Lincoln Continental Mark V

The Lincoln Continental Mark V was a large coupe sold by Lincoln, the Ford Motor Company's luxury division, between the 1977 and 1979 model years. The Mark V was a restyled Mark IV, replacing that car's more rounded styling with a more squared-off, sharp-edged detailing. It also lost 222 lbs when equipped with the optional 460 engine (as the 1976 Mark IV had standard).^[1] The Mark V was highly successful with an average of 75,000 units being sold each of the three model years. The car also was the highest selling of the entire Continental Mark line.

Many articles and magazines talk of a 400-pound weight reduction from the Mark IV to the Mark V, which may imply undesirable reductions in strength or quality . The facts, however, entirely sourced from Lincoln factory data (1972-1976 deluxe catalogs, 1977 Product Facts Book March edition) are as below: Curb weight, no options: Mark IV 1972 - 4999 pounds, 1973 - 5083 pounds, 1974 - 5362 pounds, 1975 - 5264 pounds, 1976 - 5264 pounds, Mark V 1977 - 5042 pounds with 460 engine, 4933 pounds with 400 engine. With the same engine, a 1977 Mark V thus weighs in between the 1972 and 1973 Mark IV.

Lincoln factory data lists the weight of options.

Powertrain

The standard engine was now the Ford 400 in³ (6.6 L) Ford 335 engine instead of the 460 in³ (7.5 L) Ford 385 engine, but the latter was available as an option everywhere except in California in the first two years of production.

Mark V was the last generation to be available with the 460 V8 engine.

"Miles-To-Empty" feature

An innovative and unique new optional feature for the 1978 Mark V was the "Miles-To-Empty" indicator. This was a small rectangular display, located to the right of the steering wheel, which sat in place of the standard equipment "low fuel" warning lamp. The amber LED readout would indicate the estimated distance (in miles) available before reaching empty based on remaining fuel, fuel consumption, and driving habits. This system was a precursor to the electronic digital full-instrumentation which would be available on the 1980 Continental Mark VI. The system represents a first for an American automobile manufacturer, as it is the first dashboard LED display of an automobile's mechanical function.^[3]

Designer and special editions

During production Mark V was offered in many designer editions.

Designer Editions included Bill Blass, Cartier, Givenchy, and Pucci, each featuring a unique option package and exterior and interior colors. One unique feature of the 1979 Bill Blass edition was a "carriage" roof design. This canvas top configuration gave a "convertible top" look to the car. All 1977–1979 Lincoln Continentals featured a Cartier timepiece.^[4]

1977 Designer editions and its features

Bill Blass

• Midnight Blue Metallic Finish
• Chamois Frenched Landau Vinyl Roof or Chamois Full Vinyl Roof
• Chamois Leather Interior with Pigskin Textured Inserts for seating surfaces, straps, and door panels
• Bill Blass identification in Opera Windows
• Turbine-Styled Cast Aluminum Wheels^[5]

Cartier

• Dove Grey Finish
• Dove Grey Landau Vinyl Roof or Dove Grey Full Vinyl Roof
• Dove Grey Leather or Majestic Velour Interior
• Cartier identification in Opera Windows
• Cartier Logotype on Decklid
• Turbine-Styled cast aluminum wheels^[6]

Givenchy

• Dark Jade Metallic finish
• Chamois Forward Half Vinyl roof
• Dark Jade Leather or Majestic Velour Interior
• Givenchy signature in Opera Windows
• Givenchy insignia terminates the hood and Decklid Stripes
• Turbine-Styled Cast Aluminum Wheels^[7]

Pucci

• Black Diamond Fire Metallic Finish
• White Cayman Grain Patent Leather Textured Landau Vinyl Roof or Full Vinyl Roof
• White Leather Interior with Black Trim
• Emilio Pucci signature in Opera Windows
• Pucci Designer Material on padded covering of the Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirrors
• Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels^[8]

1978 Designer editions and its features

Bill Blass

• Midnight Cordovan paint finish
• Light Champagne Full Vinyl or Landau Vinyl Roof
• Light Champagne Bodyside Moldings
• Light Champagne Dual Pin Stripes on Bodyside and Deck Lid
• Bill Blass identification laminated in Opera Window
• Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels^[9]

Cartier

• Light Champagne paint finish
• Light Champagne Full Vinyl or Landau Vinyl Roof
• Light Champagne Bodyside Moldings
• Dark Red Dual Pin Stipes on Bodyside
• Cartier Logo on Rear Deck Lid
• Cartier signature in Opera Windows
• Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels^[10]

Givenchy

• Midnight Jade paint finish
• Chamois Lugano Grain (Front) Half Vinyl Roof
• Light Chamois Bodyside Moldings
• Light Chamois Bodyside, Hood and Deck Lid Stripes
• Hood and Deck Lid Stripes terminate in "G" Logo
• Givenchy signature in Opera Windows
• Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels^[11]

Pucci

• Light Silver Metallic paint finish
• Black Cayman Grain Full Vinyl or Landau Vinyl Roof
• Black Bodyside Moldings Tri-tone Bodyside Stripes
• Pucci Logo on Rear Deck Lid
• Emilio Pucci's signature in Opera Windows
• Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels
• Pucci Designer Material covering insert on
• Visor Vanity Mirrors^[12]

1978 "Diamond Jubilee Edition"

Ford Motor Company celebrated its 75th year in the automobile business in 1978. To commemorate this Ford produced two very special automobiles as limited editions. The 1978 Continental Mark V was one, the 1978 Ford Thunderbird was the other. The Mark V version truly was limited with production of just 5,159 cars.

To set it apart from the ordinary Marks, the Diamond Jubilee was available in just two colors: Diamond Blue and Jubilee Gold. Whichever color you chose, it would be repeated throughout the car. In addition to the special Clearcoat paint, the vinyl-insert bodyside moldings, vertical bars on the grille, bumper guards and rub strips, turbine-style cast aluminum wheel vanes, and padded vinyl deck lid kickup with matching vinyl-insert lock cover were all coordinated. Additionally, the operational exhaust vents on the front fenders held chrome beading.

Interiors were the most luxurious ever installed to date by Lincoln in a production car. Also matching the exterior color scheme, the interior featured front bucket seats with a padded center console. The console provided extra storage, and came equipped with an umbrella built into the underside of the padded armrest. The seats were upholstered in luxury cloth with a unique sew style.

Other distinctions included padded leather in high wear areas of the interior, as well as ebony wood-tone inserts on the instrument panel, door trim panels, front seat backs, and console - even the ignition and door keys held a matching ebony wood-tone insert. All Diamond Jubilee Marks were supplied with a leather bound owner's manual and tool kit. The outside edges of the opera windows were also beveled, and featured Diamond Jubilee Script and a simulated diamond chip laminated between the glass. The unique hood ornament featured crystal-like inserts within the Lincoln "star" emblem. After delivery, the customer could choose to have his or her initials monogrammed on the doors, interrupting the bodyside stripes. Most Mark V optional features were standard on this car, including the new digital LED "Miles-To-Empty" fuel gauge that calculated approximately how far the car could be driven with the remaining fuel in the tank, based on fuel level, driving speed, and fuel consumption rate.^[13]

Every new owner was given the special car keys and could request a Ford created cookbook entitled "Ford Diamond Jubilee Recipe Collection".^[14]

The 1978 Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition carries another distinction as it was, per the 1978 Lincoln brochure, the most expensive American standard-production automobile available in 1978. After the package price was added to the base Mark V, the final sticker price was approximately $22,000. Some of the select few extra-cost options available were 7.5 L 460 V8 engine, dual exhausts, power moonroof, and 40-channel CB radio.

1979 Designer editions and its features

Bill Blass

• Tu-Tone Midnight Blue Moondust Metallic and White with standard White Carriage Roof
• Full vinyl roof in White with Opera Windows was also available
• Bill Blass monogram in Gold on rear decklid accompanied by dual Gold paint stripes outlining decklid kickup, as well as on bodyside
• Midnight Blue Leather Seating Surfaces with White accent straps and piping
• Gold Buttons with Bill Blass Monogram^[15]

Cartier

• Light Champagne with Light Champagne Landau vinyl roof
• Dark Red Landau roof molding with integral Coach Lamps
• Light Champagne bodyside molding
• Color-keyed Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels
• Cartier monogram in Dark Red on deck lid^[16]

Givenchy

• Crystal Blue Moondust Metallic with front-half Valino Grain Vinyl Roof in Dark Crystal Blue
• Bodyside molding in Dark Crystal Blue and color-keyed Turbine-Style Cast Aluminum Wheels
• Givenchy signature appears in Opera Windows
• Givenchy logo serves as a starting point for hood stripes in Dark Crystal Blue (repeated on decklid stripes)
• Dark Crystal Blue Leather Seating Surfaces with Broadlace Insert embroidered with Givenchy "G" logos^[17]

Pucci

• Medium Turquoise Moondust Metallic with full vinyl roof in Midnight Blue and Medium Turquoise bodyside molding
• Wire Wheel Covers
• Pucci monogram appears on decklid
• Tri-tone paint bodyside stripes
• White Leather Seating Surfaces with Midnight Blue accents
• Matching buttons with Pucci monogram
• Pucci material covers padded inserts on covers of Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirrors^[18]

1979 "Collector's Series"

The 1979 Collector's Series Mark V was equipped essentially the same as the Diamond Jubilee Edition of 1978; virtually every Lincoln luxury was provided as standard equipment on these cars. Offered in just two colors initially, Midnight Blue Moondust Metallic and White, two additional colors, Light Silver Moondust Metallic and Diamond Blue Moondust Metallic, were offered later in the year.

Midnight blue cloth bucket seats and a console were standard, however seats were also available in a choice of blue leather or white leather. A price reduction was provided for the leather-equipped cars, which did not include the console or the folding center rear armrest. Unique paint stripes on the bodyside and hood, as well as Collector's Series script on the rear roof quarters, gave the Collector's Series unique touches. Unlike other Mark V models, these cars did not include opera windows. Gold colored grille bars and a padded contoured decklid accent with matching vinyl insert also set it apart. Naturally, this, and the above-mentioned Diamond Jubilee Edition, remains the most collectible example of the late seventies Mark V. Actor Tom Selleck was used in media advertisements for the car; this was prior to his television fame as Magnum, P.I. Being as fully optioned as the car was, naturally the retail price reflected this abundance. The "Collector's Series" option added approximately $8,000 to the base price of the standard Continental Mark V, bringing it to almost $22,000 US dollars which was about three times the cost of a regular Ford automobile at the time.^[19] This option package was also available on the Lincoln Continental sedan which boosted the retail price of that car into the more modest but still pricey mid-$16,000 range.

References

External links

• Mark V Resource Site