector’s Series was introduced.
Available on both the Continental Sedan and Continental Mark V (sorry, Town Coupe fans, you were out of luck), the package included your choice of White or Midnight Blue paint (though a handful made it out the door with silver paint).
The turbine alloy wheels were accented with Midnight Blue paint, and Collector’s Series scripts graced the sail panels. A gold-accented grille, standard coach roof with opera lights, and the premium bodyside moldings rounded out the exterior changes.
The trademark oval opera window was not available on either the Mark V or Continental CS. And these models were NOT Town Cars, despite the premium equipment and Town Car seats. The giveaway was the lack of Town Car script on the front fenders, and the “Lincoln Continental” badge on the instrument panel, instead of “Lincoln Town Car.”
Inside, extra-plush 36-ounce carpet was standard, as well as Kasman II luxury cloth for the seating–unless you preferred leather. A leather-bound owner’s manual, tool kit and umbrella were also included. Many features optional on the Continental and Town Car/Coupe were standard on the CS, such as illuminated entry, an integrated visor-mounted garage door opener, and the top-drawer Electronic AM/FM Stereo Search radio with built-in 8-track player.
Despite the hoopla of the “last big Continental,” the second gas crisis struck not long after the ’79s went on sale, and most Americans once again went on a small-car shopping spree–again, temporarily. As a result 1979 Continentals languished on L-M dealership lots, and it is likely that you could still get a brand new one well after the ’80 Panther Continentals started appearing.
Like my Grandpa Bob’s 1987 Continental, I was heavily influenced by a 1979 Collector’s Series. Our neighbors across the alley, the Yokases, were middle-aged when I was a kid and Bill was very tolerant of me and my brother visiting. He worked in his garage all the time, and had woodworking equipment in there, among other cool stuff.
image: That Hartford Guy’s photostream on flickr
One of the other cool things in there was a pristine white 1979 Continental CS, in white with the navy cloth interior–I believe it also had the factory CB radio (though not the fixed glass moonroof on the example above). It had belonged to Bill’s brother, and he inherited it when he passed away.
The Continental was strictly for special occasions, and always resided in the unattached garage. Indeed, ONLY the Continental was in the garage, as the other half of the two-bay structure was given over to Bill’s tools, wood lathe, etc. His wife’s car lived in the single-stall garage that was built into the house.
His daily driver was a black 1982 non-woody Cougar wagon, with dark red interior. Before that, he had a gigantic dark green 1972 Pontiac Safari. At the same time his wife had a fastback Pontiac J2000 (later traded for a 2nd-gen Voyager SE), his daughter, who was in her early 20s back then, had a maroon 25th Anniversary Cougar XR7. Maybe you’re beginning to understand why I was over there frequently…there were always lots of neat cars over there!
It was pampered and only driven by Bill and his wife to the Greek Orthodox church for services and the inevitable coffee/visiting sessions that came after. I got to sit in the driver’s seat of that car when I was about ten, and let me tell you, I was impressed. It was even bigger than the 1977 Continental Mark V my grandfather had, and that was saying something!
Sadly, Bill passed away in about 1998, and as we had moved across town in 1995, I never found out what happened to that car. Hopefully it went to one of his sons, or a good caretaker at any rate. It really was a family heirloom for them. Bill was always generous with his time, and I learned a lot from him–the first moped I ever saw was, you guessed it, in his garage. I remember his pointing out how it worked, what this was, and that did, etc. He talked to you as if you were an adult, not just a stupid kid, which, back then, I kind of was!
Today, the Collector’s Series is a minor collectible in four-door Continental form. The Mark V CS, needless to say, is much more popular these days (along with the Diamond Jubilee and Designer Series versions), but I must say, I’ve always loved the sedans. The Collector’s Series was the best of them all, when a Lincoln was REALLY a Lincoln.
I love that last picture, its like a dissapointed father looking at their child on an episode of “Intervention”.
A prize for Quadrasonic!
Tell Quadrasonic to head over to the Jalopnik Online Tavern for a cold one or two!
I still have my Quadrasonic radio in my 79. It doesnt really put out sound so I plan on getting it repaired so I can use the 8 track.
I actually like the MKS. The grille on the pictured 2013 model is ugly. But I do like the Maserati Quattroporte-esque rear. Stick the ’09-’12 front end on the ’13 and it would look best. They are awkwardly tall though.
Interesting fact, the MKS is the longest production car currently sold in the U.S.
I dont like them that much, but they are a bargain, you can get new ones off the lot with significant discounts, and if you hold out toward the model year change or after, they will almost give them away. I’m sure there are new 2012’s on the lot still. Its pretty nice, but the interior is still to plain and too Ford-ey to feel luxurious. Is this longer than an XTS too?
Yeah 205.6 in for the MKS vs 202 for the XTS. Writing that really just made me see how creative car companies are today with naming their cars.
I’m guess you’re excluding stuff like the Phantom and what not that are bigger than this?
This is a Lincoln. Chalk it up to being impressionable when these were new, but every Lincoln since has paled in comparison to these and the Mark V. As I grew older, I realized these ’70’s model Lincoln’s were continuing a tradition set a long time before.
Now what is there? The last picture has a Lincoln in the background and in the foreground is some anonymous blob with a Pontiac-esque grille on it. How the hell is that thing supposed to excite potential customers?
Today’s Lincoln looks like it can move out of its own way. This is intentional.
The Lincoln highlighted with its classic look makes an entirely different statement.
The 1979 Lincoln Continental says that when you are in it, the world moves around you. You are sitting comfortably and taken away to your destination without you needing to be aware that you are moving. This is also intentional.
Luxury is often status quo. Luxury isn’t often found in temporary accommodations. We don’t associate Big Money sitting for a couple of years in a high rise apartment, a condo, or a duplex. We associate Big Money with Big Estate homes. When we say that someone has “arrived” in their career, we traditionally expect that person to hunker down in a large home and use it as a base – a fiefdom – a palace from which to conduct business. Big Money traditionally had hopeful employees, maids, butlers, associates, clerks, and other staffers, coming to a Big Money house. While a Big Money guy was understood to have a Big Office in a Big City, it was assumed by most folks that he also needed a place to conduct his Big Money plans from his home.
Or his car.
This is where this Lincoln stands out. It isn’t moving. It is a statement to onlookers that the people inside the car are used to having their needs coming to them, not the other way around. We saw these cars as places where business was conducted on the way to work, the airport, the convention, or the brothel.
Today’s businesspeople like the image of flight. Movement. Not hanging around spending inherited wealth. Today’s luxury cars are attempting to appeal to a successful person’s need for movement, not their need to luxuriate.
Lincoln needs to rediscover this image again. No one else in the industry really offers this kind of image. Large SUVs are trucks, not Continentals. When Lincoln and Cadillac began chasing after the image of flight seen as so attractive to today’s successful people, the abandoned a recognizable image of class they had in fact, captured so beautifully with their big cars.
So, complaints over how this car rode, handled, accelerated, braked and performed on the track is utterly irrelevant to it’s successful style language. Folks who owned these cars didn’t rush. They let other people rush – to them.
In other words, it’s a disco-era Downton Abbey from Detroit (well, Wixom).
I’ve often thought that everyone now making luxury sedans follows the Germanic model of subtle understatement, and that Lincoln should try catering to the customer looking over-the-top flashiness.
Don’t even bother to make the interior, let alone the engineering any different than the Ford Titanium models; you can enjoy all the comforts and technology in either, Sir, but do you wish to boast or not?
You don’t need to sell me on these. My father’s 78 Town Coupe was my favorite of his many cars. These things had presence. These may not have been built to the standards of the suicide door Lincolns, but for their era, these stood head and shoulders above any other US car.
These Lincolns were making serious inroads on Cadillac back then. I got to drive both these and the 77-78 Cadillac when they were new. The smaller Cadillac with the 425 was faster, but the Lincoln felt more regal as it drove. It was one of the few times that Lincoln managed to out-do Cadillac in that “heavy and substantial feel” that GM was always so good at. Plus, these things were simply so quiet.
My only qualm on the 79 CS car is the requirement to settle for the 400 engine for power. This is why I would prefer the 78 model. Also, I can do without the gold grille. However, these always looked best without the opera windows.
There was an older guy who drove one of these around my neighborhood up until a few years ago. I always harbored a secret desire to buy the car from him, but I never saw it for sale. This is a car that remains on my Bucket List. If for no other reason, to reply to everyone who thinks a Panther is a big car: “No, THIS is a big car.”
The 77-79 Mark V sure gave the Eldorado a run for it’s money, even I prefer the Marks V to the 71-78 Eldorado as a closed car (I would gladly take a convertible any day). Overall, though, Cadillac sales peaked in the late 70s so I am not sure how much was taken away, probably something like the trimmer Cadillac deVilles, Sevilles, and for 79, Eldorados were well received and brought in new buyers, while Lincoln probably picked up a few die hards holdouts that wanted the biggest land yacht. Fast forward about 7-8 years and that was probably very true.
Someone needs to snap up that gray ’13 MKS! 🙂
Purely anecdotal, but I knew several former Cadillac customers who switched to Lincolns in the second half of the 70s. However, times were good and there were also people who had always aspired to a Cadillac who got their first in this era. that segment was certainly growing in those years. However, Lincoln had become a legitimate choice in the late 70s, something that had not been true a decade earlier when it was more of a niche car.
Though Cadillac always split a good number of coupe buyers, because it sold a lot of Eldorado AND a lot of Coupe deVilles, where Lincoln sold LOTS of Marks, but hardly any Town Coupes.
I know a lady wanting to sale a 79 Lincoln with 81,000 original miles been in storage. What is it worth?
I think these big battle cruiser sedans have a gravity about them that the companion coupes of that period lack. Make mine a Town Sedan though- those portholes in the rear sail panels are such a cool period touch!
I’m not a fan of 70s Lincolns but at least it looked like a Lincoln .I’d never have guessed the car in the foreground of the last picture was a Lincoln unless I was told.I can see Lincoln heading to death row before long unless there’s some more inspiring cars to be made
The Sunday car, a lost art. We still do that since the CTS is not driven except on special occasions but I don’t really know anyone that does that.
The glass roof on the Continentals was a unique item that I never saw on another car. Unlike a regular sunroof, it was a canopy roof where fixed glass covered a large portion of the front of the roof.
http://automotivemileposts.com/lincoln/lincoln1977fixedmoonroof.html
Lincoln was able to get away with the behemoth cars in 78 & 79 even with CAFE but to the introduction of smaller cars but for 1980 things got stricter and something hand to give. Interestingly while these Lincolns gave bad economy the 1980 Lincolns had the best of the luxury line.
I don’t think it was mentioned, but the grilles were gold tone as well as can be seen in the pics. The Lincoln Mark V Collector’s seems to have a few more tricks than the Continentals. I would be hard pressed to decide whether I like these or the Diamond Jubilee Marks best.
Several years ago, I went to look at a Collector’s Mark that was for sale nearby our house, it was low mileage and the story behind it was sold parked at a gas station the owner went out and bought a new 89 or 90 FWD Continental. What a change that must have been!
As far as comparison today, yes I will lead the parade in saying that most cars today are clearly not as distinctive as cars of yore. As a veteran industry employee, you better believe that that fact is not lost on today’s designers. Design is an art form and while style is always subjective, the designers and marketers WANT distinctive. Today, so much of a car is a compromise between the needs of regulation, efficiency and the greater march to keep costs in line. These old Lincolns were built during the waning days when little stood in the way of design. Yes they wore battle ram bumpers and their FE V8s were choked, but all the tradition that made American cars so iconic was still there. The 90s Lincolns that we discussed in the previous article were great looking cars and sold well hitting the sweet spot between retaining a distinctive design with modern needs. But still, you can see it was a compromise.
I have read that Lincoln was having big-time trouble at the outset of CAFE. Ford’s small car line (Pinto) was not selling well enough to offset the surging big car sales. This was the reason the 460 was axed for 1979.
BTW, neither the 400 nor the 460 was an FE engine. That family had come out in the late 50s, and its last iteration was the 428 of the late 60s. The Lima/385 series was the successor big block and came as a 429 and a 460. The 335 series engine (based on the 351 Cleveland) served as the basis for the 400, which was made to be more efficient than the big 385 engines. Actually, I don’t think there was ever an FE engine in a Lincoln (FE stood for “Ford Edsel”). Lincolns used the bigger “MEL” engine (“Mercury Edsel Lincoln”) first as the 430 from 1958-65, then the 462 in 1966-67.
Bigger boats need bigger boat anchors, hence the MEL instead of the FE.
Yea I wrote the reply off the cuff so I am not surprised I came up on the wrong side of that.
Ford was going to hit a wall with CAFE in the late 1970s, but from what I understand from back then, with the popularity of the Fairmont, Mustang II, and all of the various other small cars it offset the rather smallest (at the time) Lincoln sales. Figuring CAFE was a complicated formula that also involved some ability to earn “credits” that could be applied in a previous year or future years. Not unlike carry forwards in taxes or carbon offsets. CAFE fines were calculated after the following MY was commenced so that the EPA can establish a trend. Part of the problem with the calculations was that it was also based off of expected volume. CAFE legislation was passed in 1975 for a MY1978 effective date so the manufacturers knew what was coming. After OPEC I, gas prices and supply stabilized and people started to buy big again. The problem is, like with many things, the buying public responds much faster than is practically feasible in manufacturing and people of course loved the big Lincolns, and everything else at the time. Then OPEC II came again and the cycle started all over again. Then by 1982 supply stabilized again, prices began to fall dramatically, the economy picked up and people bought big again. Then by 1986 gas was a buck, interest rates were half what they were 5 years ago, the economy was booming and people wanted to know why there were small cars??
Just in time for the E-body disaster. CAFE is not really the smartest way of doing this, but we keep slaming our heads agains the same brick wall again and again.
We agree. I read a week or two ago that the US is setting records for petroleum production and that we are poised to become a net exporter over the next few decades, yet we still have CAFE and the 1970s shortage-mindset.
Surprisingly, the 360 and 390 FE ran to at least 1975 in pickups.
Yes, the last picture says it all. A Lincoln was a Lincoln and there was no mistaking it for something else. Today we have blob styling, headlights in fenders, gun slit windows, arched roof lines, too little headroom in back, huge consoles, huge wheels, grey, black, white or red paint, mostly black interiors. A Lincoln looks like a Cadillac which looks like a BMW etc., etc.
The lack of headroom makes me even crazier than the stylistic timidity. What are big sedans for, if not big interiors?
I only rode on one of these beasts on one occasion. I was maybe 7 or 8 years old, and I was astounded at how much rear seat room it had. It was like a small opera house back there.
What does “luxury” mean? There will never be agreement on a definition, but there’s a good argument to be made that having enough room to stretch out is a requirement of true luxury. Once the American luxury brands couldn’t offer that anymore, what made them luxury cars? They’re still struggling to answer that question.
These have to be the squarest cars this side of a ’70s Aston Lagonda, and at least you could see the wheels on those things. I mean they always looked like furniture to me, like they were intended to be stationary. That one sat mostly still in Tom’s neighbor’s wood shop seems perfectly apt. 🙂
It’s great to see this car. One of my best friend’s mom had one of these in the blue with blue leather (such a perfect color/trim combo). She babied the car, and was reluctant to let anyone else drive it. I remember riding in it, and always enjoyed how big, comfortable and smoooooooth it was. She traded it in for an ’86 Town Car, which was OK, but nowhere near as nice. Sadly, at that time it was just a “big dinosaur” of a used car. Since her Collector’s Series was in immaculate shape with relatively low miles, I’ve always hoped that the right someone bought and babied that car rather than driving it into the ground.
There is a really high percentage of these cars that received just that treatment. There are a lot of very nice ones available to buy almost anywhere.
These really are insane vehicles, but I love them for that. Speaking as a proud former owner of a ’68 Continental, these beasts made it look like a toy.
My personal favorite touch is the hidden headlights, which seem to exist for no other reason than because they can. The way the overall design seems to sneer at the very concept of aerodynamics is another endearing trait.
I guess it is once again worth noting that even North Korea considers this the go-to vehicle for sheer presence (well, theirs apparently are ’76’s, but still):
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011/12/mystery-of-the-north-korean-lincoln-solved/
I remember seeing the shot of the KimJong Lincoln limo on a news clip and doing a double take…..whaaaaa?
Those Lincolns have been around in N Korea probably since new. Those same cars were used for the elder Kim’s funeral in 1994. The picture below is from some snapshot back when the elder Kim was alive you can see the extreme corner of the Lincoln in the top left. Last year I read something about those Lincoln’s making their way into N Korea via China in the mid/late 70s. When relations between the US and China began to thaw things started to get imported, of course most of N Korean trade is with China so it makes for a logical means.
Remember that back then, huge American cars were still popular with people around the world who could really have cared less about things such as MPG and space efficiency. The Saudis were big buyers of everything huge and GM, especially Cadillacs.
That is no lie the Suburban sells roughly 10-15% of its volume overseas. (The extended model not the shorter Tahoe).
http://www.drivearabia.com/news/2011/08/22/saudi-arabias-oldest-chevrolet-suburban-is-a-gmc/
Apparently the Suburban is specifically popular within Saudi Arabia due to certain requirements to drive into Mecca for pilgrimage purposes.
In 2011, AC DELCO opened a local parts office in Luanda, Angola just to handle the demand for parts for GM trucks and SUVs. Previously, southern Africa had been serviced out of South Africa, usually Cape Town, but demand was so great and now that transportation costs have come down, they fly the parts straight into Angola.
I had a short visit to Pyonyang in 2004 (that’s a whole other story) and the party brass could be seen zipping around in 1970’s S Class Mercedes Benz cars. The windows were blacked out and the traffic cops (there is one at every intersection) waved them through no matter if the light was red or not. It didn’t really matter since the only other traffic was an occasional trolley bus plodding along since it was packed to the rafters.
I tried to take a picture but our handler made it very clear that was not appropriate.
I loved these cars. My father was an engineer at Ford and up until 1980 he got a company car. He knew the car benefit was being removed so he tried to get a Mark V as his last car. Unfortunately, Ford removed the ’79 Mark V from employee eligibility because they were selling every last one.
Even now the Mark V looks amazing to me – barge size and all.
I don’t understand why the talking heads at Ford thought a grill design going back to the 40’s Zephyr would somehow be more acknowledged that a version of the 70’s waterfall grill. No, it didn’t have to be tall and over stated, yet it could have been modernized.
The 77-79 Lincoln Mark V was more or less the original design for the 72 Lincoln Mark IV. Apparently the design of the Marks were caught up in the internal politics at the time during the short tenure of Bunkie Knudsen as president of Ford. From what I have come to understand, there were two competing designs for the Mark IV, the one that became the Mark IV and one that more or less became the Mark V. The cleaner Mark V design apparently was slightly more popular but Knudsen chose the Mark IV design over the objections of Iacocca and others. By the time that Bunkie was given the boot, it was too late to alter the Mark IV design. After the Mark IV came out and planning began on the Mark V, the old alternative design was pulled out and became the basis of Mark V.
Oh how I miss my 77 Town Car. It was White over White with the whorehouse burgundy velour interior with the chrome plated aluminum wheels. A friend of mine called it my Deep Ride. George Wallace when he was elected the final time as Governor of Alabama in 1982 wanted the extra room of one of these so the state put out a search for a good used one as opposed to getting him a new panther body for his official state vehicle. I remember shaking his hand during a campaign stop as he was sitting in the back of I believe a jet black 77. My 77 I bought in 1987 for I believe 1700.00 and sold in 1998 for 1100.00. Would have probably kept except the funky carb. was giving me problems and was 700.00 plus dollars to replace. The rear window under the Vinyl Roof was also rusting out. But what a car to ride in and drive, even though it was huge you could see all 4 corners from the drivers seat which made driving not that hard. Fuel economy was really not that terrible compared to the SUV’s and pickups that have taken its place in the real scheme of things. If I remember right it got around 12 to 15 on the highway. Of course it was also tougher than most pickups are now. I remember pulling stumps and hauling rocks with mine. It also survived a hailstorm with no dings where a friends Suburban which was sitting next to it did not fare nearly as well. My 96 Fleetwood, though close, still does not have the presence that my 77 Town Car did.
One of the reasons for the massive explosion in truck sales over the past 30 or so years is because cars have become to weak too do anything serious for the most part.
This car is in great condition. Even the hidden headlight doors are fully closed. Tom, do you have any idea what the asking price was?
I am not sure if it was for sale. The dealership has owned it for years; it was on display at the regional auto show in 2012 alongside the new models. As I recall it has extremely low mileage.
I have the brochure for this car. I always have to laugh that you got a special umbrella when you purchased this car new. Just an odd giveaway to me. Guess Lincoln thought of everything.
Rolls-Royce still includes a custom matching umbrella on new cars. The 1980 Regal Somerset package also included a matching umbrella with a special slot for it in the passenger seatback bag.
My Imperial originally came with a gift set. I do not have any of it aside from the key. There is a slot on the passenger side of the car under the dash for the umbrella (or any umbrella). A lot of the conveniences that we take for granted on today’s cars were available quite some time ago on top of the line cars. The 57-58 Eldorado Brougham super car has virtually everything that we think of today plus they had originally planned for it to have fuel injection (mechanical) and disc brakes but the engineering wasn’t there yet. If I am not mistaken, on all Lincolns of the day, you got a coupon with your owner’s manual that allowed you to order custom lettering to put on the door for your initials. Back then, people with money appreciated those touches.
Yes, it was towards the rear of the owners manual, there was a tear out that you could use to order little initial blocks for the door to personalize your Lincoln.
My dad received this very cool paperweight a few weeks after he bought a new 1969 Continental. Unlike the car, it was trouble-free; it remains so today.
That is SO COOL!
My Grandpa Bob got one of those when he bought his dark green Mark III. It sat on his desk for years.
I can imagine these turning up in secondhand/antique/junk shops, and people having no idea of their provenance.
Was this car on the same Lincoln lot as the 1986 Continental from the other day?
You can tell this is a well cared for example, the headlight doors are down when the car is off. I have a problem with these after 1977 though, the 78 dash becomes way way too LTD ish, you loose the real gauges, and then later, you loose the 460 too!
http://strietermotorlincoln.com/Davenport/For-Sale/Used/Lincoln/Continental/1986-4-Door-Sedan-Black-/18571159/
The 79 is not listed on the website but the 86 is above. They want $10k (well $9,900) of course that is pricey but if you probably offered $6 or $7k you would probably get it. They probably could make more off that car than 2 or 3 of the new ones. BUT the market is a lot more limited.
I do like the older dash as well, but given the limited driving nature of the car, the difference that I felt between a 460 and a 400 in a Mark V was not enough to refuse an otherwise perfect 79.
I’m very fond of the 76 model. It still has the older grille (I’m not as enamoured with the Rolls-Royce look-alike) and the rear end with vertical taillights is an improvement in my view. Plus, older dash with gauges.
plus thicker carpets, wood grain on the wheel, thicker glass, more ornate side trim
i want a 1975
Good eye Carmine, though I spotted the ’86 only a couple of weeks ago. The ’79 was shot last September.
Sorry, I’ll go with a coffin-nosed 1970-71, lighter, faster, sleeker,and with the high comp 460, much stronger.
I’d prefer a ’72 over a ’70-’71. No premium-gas requirement, the refreshed rear door shape, and the return of the bright front-to-rear fender top moldings are the main reasons.
Through an increasing string of bad choices I have passed up owning several of these, including a ’79 cherry red Town Coupe, and a ’78 medium gold Town Car with white top.
My personal preference would be a 1976 Town Car with a contrasting vinyl top. Something about the proportions of the coupes just seem off to me.
Where to begin…?
The 1979 Lincoln Continental Collector’s Series, a prime example of American luxury. Sure the Seville/Eldorado had the Trip Computer and the Mark V had the Miles-to-Empty display, but the Continental CS had a class and luxury all its own during 1979.
A neighbor of ours had one of these after trading in her ’77 Sedan de Ville. I, as a youngster, was, of course, infatuated and impressed beyong imagination; my mom, not so much. These cars will always represent an epitome of dignity and prestige, representing success and wealth in my midwestern childhood days. A young dreamer then, and perhaps now, who always yearned for a piece of the “American Dream”. Is there such a thing anymore?
I’ve since owned brand new cars including Mercedes and BMW. I suppose many dream of these German methods of transport as “success”, but for me they never quite carried the same feeling of accomplishment I think I was looking for.
Lord, give me the opportunity to find, purchase, and maintain storage for one of my childhood idolizations/fantasies. Perhaps this is the real definition of success: obtaining that which was unobtainable in the past but possible in the present.
As of Wednesday, June 19th, there is a Mark V Collector’s Series on ebay with 36,000 miles and an “asking” price of $11,000. If you live in Washington state, you’re close to it.
One of my all time favorite Lincolns and cars. Would love to have one in a dark color or pale blue or jade green, sans the gold grille or oversize whitewalls, please. Although I prefer the C/D Body Cadillacs to the Panther Town Cars once both GM and FoMoCo had downsized, in the 70s, I’d have preferred the Lincolns to the Cadillacs, they just seem more tasteful and better put together. My grandfather apparently agreed, after buying Cadillacs every 2-3 years from the late 50s until the late 60s, the 70s were almost all Lincolns, until a 1979-80 or so Cadillac (the first of his cars I remember riding in) replaced the last Lincoln. After that he went to the Grand Marquis for his last 3 cars.
Agree on that last picture looking like a disappointed parent staring in disbelief at his dishevelled offspring, this scene/quote came to mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4F4w58NNv0
Because a big Connie personified is nobody if not Jackie Gleason
Wow I love these cars and what they represent: as America grappled with its place in the world after the Vietnam era, these things stood proud to stake America’s place in the world.
I looked at a 1978 last year, the last with the 460. What a car, in blue (seems they were all blue) with blue velour. The quality on these cars was far better than the Cadillacs of the day; plastics held up much better and were of better quality to start with. The one I looked at was a real gem but I had no place to park it so I couldn’t buy it. I also realised that the 9 mpg in the city didn’t jive with gasoline at $1.30 a litre!
Canuck,
Curious…despite your love for the B-Body (which I share), are you suggesting that this was a better car? (At least, in terms of manufacture and build quality, if not fuel economy and handling) Interested.
Sure, the Lincoln was a better car that the B Body. It also cost a whole pile more, at least double.
A good comparison is my buddy’s 1978 Sedan DeVille and my 1979 MK V. The Cadillac’s interior is parts bin GM stuff, especially stuff like B pillar moldings. After 35 years, it is chalky. The petro-wood is peeling off the dash. The carpets are not up to the grade of the Lincoln. The MKV has much better seats. The materials on the Lincoln were simply better.
As for driving, the Caddy is better. It is vintage B body, which is what a C body is anyway, just a little longer. The brakes on the Lincoln are much better, 4 wheel disks.
I like the B body for what it was, a good driving family car that most people at the time could afford. That didn’t, in my opinion, make it a good luxury car so if I were hypothetical in the market for a 1979 Land Yacht, I would have probably chosen the Lincoln.
Cadillacs were C-bodies, its a Mexican stand off, do you want the “cheap” B-pillar moldings in the Cadillac or stare the Pinto grade steering wheel in the Lincoln every day….
Thanks. I should have been specific, I was speaking more of the top of the line C-Bodies…the Cadillac, the Electra, and the 98. It seems to me that they lacked more than just the Lincoln’s size. And I wonder how a 98 vs. ’77-78 Mercury Marquis of that vintage would compare, too.
I’ve never driven or even ridden in a late 70s Lincoln. It definitely “looks” better in terms of materials inside than the Cadillac of the same era (I currently drive a ’77 C-Body Electra 225, the interior materials are not that great…they seem to be what I’d expect in an Impala and are not as nice as the materials in either of my former CCs, the ’87 Cadillac Brougham or ’87 LTD Crown Victoria). Everything is plastic and falling apart.
I’m not sure about comparing ’76-’76 Cadillac-Lincolns but from the photos and brochures it does look like once Cadillac downsized the Lincoln was a lot more bang for the buck in comparison and not just in size.
Carmine, I think I’d take a Pinto steering wheel over the shreddy velour I have in my Electra. I really expected more from even the base model top of the line Buick. I’d say it’s the one complaint I have about the car, it is just one step above the all-vinyl seats in my parents’ 1984 Honda Civic hatchback from back when.
Lincoln does look beautiful though, I’d love to drive one or a similar vintage Mercury Marquis, grander than any “Grand” Marquis that followed
Not gonna let that Pinto steering wheel go, are you. Still, the Lincoln driver got to hold the Pinto steering wheel in a car where the auto temp unit still worked. 🙂
It’s a Lincoln grade steering wheel in a Pinto! 🙂
Its also the same wheel in my F100 Custom…..
They’re both parts bin cars. Put that Lincoln on a lift next to a 1978 LTD or Grand Marquis, and there isn’t a dimes worth of difference. Plenty of the interior stuff is the same, especially on a Grand Marquis. Pretty sure my Cougar used the same column and, aside from a different hub logo (XR7 versus Lincoln), steering wheel. My father’s Marquis was, mechanically, identical to the Lincoln, with a 4bbl 460.
At least the Cadillac still used a Cadillac engine to 1979.
> “the most collectible four-door Lincoln of the Seventies”
This may be the first time all those words have appeared together in the same sentence. 🙂
“Thanks CAFE”
No, thank GM for starting to downsize their tanks before CAFE was made law. Also, there was huge public pressure for better MPG out of ‘family cars’. After OPEC embargo, 9 mpg, 5000 lb. cars were dinosaurs. Younger adult buyers were not interested in them.
By 1984-86, ‘loyal’ big car owners, who swore they would keep their big 70’s tanks ‘forever’ got used to the size of Ford Panthers. Thus, sales took off, and 70’s big cars went to demo derbies.
I would have to agree with this since the 1970s land barges really got to the limit of their excesses. With higher oil prices, the writing was on the wall as a mainstream car even before 1973. The cars were just too big and thirsty. Look how people rave about Panthers and B bodies: they just drove a lot better because the weren’t so huge and softly sprung.
That said, we still have lots of land-yachts, pick-up trucks being the biggest sellers in America by a longshot. Sure they get better fuel mileage than the land beasts no nowhere near as good as a Fusion or Camry.
And you know, if I lived in northern Alberta, I would have a pick-up, too.
I agree with this, too. I remember my parents purchasing a 1976 Odsmobile Delta 88 Royale Holiday sedan in early 1977. My mother, in particular, didn’t like the new downsized GM full-size cars – they were “too small” and “too square.”
Within two years, my mother wanted a brand-new Delta 88, and my parents finally bought a year-old 1982 Delta 88 Royale sedan from one my father’s co-workers in 1983 (his wife wanted a Ninety-Eight). They loved it, and my parents never looked back.
As much as I love the Mark VII, that 79 really is the last great Lincoln.
It’s a very nice car, but the (factory?) gold bars on the chunky grille are all kinds of late 70s cheesy.
Up until around ’74 these full-sized Lincolns had that boring Mercury roofline. Sales were zilch in Calif. though you did see a lot of Mark IVs.
Then, like a binge drinker at an open bar, things escalated quickly. Ford went nuts with a shot of this and a shot of that. It must have been like the end of the Roman empire over in the Lincoln design studio.
As if the Romanesque side window treatment wasn’t enough they added a half vinyl roof AND opera windows, on a 4-door! There was bright work everywhere, even the moldings had moldings.
The big Lincoln was obscene and made the ’77 Fleetwood Brougham look positively svelte. What perfect timing for GM.
Never drove one and have wondered if they were the real deal or more like a Tuscany McMansion, all drywall and brick-veneer over styrofoam. I know for sure the downsized Cadillacs were rock solid, no filler.
I recall not really liking the 1975 Continental redesign. I am also quite certain that the opera windows were optional equipment. They had started as optional on the 72 Mark IV, but became universal almost immediately. I didn’t like the 1975 roof, didn’t like the 1977 tall skinny grille, and didn’t like the 1978 skimpy fender skirts or the Marquis-grade dash. But each change that made the car less appealing to me (who loved the 1972-74 years) made the car wildly successful with those buying.
I have driven these. They feel more substantial than the LTDs or Marquis did. They were tight and quiet and everything operated smoothly. The feel and sound of the doors, and everything you touched in these (with the possible exception of the steering wheel that Carmine keeps bringing up) felt like good stuff for the day. These were well rustproofed and stood up to normal use very well. I think in hindsight, these were the best big cars to come out of the 1970s. I thought the 74-78 Imperial/New Yorker was prettier, but it did not feel as good and was not as smooth or quiet. The Chryslers also had the miserable lean burn to contend with. I have always thought that the 71-76 GM C bodies had fabulous mechanicals in an awful body structure with low-grade trim. The 77-79 DeVille and Fleetwood was a good structure, but did not feel as substantial as the Lincoln. The 77 Fleetwood I drove seemed quieter and had a softer, more isolated ride than I remember in later Cadillacs, starting in maybe 1979. The interiors, to me, did not feel as good.
I never drove one but was a passenger once and remember a few of the things you mentioned JPC. Like how quiet the Lincolns were and I agree more so than with Caddys but i think that’s because Lincolns always had the velour interiors when I was in them. Cloth makes cars quieter.
I’ve mentioned before that the power seat motors, power door lock actuators and power window switches feel more silky in the Lincoln. GM power seats and door locks are famous for disturbing the peace but feel like they will last for generations. I wonder now as I did then how well those quieter parts on the Lincolns are holding up.
Everything is still tight on my FWB and it’s 27 years old. Even the opera lamps work. And that Lincoln may be a tad quieter but it ain’t going to beat my Caddy in ride or especially handling. Porpoising around town isn’t cool and you don’t need to do that in a Caddy.
conflicted on these cars….love the styling of the 1977+ – hate how ford cheapened everything though from 1975.
a) thinner carpets
b) less bodyside trim- less ornate bodyside trim
c) thinner glass
d) wood trim gone from steering wheel
e) loss of metal trim of gas/brake pedals
f) door pulls for the rear passengers….and etc
etc…..I guess I would go for a 1979 CS series- but the gas/brake pedals have to go
I think it was all CAFE related. I have posted on there before wondering how they were able to get the curb weight from almost 5400# in 1975 down to 4700# by 1979, without downsizing. It had to be due to the incremental changes you describe. My theory is that the LTD dash stamping was also lighter, which prompted them to use it. I also hear they switched to aluminum bumpers and put holes in the frame. Also, the 335 series engine weighs less than the 460.
even the thinner carpets? what about the white trim on the bumper guards- or the black paint on the side mirrors? gone by 1977- I think they would fall under cost cutting
Can you believe that Nader was even against bright trim pedals? He claimed people’s feet could slip on the metal. He was also against power windows (could choke children, you know), cruise control (lulls drivers to sleep..tsk tsk), AC (fuel consumption and maintenance, scandalous!) tinted glass (reduced night vision) and lots of other stuff. I remember one now laughable quote from one of books, re AC. He predicted that once people found out how much cost to maintain and how much it used, the take rate would drastically dwindle in the future.
A long time ago I think I read somewhere (maybe Brock Yates in Car and Driver) that Ralph Nader doesn’t drive.
He refuses, until someone makes a car that can survive a 60mph impact against a solid wall, even though most humans wouldn’t survive such rapid deceleration……
Which really just goes to show how ignorant, and ultimately irrelevant, the man is. His first book (which I read in the school library) drew people’s attention to things that need to be said regarding safety, but has he done anything worthwhile since, or is he just a professional bandwagon-jumper?
I’m pretty sure he has jumped up and down, condescended to people, and stomped his feet. Otherwise…not really.
I find it mildly hilarious that Lincoln was selling its largely conservative and aging customer base a pimptastic gold grille under the guise of it being “collectible”.
I liked the 77 Lincoln better than the last two years of the big bodied car (78-79) all because of the dash. I did not care for the Mercury dash those last two years. The car pictured was my favorite color, except for that gold grill.
That newer Lincoln has nothing in common with the older and is the reason Lincoln really isn’t important anymore.
I always thought the dash change for 1977-78 was an odd move. The previous dash had been in use since 1971 (1970?) with minor mods, so its tooling must have been as fully amortized as any other part of that platform. Did it cost that much more to install an ammeter and a temp gauge? I guess Ford assumed its customer base wouldn’t care.
I really want to like these cars but I have tried to live with one (a ’77), and the bad handling, ignition gremlins and single-digit MPG are hard to put up with.
I’m not 100 percent certain, but I think the ’78/’79 Continental sedan dash was very similar to the Ford LTD dash of the same vintage. I like this dash as it looked more modern, I think.
And yes, with the a/c on, in the city, these things were very hard-pressed to see a double-digit mpg.
with the a/c off these cars have trouble getting double digits
After my cousin spent a couple hours with a carb kit and distributor weights, my father’s 78 Grand Marquis was good for 14-16, despite my father’s usual 70-75mph speeds. Might also have had the catalyst deleted, not sure.
I never had trouble with the ignition of my 1978- different design?
In addition to dark blue, white, and silver, there was a light blue available, as well.
^ This would be the one I’d want most of all. I love big cars in a light–but not TOO light–blue. Followed by black or jade green.
I had a 79. Great solid comfortable impressive looking car. I loved it.
My parents had 2 Marks, a 75 Mark IV & a 78 Mark V, both had the 460 motor. I was too young to drive the Mark IV but I learned to drive on the Mark V. I never really cared for the 4, wasn’t crazy about the color, but I remember it having an armrest in back that the Mark V didn’t have. The V was a Bill Blass edition and was a beautiful car. During my junior & senior years in high school, my mom car pooled to work 40 miles away & my dad was a traveling salesman. When it was moms week to drive the car pool she drive dads car & dad took my car & I drove the V to school. I’d hate it at 1st because of gas mileage but by Thursday I found myself not wanting to switch back into the Nissan because I loved that Lincoln ride. I hated when they traded that car. I bought a 76 Cadillac Coupe Deville from my uncle and find myself comparing the 2 cars. I give it to the Lincoln, think it handles better & was quieter, however, the Coupe is nice also. Oh, my parents IV had a host of electrical problems which made the trade for the V, they bought both brand new.
I have one of these big boats that have not seen any rain since it was new all original just 16000 miles stored for the first 25 years in a heated garage leather tool pouch went missing when car went for service some a few back if anyone know where I can obtain one love to hear from you
I have had 3 two 79s And a 78. still have a 1979 collectors series dark blue leather seats take it out on weekends I’m the 2nd owner of it.
My dad bought a 78 Town Car right out of the show room. It was a leftover that he bought in early 79, ice blue metallic, blue leather with a 460. I was about 7 years old when he bought it. He’s had tons of vehicles mostly big cars – Cadillacs, Lincolns, Buicks, but that 78 was my favorite, especially after he put the wire wheels on it. One of the most comfortable and best riding cars ever made. And the 460 was no joke. Plenty of power and longevity. Unfortunately the steel mill went through big lay offs in the early 80’s and he had to sell it and buy a 74 Coupe DeVille (nice car but nothing like the Town Car)
Built in 8 track player…
[imagine the voice of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman in “the Four Yorkshiremen” sketch]
Luxury.
Big and brash, what a way to go out! I’d still rather have a ’79 Cadillac DeVille though.
The de Ville is a much better car, on the new B-body chassis.
Honestly…in 1978, I’ll take a Fury over any of them.
I almost like a half-vinyl roof on some coupes, but it just looks dorky on a four door, which is odd, since it’s a more accurate aping of the upper crust’s chauffeured town cars of the 20-30’s. Not enough room on the B pillar is only part of the problem.
The ’79 gas crisis didn’t really start until late spring, so there were well over 6 months of sales before it scared everyone like COVID. At 18, I had a summer job in DC as a clerk/typist with the part of DoE that helped make it worse with price and supply controls. Lots of desperate phone calls from wholesalers trying to figure out their required new emergency allocation paperwork, while the one guy who understood it went on vacation!
I don’t want to like it, but there’s a real sense of presence, an undeniable stateliness about this car, without it being gauche. That’s hard to bring off.
> The only concession to CAFE was the departure of the big-block 460 CID V8–all Continentals had to make do with the 400 CID engine.
There was one other concession: the cheaper-looking standard Ford/Mercury dash that replaced the original wall-like Lincoln-specific dash used from 1970-1977. The Ford dash apparently used plastic in its structure in places where the original Lincoln dash used metal and they needed to cut weight. I suppose leaving off most of the rear wheel skirts saved a few pounds too.
This generation of Continental peaked in 1975-76 IMO.