Lincoln Continental A Brief History 

"JR1" (type35bugatti) 03/30/2015 at 11:15 • Filed to: Lincoln Continental

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With the onset of the events that have transpired today I feel it is only appropriate we take a moment to review some of the most recognizable luxury cars to ever come out of an American factory. The Lincoln Continental.

1939-1948

The first generation Continental is one of the most beautiful pre war cars ever produced. Styled by Bob Gregorie the Continental was supposed to be an American take on European design. Originally a personal one off Zephyr for Edsel Ford the Continetal received so much positive feedback that it was put into production. Powered by a flat head V12 the engine produced 120hp which gracefully powered the Continental down the road. Not originally called the Mark I the Continental received that name after the Mark II was put into production. Today the Continental is one of the last Classic Car Club of America "Full Classics." After WWII the Continental's styling was changed until it went out of production is 1948.

1956-1957

The Continental Mark II represented the best American luxury cars had to offer in the mid 1950's. Each Mark II was priced around $10,000 dollars. That wass more expensive than a Rolls Royce during the time period. Yet Ford still lost $1,000 dollars on each car it sold. During the time Ford was a private company so incurring such loses was not a major issue. The Mark II was a luxury car drivers dream. Notable automotive stylist Gordon Buehrig had a part in designing this Continental. The Continental was very restrained in an era of massive fins and chrome, this elegant design allows the Mark II to stand out and one of the 1950's most obscure yet attractive designs. The Mark II had a 300hp 368 cubic inch V8 engine. The Continental Mark II was considered a success. Yes the car did not make a profit but it was a halo car for Ford Motor Company and more importantly Lincoln. Cadillac would answer the Mark II a year later with their own super luxury car but by that time Lincoln had moved on.

1958-1960

The Lincoln Continental Mark III, IV, and V. Or the forgotten Continental as it is sometimes remembered. At just over 19ft long the Continental was the second longest American car produced in the 1950's (If you do not count factory limos). Furthermore it was the longest unibody car ever produced at the time, a record that stood for decades. The Continental had a 430 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 375hp, it was extremely hard on gas. This did not help during a recession. The Continental of this era, along with the other MEL cars, lost 60 million dollars. Highly technical innovations like rear breezeway power windows and the unibody construction along with a new assembly plant contributed to this lose of sales. Yet today the Continental enjoys a devote following and the over the top styling highlights an era where America was optimistic. The 58/60 Continental was indeed Space Age.

1961-1969

The 61/69 Continental is remembered for two things. First it was the Continental JFK was shot in and secondly it had the beloved suicide doors. Often remembered as the most attractive Continental ever this departure for the 1960 model year came from Robert McNamara. Threatening to discontinue Lincoln due to bad profit margins the 1961 Continental had to be perfect. It also had to be cheap. The design was stolen from the Thunderbird of the era, the famous 4 door convertible was a necessity to keep cost down. The Continental was powered by multiple variants of V8 engines. The 430 MEL being one of those variants producing 310hp. This generation Continental was not designated as a Mark car. It served both as the top of the range Lincoln and the entry level Lincoln. Previously Continental was reserved for the top.

1968-1971

The Lincoln Continental Mark III. Here things get a bit confusing. Both Mark and Town Car Continentals were offered during the 1970's. While this author prefers the Town Car Continentals he recognizes the Continental nameplate is supposed to represent the Halo Lincoln. Therefore instead we will talk about the Mark Lincoln Continentals. If you want more information on the Town Car variant go !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

The Continental Mark III was notable for sharing a platform with the Thunderbird of the era. As stated with earlier 61/69 variant the platform sharing was to cut costs. The styling of Mark III set the pace for the 1970's. The hidden headlights, Rolls Royce grill, and large angular body would be copied by other brands going into the 1970's. The Mark III was a huge sales success and gave Lincoln a large profit margin. Lee Iaccoco's shameless use of the Rolls Royce grill helped define Lincoln for a generation. The Mark III was powered by a 460 cubic inch V8 producing 365hp. This was the first Continental to not be offered in a convertible body style.

1972-1976

The Mark IV was larger, had less power, and had a grill that was shamelessly stolen from Rolls Royce. Yet it was even more successful that the Mark III. The Mark IV carried over much of the styling from the Mark III. It also carried over the 460 cubic inch V8 although by 72 it only had 212hp. But in a car this size it did not seem to bother people that horsepower was lower. The hood was so large it would take a day to walk across, the seats were so comfortable that sometimes the owner did not want to go into their own living room, and finally ride was so soft pot holes were all but forgotten. The Mark IV saw the introduction of the designer variants such as Cartier which help add prestige to the Lincoln name and increased sales.

1977-1979

The Continental Mark V was the climax of the Mark line. It was the longest Mark Lincoln produced. At one inch longer the the 1958 model this Lincoln was powered by two different power trains. Neither produced more than 206hp. The archaic vertical grill, the vinyl top, and the opera window all harken back to an era of success and flamboyance. The early retro styling of the Mark Lincoln's suggest a disturbing move to conservative design that would begin to hurt Lincoln in the coming decades. During the era though none of this seemed to matter. The Mark V sold well and the Diamond Jubilee Edition in 1978 celebrated Fords 75 anniversary.

1980-1983

By 1980 Lincoln was finally coming to the realization that size wasn't everything. The Mark VI was the first Continental to be smaller than it's predecessor since 1968. This Mark also saw the reintroduction of the 4 door variant. This Continental offered the first fuel injection engine sold by Ford. A 302 cubic inch V8 producing 129hp. This Continental was the first in 12 years to begin to have significant styling changes and innovations. This was the first Lincoln Continental to use digital gauges. This would be the final Continental to offer the opera window.

1983-1992

The Mark VII was the first Continental in some time that did not have hidden headlights. It was a step in the right direction for Lincoln. This Continental was on the fox body layout yet it was still over 200in long. The Mark VII was the first Continental since 1948 to offer an engine other than a V8. Offering a diesel straight six the engine produced 115hp and was out of production by 1985. This Continental actually has some racing pedigree, racing in the Trans-Am series. As one might imagine a big old land yacht was not a very successful race car. Nevertheless the sporting characteristics were an attempt to answer the BMW M3 and M5. How successful Lincoln was is debatable. Yet the Mark VII can be remembered for trying to answer the Germans. Furthermore it was a sales success.

The Lincoln Mark VIII is not included on this list simply because it was never actually called a Continental.

1995-2002

One begins to be troubled when looking at the final Lincoln Continental. A FWD car full of a cheap plastic on the interior. The innovation of the Continental was certainly gone by the introduction of the final Continental. Yet the Continental still had merits. It was a large American Land Yacht. The Continental produced 260hp out of the 4.6 liter V8 engine. Furthermore the car rode smoother than almost anything on the road and at a price that almost everyone could afford. As one can see the final Continental was an attainable luxury. Unfortunately that misses the point of a Continental.

Concept

Edsel Ford created the original Continental to represent the best Lincoln had to offer and the best American luxury had to offer. Somewhere along the way Lincoln seemed to forget the purpose of the Continental. The company moved from innovation to conservation. The company was trying to rest on their curtails, unfortunately that strategy only works for so long. The new concept represents a beacon of hope for car enthusiast. The concept represents a possible rebirth. The new Continental will hopefully usher in a new era for the historic Lincoln Motor Company.

thebigbossyboss > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:25

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Love these. Soooo much. Many wants.

thebigbossyboss > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:26

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Great article, I will read this when I have time.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:29

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My goodness this is simply amazing

Kookanoodles > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:30

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So that's where Lincoln's moustache grille comes from!

ACESandEIGHTS > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:33

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Embracing the past sure helped the sportscar market for GM/Ford/Chrysler. Who wants to buy a 80s/90s Mustang/Camaro or a 1986 Dodge Shelby compared to all the modern offerings? Trick question: your mind has already blocked these models from your memory.

So why not embrace the appeal of the 61/69 Continental? It's clear that the MK series ever-increasingly sent this beast on a downward spiral, so let's go back to Mark One, shan't we, can't we, let's please? Look at that 83/92 picture: it's a bloated Thunderbird. The Town Car, albeit a freaking limousine, had more class than this.

The MKZ with its "hey, we're as cool as BMW" and the M. McConaughey campaign ain't selling me. Bring back the Kennedymobile.

Kookanoodles > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:34

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That thing is beyond ugly in my opinion.

jariten1781 > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:41

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I like to pretend the Mark VI didn't happen.

JR1 > ACESandEIGHTS 03/30/2015 at 11:46

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Retro styling is fine albeit not very creative. It has worked for car companies since the beginning, however a retro mindset is something different and I would argue Lincoln fell into a retro mindset in the 70's. They became comfortable not progressing from generation to generation. The Mark III through VI were so retro they gave retro a stigma.

Lincoln constantly had adds featuring the original Continental and the 60's Continental during the 70's. Why? Because Lincoln was selling an idea not a product. Meanwhile the product ceased to innovate. I love the 70's Lincolns but I think they are the root of Lincoln's current problem. A lack of innovation and fond memories of the part. The new Continental appears to be addressing these issues.

JR1 > Kookanoodles 03/30/2015 at 11:46

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Where? The Mark III?

JR1 > thebigbossyboss 03/30/2015 at 11:47

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It is a very tempting article full of many toys.

JR1 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 03/30/2015 at 11:47

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Which one?

JR1 > Kookanoodles 03/30/2015 at 11:47

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Which one?

JR1 > jariten1781 03/30/2015 at 11:47

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You are not alone. Although the digital gauges were kinda cool.

Kookanoodles > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:51

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No, the IV. It's just too goddamn square and freaking gigantic.

JR1 > Kookanoodles 03/30/2015 at 11:56

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You know it does look like a mustache now that you mention it. I like the design of the Mark IV but not my favorite Lincoln from that vintage.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JR1 03/30/2015 at 11:59

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The current concept in the dark has a presence missing from American cars for at least 50 years.

JR1 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 03/30/2015 at 12:00

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I could not agree with you more. I implore Lincoln not to change a thing about the headlight design.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:06

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I only ask for RWD platforms and a slightly subdued interior. I mean, I completely understand and believe that Lincoln and Ford can make Maybach equivalent cars, but they need to sell as many as they make in order to build Focus RS', Gt350R, and GT's in the future. Also, Lincoln is a better brand IMHO than Mercury or Cadillac and deserve more spotlight, but they have got to work for it first.

ranwhenparked > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:12

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I always kind of liked the '82-'87 generation, too bad there's hardly any left now.

I'd rather not speak about the 1988-94 period though.

JR1 > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 03/30/2015 at 12:18

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I am not horrible concerned about RWD. Audi has historically been AWD with a front wheel biased and you never hear people complain. (okay maybe they do a little). If Lincoln follows suit with AWD I will be very happy.

As for the Maybach interior I don't think we will see that carryover to the production cars. They will likely be a tad more restrained and start at around 80k I hope. Now I think the move to make the Continental a Halo Car warrants spotlight and I am sure they will get it with good ol' Matt on TV.

JR1 > ranwhenparked 03/30/2015 at 12:20

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Really? I always enjoyed them. The rear end however I am not a big fan of.

The Gray Adder > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:22

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The 2017 Edsel Ranger?

ranwhenparked > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:22

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I've always been a bit of a fan of the bustleback revival that went on in the '80s. The question is who wore it best - Lincoln, Cadillac, or Imperial?

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:25

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I think the concept is a pretty big disappointment. Light me preface this by saying that I'm massively routing for Lincoln. It needs a V8 first of all. The styling is no where near as dramatic as the 2002 concept and no one has confirmed if it is traverse or longitudinal layout. Seems to me you would tout the fact that its RWD if that was your plan.

JR1 > The Gray Adder 03/30/2015 at 12:26

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The Ranger looks great from some angles.

JR1 > ranwhenparked 03/30/2015 at 12:28

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My vote goes to the Imperial. It was actually a good looking car.

JR1 > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 03/30/2015 at 12:35

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I am wondering if they will take an Audi approach. AWD that sometimes has a front wheel drive bias. I think the styling is pretty dynamic. Have you seen the liberal use of the chrome? I am sure it will have a V8. Even if it doesn't the V6 Ecoboost is a wonderful engine, it has won the Daytona 24 hours and is in the new Ford GT.

thebigbossyboss > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:37

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I just read this article. Concise and full of great tidbits and information. All round great article. I hope to get a 77 or 79 continental someday.

JR1 > thebigbossyboss 03/30/2015 at 12:40

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Thank you that means a lot.

Are you looking for the 4 door Continental or a Mark V?

472CID > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:52

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Excellent write up, my only suggestion would be adding photos for the Mark VIII and all the Mark/Continental concepts.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > JR1 03/30/2015 at 12:54

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I think it looks like a kia K900 and I don't mean that as a compliment. I very much doubt it will have a V8 if its a traverse mounted engine.

JR1 > 472CID 03/30/2015 at 12:57

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Thank you I am glad you liked it.

The problem with the Mark VIII as I said was it was never referred to as a Continental so I struggle to include it in the list. I thought about adding the concepts but at the end of the day they were just that. Lost dreams we will always lust after.

JR1 > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 03/30/2015 at 12:58

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What makes you think it is transverse mounted?

I think it looks nothing like the K900 either.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > JR1 03/30/2015 at 13:04

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The fact that aren't bragging about it being rear wheel drive I think is pretty indicative. I hope I'm wrong though. Also the front page story makes it sound like they aren't debuting a new architecture although the WSJ has a conflicting report so who knows.

JR1 > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 03/30/2015 at 13:06

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We will likely have to wait. Like you said I have heard conflicting reviews. I just can't imagine Lincoln building such a grand car and then putting in a transverse engine or making it solely FWD.

The Devil Drives a Mustang (Rotary Pending) > ACESandEIGHTS 04/22/2015 at 16:46

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Who wants to buy a 80s/90s Mustang/Camaro or a 1986 Dodge Shelby compared to all the modern offerings?

Me. At the very least, they were light and simple. Make mine a Fox body LX 5.0 notchback, hold the t-tops, and please include subframe connectors and strut braces.

The Devil Drives a Mustang (Rotary Pending) > JR1 04/22/2015 at 16:52

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My father had one of these when I was little, it was a ‘73 I think. It was awesomely awful. It only made 200hp, and probably less by the time my dad had it in the early 90’s. It got 8mpg in town. It was longer than a modern minivan but only had two doors. It weighed MORE than a contemporary F-150. The interior fell apart like a leper. The padding on the door handles was coming off. The leather was cracked. The headliner was falling off the ceiling. The column shift broke off and you had to put it in gear with vice grips.

But goddamn was it ever an awesome car. The thing about these is that it only had 212hp, but over 350 ft-lbs of torque at only 2,200 RPM. Think of it as a diesel engine running on gasoline at a rate of 8mpg.

The Devil Drives a Mustang (Rotary Pending) > JR1 04/22/2015 at 16:59

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My final comment. Both the 1988 to 1994 Continental sedan and the 1995 to 2002 Continental certainly didn’t deserve the storied nameplate. I won’t argue that point. But on its own it wasn’t a bad car. Fundamentally, it’s a stretched Taurus that doesn’t look like a Jelly Bean and after 1995 equipped with a V8 engine. That’s not the world’s worst idea.

1991 Lincoln Continental Sedan

92LX302 > Kookanoodles 04/22/2015 at 17:40

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It was actually said to be inspired by the earlier Lincoln Zephyr, but yes, it was a throwback to that era.

CyanogenModFTW > JR1 04/22/2015 at 17:59

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1988-1994 Lincoln Continental

What about the late 80’s early 90’s... Continental?

JR1 > The Devil Drives a Mustang (Rotary Pending) 04/22/2015 at 17:59

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People often forget how wonderful torque is I think. Old land yachts like your dads 73 embody the beauty of how wonderful torque can be.

I wish I could say I was surprised the build quality was bad. But after 20 years in a car from the 70’s I bet it was pretty common for the interior to be destroyed. I bet it was still comfortable either way.

JR1 > The Devil Drives a Mustang (Rotary Pending) 04/22/2015 at 18:06

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No they certainly weren’t bad cars at all. Floaty and relaxing. In fact I even like the styling of the 90’s Continentals. But it is hard to justify the nameplate when you compare it to a Continental from the 60’s/50’s.

JR1 > CyanogenModFTW 04/22/2015 at 18:08

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The Lincoln Continental Mark III. Here things get a bit confusing. Both Mark and Town Car Continentals were offered during the 1970’s. While this author prefers the Town Car Continentals he recognizes the Continental nameplate is supposed to represent the Halo Lincoln. Therefore instead we will talk about the Mark Lincoln Continentals. If you want more information on the Town Car variant go here.

That was my explanation in the article. I wanted to keep things simple and stick with the halo car Continentals. I prefer the four door variant but decided to stick with the 2 doors for simplicity.

RoboRed "The road to hell is paved with overturned Vanduras" > JR1 04/22/2015 at 19:28

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Dat Mark IV and Mark V. Unf.

JR1 > RoboRed "The road to hell is paved with overturned Vanduras" 04/22/2015 at 19:32

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Personally I prefer the IV to the V but the V was the giant.

CyanogenModFTW > JR1 04/22/2015 at 21:22

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Ah, thanks for the explanation... I should have realized that. Sorry for the tangent

-Thanks for the great article, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Your articles and others of this caliber are the reason I come here SEVERAL times a day-

-Barrett

JR1 > CyanogenModFTW 04/22/2015 at 21:52

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Very glad and honored to hear you enjoyed the article. Hope to see you around Oppositelock more often!

CyanogenModFTW > JR1 04/22/2015 at 22:15

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OPPO fan here! I must come more often. Consider yourself followed!

JR1 > CyanogenModFTW 04/22/2015 at 22:36

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Returned the favor!

So FTW are you a fan of old classics. I assume so by all the stars you just gave me?

Nauraushaun > JR1 04/22/2015 at 23:46

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I think the writing comes across as failing to differentiate between the models well enough. A few times you mention the ridiculous RR grill as if it defines the generation, when it’s really just an obvious carryover from the previous. The opera holes too, they get a bit of love in the Mark V paragraph, but really they’re just another carryover.

Also, was there a Mark III, IV and V in both the 60s and 70s?

Sorry to criticize so much. As someone who doesn’t know much about Continentals, I found myself a bit confused.

adb12 > JR1 04/23/2015 at 07:08

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Weren’t the 1958-60 Marks still under a separate Continental division, as was the 1956-57 Mark II?

JR1 > adb12 04/23/2015 at 08:15

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Correct on the Mark II and semi close on the 58/60 Continentals. In 58 the Mark III was under the Continental division but by 1959 they were once again part of the Lincoln division.

CyanogenModFTW > JR1 04/23/2015 at 08:18

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I’ll just leave this here, it should answer any questions you may have—-

JR1 > Nauraushaun 04/23/2015 at 08:24

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No problem I welcome criticism as well as praise.

I failed to differentiate between them because hoesntly there wasn’t a whole lot to differentiate. One year the vinyl top would be offered standard in the Mark IV another year a new designer brand would essentially advertise on one of the 70’s Mark Continentals. After the Mark III in 68 major innovation really didn’t occur until arguable the Mark VII. That is the sad truth of the Malasia Era in the 1970’s. Much of the design and power trains were just carryover. There was a complicated ABS braking system on the Mark III but it provided to be unpopular.

I think that second sentence was referring to the 58/60 Continental. Yes there was a Mark III, IV, V from 1958 until 1960. All three were almost exactly the same. Why Lincoln decided to change the name year to year is beyond my scope of knowledge. In 1968 Lincoln again revived the Mark III name. Why you ask? Well the 58/60 Continentals were not big sellers and lost the company a lot of money. So I don’t think Henery II cared if Lincoln reused the Mark III name.

JR1 > CyanogenModFTW 04/23/2015 at 08:32

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Wow never would have thought a Continental would look so good as a hot rod.

CyanogenModFTW > JR1 04/23/2015 at 09:47

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watch “hit and run” with Dax Sheppard,.... you will not be disappointed.

at least google it.

it’s his real car in the movie, 700whp and totally awesome

JR1 > CyanogenModFTW 04/23/2015 at 10:56

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That looks like a family big movie! Thanks for the tip. I always liked Sheppard’s acting the car he drives makes me like him a lot more now!

Nauraushaun > JR1 04/25/2015 at 09:48

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Wow. That’s such a strange thing to do, to go backwards in numbers and pretend some lesser-loved models never happened. Sometimes companies mess up namings so badly (looking at you Xbox One).

Fair enough.

JR1 > Nauraushaun 04/25/2015 at 10:31

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What's funny is the 58/60 were kind of an engineering wonder for the time. Largest unibody car built for decades. It might still be the largest American unibody car.

W A T C H D E V I L – keeper of the time > JR1 03/25/2018 at 22:40

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The Continental Mark VII ceased being a Continental after 1985. From 1986-1992 they were badged as Lincoln Mark VII.

Also worth nothing, Continental Mark Series vehicles never wore a Lincoln nameplate on the exterior.

W A T C H D E V I L – keeper of the time > JR1 03/25/2018 at 23:07

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The 1956-57 Continental Mark II was not a Lincoln. It was a Continental as a stand alone marque produced by the separate Continental Division. At the end of 1957 the Continental Division was absorbed by Lincoln-Mercury Division while Continental was treated as a separate marque within the L-M Division with no Lincoln badging.