When I was a youngster dreaming of owning my first car, part of that fantasy often included a custom or “vanity” license plate. I’m mentally running through a list of some of the alphanumeric combinations I had dreamed about: “JVLN AMX”, “69 CHVL”, and a few others. If I remember correctly, vanity plates in Michigan allowed for up eight characters, including spaces. This was around the early ’90s, which is when I became a licensed driver.
I would also spend a lot of time sketching cars in my free time, as my teenage dream career of the future was to be a car designer. These drawings often included custom plates which included model year and/or the name I had come up with. While I enjoyed drawing cars, a young Ed Welburn or Chuck Jordan I was never going to be, so while I’ve kept many of my drawings, none of them are currently displayed anywhere in my home.
This creampuff of a Lincoln Continental was situated in the parking lot of my favorite, local coffee roastery last fall. I walk past Metropolis Coffee Company on my way to and from the CTA Red Line train, and I can count fingers on more than one hand the number of times a car or truck I’ve spotted there has contributed to me being late in getting somewhere. To be clear, I accept full responsibility for my tardiness in those instances. If I wasn’t always trying to engineer every last minute of efficiency in the use of my time (procrastinating) and would leave well in advance of what would be a reasonable ETA, stopping for five or ten minutes to take some pictures wouldn’t throw off my punctuality under normal circumstances.
A couple of things about this car jumped immediately out at me from my peripheral vision while I strode decisively toward my morning train that day. First, there was its sheer size. It doesn’t matter that my eyes were aimed ahead toward the station two blocks away with almost like laser-like focus. This Town Coup-ay didn’t need to be painted in some outlandish color for me to notice it out of the corner of my left eye. You think a Buick Electra 225 that originally measured in at that many inches from bumper-to-bumper is a big car? This two-door Lincoln is a full eight inches longer than that, at 233″ from stem to stern. To be fair, the downsized ’77 Electra 225 four-door measured in at only 222.1″ long – but still. This Lincoln is a lotta car. A lot of two-door car.
I immediately gave kudos mentally to its owner for having parked it not only facing forward, but also solidly between the yellow lines. Impressive. Notice also how many inches feet the front of this car protrudes from its demarcated space. This was a parking job that could have been the handiwork of an experienced valet. It was from its front, three-quarter angle that I noticed the custom plate out front, which read: “76 302”. I didn’t really think much of those numbers when snapping these pictures, but I do remember being thankful that they probably provided some clues about this car that would eliminate a license plate search. Or, did they?
The Continental Town Car and Coupé were restyled up front with a much more vertical, radiator-style grille for ’77. It’s entirely possible that this dove gray beauty rolled off the line at Wixom Assembly in the fall of ’76, so those first two digits aren’t necessarily problematic, even if slightly misleading. It’s the “302” that threw me for a loop. I’m not the Lincoln expert by a long shot, but I am adept at searching for information, both online and on physical pages. Even if I wouldn’t have bet my entire “Final Jeopardy” fortune on guessing what was under the hood, the fact that the most powerful, same-year Mustang II had a 302 (and was still somewhat underpowered) caused me to raise an eyebrow when considering that this two-and-a-half ton Lincoln may be powered by Ford’s 4.9L mill.
A 400-cubic inch V8 with 179 horsepower was standard for all big Lincolns that year (including the Continental Mark V), with a 208-hp 460 being optional. In fact, the 302 (with no more than 137 horsepower for ’77) wasn’t offered even in the Ford Granada-based Versailles, which had a 135-horse 351 as the only engine available for it that year. The 302 would become standard for the Versailles for ’78, continuing though that model’s final year of 1980.
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car & Coupé brochure page, courtesy of www.oldcarbrochures.com
Thinking about the Lincoln Continental’s place in the North American marketplace often leads me to comparisons with Cadillac’s comparable DeVille series. Much like Lincoln did with denoting “Town Car” as the four-door and “Town Coupé” as the two-door, Cadillac did something similar with the nomenclature of its “Sedan” and “Coupe” Deville. That GM’s mainstream luxury make and model was “right-sized” for ’77 has been covered at CC before, but in looking at production figures of both the Lincoln and Cadillac before the latter’s big shrink, there was one clear trend. By the mid-’70s, more Cadillac buyers preferred their DeVilles as coupes, and more Lincoln buyers preferred their non-Mark Continentals as four-doors.
Following ’73, where almost as many Sedan deVilles (103,000) found buyers as Coupe deVilles (113,000), the ratio of the latter to the former was almost 2:1 the very next year. There was no such contest at Lincoln. With the exception of model year ’75 (21,000 coupes to 33,000 sedans), most model years saw the two-doors comprising a much lower fraction of non-Mark Continental production. Aesthetics are always subjective, but I honestly don’t think the two-door Cadillac looks any more “coupe”-like than its Lincoln counterpart, and both vehicles have their big-car charms. The same goes for the four-door versions of both rivals. I don’t see the basic styling of either vehicle being more or less suitable as a big sedan.
It’s a cloudy day outside my windows as I write this. The peaceful color of the dimly lit noon sky seems to echo the pretty dove gray finish of our featured car. I imagine that this Lincoln positively floats over uneven surfaces, and that the interior envelops its occupants in creamy, cumulus-like comfort. Hopefully, this car is parked in a secure, dry garage while its owner awaits his or her next opportunity to fire up its mighty 460. If I was its owner, though, I might occasionally find myself practicing a little “social distancing” in its garage, behind the wheel, cradled in this two-door expression of some of the finest automotive luxury the 1970s had to offer.
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019.
My mother had a ’77 Town Car for a few years.
I remember “floating” down the road many times. I also remember it got about 8 MPG.
In 1983, she jumped over to the GM side of the fence and bought a “boat of a different color”, a Ninety Eight Regency Brougham sedan.
Great write up! I’m hoping he has a hotted up 302 under the hood…
It would look like a (blue painted) penny at the bottom of a coffee can! Imagine all the wasted space!
Town coupe and Town car was a trim/option package offered on the Continental sedan or coupe. It included vinyl roof ,coach lamps,twin 6 way power pillow sofa seats,deluxe door panels,power vent windows,color key body side mouldings and either cast turbine or forged aluminum wheels. That being said you’d be hard pressed to find a basic Continental coupe in the wild. TownCar became a model in 81.
The person who bought this car new may have declined the alloy wheels.I recall during this period folks were worried if the wheels could withstand pot holes and tire shops were loathe to touch them with the equipment of the day.
I love your thoughtful and poetic closings on your stories
I do not believe the alloys were standard on the Town Car/Coupe – although they were seen quite commonly. My father’s 78 did not have them. I could see him not popping for the more expensive wheels, but he definitely would not have done a credit delete to get cheaper than standard wheels.
I was thinking how good the car would look with those classic Lincoln forged aluminum wheels. maybe whoever owns it can hunt down a set of the smooth surfaced or even the late 70’s turbine style. they’re both beautiful and really just ‘belong’ on these cars.
You are right JP. I dug out my 77 Continental brochure when I got home. Alloy wheels are not included in the TownCar/Coupe pkg. l may have confused them with the standard turbines on the 79 collector series. I may need to refrain from typing before I have any coffee at that ungodly early hour.🙂
Thank you for the clarification, Rich. I’m trying to remember if or when I’ve ever seen a Continental of this vintage without the “Town” package. Perhaps the base Continental could be compared to Cadillac’s previous “Calais” series that ended after ’76.
“…twin 6 way power pillow sofa seats…”
I think you mean..
Twin Comfort Lounge Seats
You are correct Michael. I should have looked up the the trade name for the seats before I commented. I sorta made that up as I typed because my Lincoln has those pillow sections in the seats and feels like sitting on a sofa.
Twin comfort lounge seats. The piano and singer extra cost option.
I’m a Cadillac guy through & through. But oh baby have I always had a thing for these big Lincolns most especially era: 1974-1979 and once again in the late ’80s.
Man is she a beauty, and I love that Dove Grey. wow.
“I imagine that this Lincoln positively floats over uneven surfaces, and that the interior envelops its occupants in creamy, cumulus-like comfort.”
That is a very accurate description. Years ago, when I first started my career, I was in Kansas City with a coworker for some now unknown reason. Anyway, we drove to some obscure residence to meet a friend of his (“work” wasn’t on my coworkers mind). Both wanted to eat barbecue so we all piled in the guy’s 1979 Lincoln Continental sedan and drove to some absolute hole in the wall restaurant with some amazing food.
While that Lincoln had the 400, it pulled us along nicely, the a/c could have been used in a meat locker, and the ride was one of the smoothest I’ve ever experienced. That Lincoln was almost eerily quiet inside, also. The ’75 Thunderbird I had at the time was extremely quiet but the Lincoln was even more so.
The survival rate for these Lincoln’s is quite amazing. I’ve seen two or three on the road in different places within the last twelve to eighteen months.
+1 I would def agree.
On Fridays & Sundays in those days… I was picked up in and dropped off by quite the array of vehicles back when i was in private school out in Indiana (Cedar Lake) (Chicago area was home-base)
some of the main vehicles were:
1973 Cadillac Eldorado (silver/white/black)
1973 Cadillac SDV (light blue metallic/white/white) (shown below)
1974? Oldsmobile Toronado (triple dk brown)
197? Chevrolet Vega (blue/black)
1970s one of those massive GMC motor-homes with the Toronado FWD setup and… a 1975 or ’76 triple chocolate Lincoln Continental Town Car.
I do recall when riding in the stately & luxurious Lincoln sedan that I felt like more of a little ‘big shot’ than I did in our own two Cadillacs 🙂 But pretty much equal to the Lincoln again whenever riding in our family friend’s 1974 Jasper Green Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.
On the Lincoln i remember most, the huge chocolate velour living room sized space where i always sat in the back. Additionally, the smooth, floating, dead silent ride and i just loved that rolling speedo.
I agree on all points. I can look in the regional classifieds at any time and find a dozen pristine 70s Lincolns for sale near me. These were reliable, well made and expensive cars sold to old people, a recipe for a high preservation rate.
Cedar Lake?
How weird; after years in southern CA my father’s company purchased a foundry called Hammond Valve (Hammond Ind.). My parents moved back there and bought a house in Cedar Lake (1983). It was a beautiful home on a private road (you could buy a lot of house in Cedar Lake at that time for a good price.). My parents had always had Cadillacs and my father’s most recent purchase was an Oldsmobile Toronado diesel that he ended up having a great experience with. His company car with Hammond Valve was a beautiful new Buick Park Avenue – their one and only Buick. Despite the beautiful home and the nice company car, adjusting to living in NW Indiana was a challenge. When mom got too uptight dad would take her into Chicago and buy her a fur coat at Evan’s Furs, or new furniture from Carson Pirie Scott. You know the drill …
After 3 years they were back in southern CA and Cadillacs.
Jason, I like the juxtaposition of riding to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a nice Lincoln like this one! I’ll say that some of the best tasting food I’ve ever eating has been in such establishments.
About survival rate, I’ll agree with you, Mark, and Seventeen Chariots. As far as the Curbside Classics I’ve seen in the north side of Chicago, I think this is maybe the third or fourth Continental of this vintage that I’ve written about. I’ll have to stop myself the next time I start writing about another one.
Don’t stop writing about these Lincolns! There is a specialness to them that just isn’t found in other cars. Many have tried, none have succeeded.
That’s a real beauty. I hope the owner is a Lincoln enthusiast and has the opportunity to take it to a few LCOC meets.
Wow Joe, you are really helping me celebrate a “Dad’s cars” week here on CC. I remember when Ford came out with that Dove Gray paint around 1976 or 77 – I really liked it. I was thoroughly sick of silver and this non-metallic light gray had a decidedly classic or retro vibe to it.
The other thing I loved was that short-lived whitewall size on tires – just 2 or 3 years on either side of 1980, if memory serves. Not all cars looked good in whitewalls by that time, but for those that did, these were nice.
I can also still remember being a little jarred by the look of the big Connie with a Mark V grille. I still think that a wider grille worked better on that “face”, but understand that I am in the minority here.
I associate that slightly oversize whitewall with Goodyear Arriva radials. I put a set on my ’76 Cutlass with super stock wheels and on my ’82 Delta 88 with the Olds wire covers. I thought they worked well on both. They were a sign of the times, sort of a last hurrah for whitewalls before going completely out of style.
JP, what’s funny about whitewalls is that they just seem so natural and normal to me, and not “retro” at all. Given the timeframe both you (and Dave B., below) have referenced for their brief resurgence in popularity, this would coincide with when my interest in cars would really take off as a young kid.
I think this shade of Dove Gray is graceful and really beautiful. It suits this car’s lines really well.
I bet it’s been over 20 years since I’ve owned a car with whitewall tires.
I’m assuming the owner kept and recycled his expensive vanity plate on his new vintage Lincoln after he traded his 76 Mustang for it.
I’d say it’s a step up.
From a mini-brougham, to a super-sized brougham.
Cruise around Chicago with this playing in the tape deck (I hear a little Blues Brothers vibe):
I have this compilation! Solid choice.
Of the 1970-’79 non-Mark series, my preference is for the 1970-’73 sedans, I had a 1970 forty years ago I really liked and enjoyed. With each restyle, especially the major 1975 of the greenhouse and rear quarters, the styling lost much of the finesse and subtle ‘coke’ bottle it had initially possessed. The blatant copy of the Fleetwood Brougham windows, B-pillar and quarters with those oval opera windows and the lose of the hardtop to opera windowed coupe diminished the appeal of both for me. As the styling became more severely rectangular and cliche interested turned elsewhere. The down-sized 1977 Cadillac Devilles and Fleetwoods were like a breath of fresh air. I still had the Imperial-continuation New York Brougham four door hardtop for another year to still enjoy as the luxury car in the configuration I most appreciated.
“the styling lost much of the finesse and subtle ‘coke’ bottle it had initially possessed”
The “coke bottle” (such as it was) was gone after 1971 on the sedans, though it stuck around through 74 on the coupes. I agree with you on the 75+ sedan roof – it was never as nice as on the earlier cars. The coupe weathered the 75 restyle the best of the pair.
I am with you on a preference for the earlier cars, though my sweet spot is the 72-73. And actually, the 74 has quite a lot of subtle charm to it – probably handling FoMoCo Bumper Disease as well as anything the company made that year.
This certainly must be a contender for the record of Largest Rear Quarter Panel EVER.
Evan, I’d be curious to know which year / make / model of car actually holds that distinction!
Joseph, as always another excellent write up on a totally beautiful car. About a year ago, a local Ford dealer had one parked in their lot. So on a Sunday, when the dealership was closed, I went to examine it. It was also a Town Coupe, but white with a red velour interior and red landau roof. It was a 1975 model, as it had the six section grill that looked more like it belonged on a Mercury. The interior was also graced with the much more appropriate full width Lincoln dash board.
Being a total Caddy fan (well when Caddy’s looked like Caddy’s), I always admired these Lincolns and though they were very nice indeed.
Additionally, I always found Dove Grey to be a beautiful, classy, elegant color.
Yesterday, I was roaming around the car dealer lots (as there’s really nothing else to do here in NJ thanks to Coronavirus), and stumbled into a Caddy lot. I saw both the new CT4 and the CT5. Neither of these cars have any presence or elegance to them. The CT5 was white with these really ugly red wheels (I’m sure they weren’t from the factory… or I hoped they weren’t). The Caddy SUVs and crossovers are just as boring and non elegant as well.
When stopping at the Lincoln dealership, I got a total appreciation for the Continental as it’s simply stunning IMHO. And, even though I am not a fan of SUVs or crossovers, I have to say the Lincoln ones are very nice and have an elegance to them. And beautifully styled interiors.
I guess I’m now more of a Lincoln fan.
If you want some pics of the 1975 Lincoln, I’d be happy to send them to you.
NJcarguy, thank you so much. I agree with you that the new Lincolns do definitely have an elegant presence. On my walk from the office to my evening trains home (from what seems like long ago, when I actually worked in my office downtown!), there was one intersection where there would usually be a new Continental parked that might have a livery vehicle.
My eyes were always drawn to its stylistic details, including those unique door handles that seem to jump out from the chrome trim on the side. Great looking cars.
The Dove Grey looks great on these cars, I’ve always liked it. I’ve seen a few modern cars, I think Audis, with something similar. I’ve pointed it out to my wife and she finds it sort of jarring on a modern car.
The ’77 Lincoln is the only convergence of this grill design with the full fender skirt and the last year for the Lincoln unique dash. If I were to choose from the ’77-’79 Lincolns, I’d take this one, but as others have mentioned, with the styled wheels.
The ’78 with the open rear wheel well looks surprisingly good for a late model cycle change, but I think it loses a bit of gravitas….
Credit to Lincoln for having their model in this ad pay homage to the then very popular NBC TV series Quincy, M.E. With her hat and outfit, she appears dressed exactly like actor Jack Klugman. 🙂
Excellent article, find, and pics Joseph. With the variety of contributors at Paul’s site your personal writing style stands out, and is much appreciated. And the way you always interact with your comment section is really thoughtful!
Given cars came in such a wide palette of colours in the 70s, silver and grey were relatively uncommon colours, even on luxury cars. And while the colour is popular today, I found silver (and grey) very refreshing choices then. Your photos reinforce that grey, like silver, can bring a great deal of elegance to a design. As a kid then, I found Lincolns or Cadillacs in these colours looked more classic and distinguished to me, than the typical black or navy blue. These colours being understated, always seemed more refined. Luxury was becoming more subtle, and these subdued colours helped these old school large cars fit in with the times. Thank you again for this!
Thanks, Daniel. The variety of “voices” among the writers here at Curbside are what make it so enjoyable both to read and to write for.
The gray shade of this car seems to successfully pull off the balance between being both light *and* stately. Not easy to do in light colors.
Thanks again Joseph. I really appreciated, and enjoyed this post. The third and fourth pics, with the Sovereign Apartments serving as a nice backdrop, are especially attractive.
Although this Lincoln continues some of the look of the 1961, it had grown over two feet longer. I just saw a perfect 1962 parked at a Brooklyn service station a couple days ago. Partly from being so low and partly from the simple flat sided rectangular body shape outlined in “chrome” it looked really long.
I have the same car,but its the town car!
No rust,74,000 orig miles. 400(351) 135 hp
EVERYTHING WORKS!!!
Its a blast to drive around town. Now that gas $$ is cheap im driving more. She is a Garage queen
The main complaint I have is the ,77-79 Lincoln’s should of all been Standard 460 engines , they ruined them putting 400s in a lot of them and all the 79 were 400s ! If people were worried about gas which was still cheap they had no business driving them , The Big 460s is what made them card , Greatest Luxury Engine Ever Made !
Between the 1973 energy crisis (and the 1974-75 recession that followed in its wake) and the 1975 CAFE legislation that took effect in 1978 it left Ford with little choice unless they were willing to charge a gas guzzler tax on these cars.
Great comments, fellas! I love these tanks. They have class. I agree that the CT4 and CT5 do not blare CADILLAC at you when you see them. Likewise, the current big Jaguar just looks like another upscale card on the road similar to mid-range cars on the road and definitely does not blare JAGUAR. I was happy when Lexus introduced a distinctive grille so that you know that it is a Lexus.
Definitely agree on Jaguar. In 2017, I bought what I think is the last “classic” looking Jag.
Re: the 1975-79 Continentals, I see them as latter-day counterparts to the late ’20s-early ’30s big luxury cars like Packard, Marmon, Peerless, etc.–large-dimensioned, all-out American Luxury with classic design, produced during hard economic times. The view over the Lincoln hood reminds you of driving a pre-war car. Owning and driving one of those ’70s Lincolns would be an interesting experience.
Great write up on a fantastic find! I enjoy your more autobiographical and philosophical musings, but it is nice to mix things up and get a piece occasionally with more “hard” material on the car. I agree it’s inconceivable that this land yacht has a 302. I’ll take 17 Chariots’ theory on the transferred plate.
I know you explained about your lack of time to take photos, which makes sense. Still, I find myself a bit unsated without interior photos. The brochure helps, but it would still be great to see the guts of this particular beauty. Maybe you consider kicking your Curbside Commitment up a notch and always leave early just in case you find a good car! Just kidding.
I can’t think of a real good reason for the 4 door proportion being so much higher at Lincoln than Cadillac. Perhaps it’s a legacy of Lincoln offering only 4 doors for several years in the 60’s? I think Lincoln buyers got it right, though, because the Town Car just worked better visually (and probably functionally) as a sedan, IMO. If you wanted an outrageously oversized coupe, the Mark was a better choice anyway. Somehow that logic wasn’t as obvious with the Coupe DV and Eldorado.
I recently saw a listing locally for a 77 Chrysler New Yorker Coupe, kind of like this car. Total creampuff, extremely low miles, reasonable price. I love Mopars in general and even love the late C-bodies, especially New Yorkers. But the 2 door opera window roofline took away any temptation I had. Even more than the Lincoln, the Chrysler sedan in those years looks great with 4 doors and was still a true hardtop still.
Thank you. I do also really like the large Chryslers from the late ’70s. I’ve been able to spot only one or two in the wild since in Chicago over the past 15 years or so.
Interior shots will probably never be something I do or feature unless I know the owner or am in a place (like a show, which would then make it a “Car Show Classic”) where interior shots are allowed or encouraged. There’s just too much crazy out there to risk it for a few shots of the inside of a car. That principal is probably not too far removed from what I do for work: measuring the risk involved with the maximum potential payout against the highest / worst potential cost.
I’m glad you bit on opining whether the Cadillac or Lincoln looks better as a four door. (No one else did.) I’d like to see more opinions. Thanks for sharing yours!
I respect your perspective. Everyone has to make his own risk/benefit calculations. Personally I take the opposite approach. I almost always get interior shots (or shot, often just one). I figure if someone is going to get upset about me photographing a car, sticking my camera up to the window isn’t the thing that’s going to make the difference. Of course, I haven’t been burned yet.The few times I’ve run into the owner of a car I’ve found, it has gone well. But if I suddenly stop writing here, look for articles in the Houston area of a guy shot while taking pictures of an 85 Buick. This is Texas, after all!
I agree, the comments are most interesting when people put their opinions out there. The coupe vs. sedan issue is a good one, especially since I am generally a coupe snob, preferring the 2 door versions of most 40’s-70’s classics. Curbside finds are great no matter the body style, but when it comes to what really turns me on, it either has 2 doors or 5. However, there are those rare exceptions where somehow the sedan was better. That’s the nice thing about cars, kind of like people, there are no absolutes. Every one’s a little different!
I agree Joe – my practice has been to get my interior shot first thing, lessening the chance it will be noticed. But I am in Indiana and not in Chicago.
I still remember when I was in law school. We lived in an iffy neighborhood and were walking back from somewhere one night. Someone had one of these big Lincolns parked at the curb. I stopped with my buddies to admire it and some big guy strode out of his house with a “what the hell you guys doin’?” I’m glad I wasn’t trying to take a picture of the inside of his car!
+1. The four door comes off better on this series than the coupe. Lincoln had by this time established the idea of a two door Lincoln being a Mark series which left a second choice status for these cars. Its remarkable that as the Mark IV and V burgeoned in popularity that these regular coupes didn’t disappear from production.
It’s funny, but to me Lincolns always had more of a “presence” to then opposed to Cadillac. Considering this basic design lasted almost 20 years, longer if you also include the downsized ‘80s Town Car, too. As a kid, friend’s dad had a ‘71 Continental sedan. That car was boss. My favorite year was ‘72. Like a previous comment stated, these behemoths wore those ubiquitous FoMoCo chrome railroad ties better than most other models. I think it was the overall boxiness and hugeness of the design that allowed the big bumpers to integrate well.
That is a fascinating photoshop (?), with the hidden front wheels. I do also agree that the big Lincolns had some of the best-executed large bumpers from FoMoCo of that decade. And “boss” suits these cars perfectly.
Actually, there’s no wheels, front or rear, it levitates. I don’t recall where I found this pic, but I think it’s a parody pic of a “Star Wars” car
Growing up here in Ky we always called all those big 4dr Lincolns Town Cars. And the majority of the funeral homes/parlors in the area all used the the TCs as their ‘family car’ of choice. ….as u could fit a whole buch of ppl in one. There was no seat belt law way back then. Those of us of a certain age remember the dreaded 3 point seat belt and the roof mounted section that was folded up with a clip a never used…..destined to collect dust and dry rot from lack of use…lol. IMO the ’77 through ’79 models were the sharpest looking. The distinct Rolls Royce grill coming at you down the road meant business. I always though these cars to be more stylish and graceful.than Cadillacs. With just the right amount of chrome and subdued but elegant interior I thought they were far nicer than the Caddy. And the quality of the cloth that they used in the interior was that of what upscale furniture was made from…..not these rough, cheap, thin, abrasive materials that they use in today’s interiors. I miss these old cars if yesteryear….when i see a car like that in decent shape with all the chrome still intact, wide white walls and don’t get me started on fender skirts, lol……..it makes.me grin like a 10yr old watching a land yacht maneuvering through a parking lot at church..
I love everything about these big Lincolns,the 71 to 73,74,to 76 and 77 to 79..I guess I like the 77 to 79 best.And I think that coupe if the 77 to 79 generation is stunning and t by e dove grey spectacular. Magnificent automobiles.
That parking lot sucks. Whoever parked that beast in there deserves some kind of reward. I use to work near there and always had to add extra time trying to get in and out of the lot when I stopped for coffee. I even banged up a company SUV (used Land Rover Discovery) one time. Luckily they were cool about it.
Morning Joseph-
The Lincoln featured could very well be my car, although likely not. Exact same condition, exact same colour, and I live just north of where you saw it. I have owned 3 four door ’77 Town Cars, and 1 four door ’78 TC… all except one being the Dove Grey. I stumbled upon the one I own now, just by chance. I wasnt looking for another car as I already own a ’67 Chrysler Newport 2 door, and thought hey, why not a Town Coupe? This one popped up, and I without hesitation contacted the seller. It was his friends fathers’ who passed away this past December (2020). I made arrangements for the following Friday, drove over to see it expecting a sh*t box, and when in person, was exactly what I wanted… even though I wasnt in the market. Bought it after a bit of negotiating, and thats the story. Attached is a photo of it as of 13 July, 2021. You can reach me if you like via the email I submitted.
Hi, Casper. Beautiful Town Coupe! I did notice one detail on your car that differes from the one I wrote about, and that’s the front fender-mounted key hole for what I presume to be a car alarm system.
I like the wheels on yours. It would be an amazing coincidence if it was the same car, especially given the details you had provided. How many Dove Gray Town Coupes of this vintage could there be left? I’m guessing not that many.
Yes, you are correct… mine has the ancient Chapman “key” alarm on the front, the one you admired did not. The wheels just went on yesterday (Tuesday). It had the original, though Mark turbine style rims and I didnt really care for them. The other Lincolns I had had the standard hubcaps and the solid dish aluminum rims with centre caps. The picture I attached I took at Drake & Sons Funeral Home on Western, just north of Foster.