Not many coupes can claim to sell upwards of 200,000 units in just three years despite facing an ongoing oil embargo in the late ‘70s. Such a vehicle would need to be good to justify that feat alone, but imagine if this vehicle had both power and luxury on its side as well. And yet there is one that accomplished it with pride.
We are, of course, referring to the Lincoln Continental Mark V, a real treasure in any luxury catalog. Manufactured and distributed from 1977 until 1979, the Lincoln Mark V came as a major improvement over the Mark IV and was marketed as a personal luxury coupe suitable to drivers who wanted something stylish. What buyers at the time discovered was a vehicle that was not only superior to other coupes but one that took the crown.
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1 The Lincoln Mark V Stayed True To Its Form Despite The Oil Embargo
In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Companies made the announcement that it was implementing an oil embargo against the United States, the Netherlands, Portugal, Rhodesia, and South Africa. This took a severe toll on the automotive industry and ended the golden era of classic muscle cars as customers were forced to start considering more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Even so, Lincoln didn’t alter their designs for their new Continental for the sake of fuel economy, but rather, they kept the vehicle as it should’ve been, luxurious and equipped with the powerful V8 engine it needed to wow the crowds. A vehicle so defiant as to go against the market and still succeed deserves every bit of praise that comes its way.
2 The Continental Mark V’s Timeless Angular Design,
One of the many areas in which Lincoln improved for their new Continental was its chassis and overall design. Rather than the smooth, rounded edges of its predecessors, the fifth generation emphasized rigidity. It featured distinct shapes that used straight lines and sharp edges in its design to display itself as a more powerful vehicle rife with upgrades. The general philosophy surrounding such a design choice is simple: vehicles that feature sharp edges and straight lines in their design are usually set to display concepts of strength, fortitude, and a domineering presence. All of these qualities are displayed proudly by the Continental Mark V.
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3 The First-Ever ‘Miles Until Empty’ Gauge
On the topic of internal features, let’s mention one feature that was never before seen in a production vehicle. The 1978 Continental came with a digital ‘Miles Until Empty’ gauge that, while insignificant by today’s standards, was considered a true innovation for its time. Its function is pretty straightforward; an onboard system would read vacuum pressure in the fuel tank to get a reading on fuel usage and subsequently provide a rough estimate of how much farther the driver can go before running out of fuel, an essential feature during the aforementioned oil embargo.
This optional feature, as simple as it is, has become a set standard in modern vehicles, making the Continental the origin point for a feature we’ve become all too familiar with.
4 It Features A Massive 6.6-Liter V8 Engine
Specifications
|
Engine |
400 cu-in 335 Series (6.6-Liter) V8 |
|
Power |
179 hp |
|
Torque |
329 lb-ft. |
|
Driveline |
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) |
|
Transmission |
3-speed automatic |
|
Top speed |
120 mph |
In order to maximize the vehicle’s performance during the oil embargo, the Continental came equipped with a 400 cubic-inch 335 Series V8 engine. This engine was first introduced into Ford vehicles as a replacement for the 390 V8 and was designed specifically for full-sized cars and lightweight trucks, making it the ideal choice for vehicles needing a little extra power on the roads.
It was also a half-inch longer than 351 Cleveland engine it was based on, meaning that only select vehicles would be compatible with the engine. Judging by the fifth-generation Continental’s elongated chassis, it’s easy to see why the 400 V8 was the right choice. The vehicle’s top speed sits around 120 mph, putting it on par or above its main competitor from the time, the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado.
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5 It Is Bigger Than The Mark IV, But Also Lighter
As we’ve already mentioned, the Lincoln Continental Mark IV is the more powerful of the two Lincoln Continental coupes. However, coupes aren’t famed for their power. Rather it is good looks and smooth driving that sells these kinds of vehicles. This is something that the designers took into consideration when developing the more refined fifth-generation Continental, sacrificing the bloated design in favor of something sharper (as discussed above), but more than that it was able to reduce the Mark IV’s curb weight of 5,000 pounds down to 4,600, despite being a longer vehicle. This results in a smoother ride overall, making the newer car the superior choice between the two.
6 Surprisingly Affordable To Maintain
For a vehicle of this caliber, it’s easy to assume that annual repair costs would be exorbitantly high. According to caredge.com, it would cost around $8,833 to service the vehicle for ten years, meaning that the annual average would be roughly $880. This is $80 more than the yearly average of most vehicles which tends to sit around $800. Such a price is expected of more luxurious vehicles but even so, this makes the Continental cheaper to maintain than other coupes from the time which are nearly 15% more expensive to care for in the long run.
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7 A Bestseller In Just Three Years
While there is no shortage of notable qualities when discussing the fifth-generation Continental, by far the most impressive aspect of the vehicle is how well it managed to sell despite only being on the market for three years. Between 1977 and 1979, a total of 228,262 units were sold, which was already an incredible feat considering the difficult time during which the Continental came out. Such an accomplishment is made even more outstanding when one considers the sales figures of the Mark IV over the course of five years, only managing to sell 278,599 units over such a long period of time. Suffice it to say that the Continental was as much the epitome of luxury as it is today.
8 Cheaper Than Other Luxury Brands
While the prices tend to vary to vary for auctions of the Continental, with some ranging as high as $70,000 to as low as $1,100, the average price for such a car would be around $10,600, assuming it’s in good condition. This price is much cheaper than the majority of vehicles from that time but compared to its direct competitors, it still manages to retain a fair price. The 1978 Cadillac Eldorado, the Continental’s leading competitor, will often be sold for an average of $12,300. This makes the Continental not only the cheaper option, but the more viable one as well when all the aforementioned points are taken into account.
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9 The Continental Mark V Has Aged Well In Terms Of Pricing
When the fifth generation was first released to the public in 1977, the price for standard renditions of the vehicle sat around $8,000, which translates to upwards of $22,000 in today’s market. Even with that in mind, the average price now goes for half that original amount, making the Continental a cheaper vehicle to buy now more than ever. This is an especially endearing factor to consider in today’s market where the price of used cars continues to increase. If ever there were a time to find an auction and cash in on the royalty, it’d be now.
10 Twin Lounge Seats Offer Total Comfort
In an effort to improve the overall comfort of the driver and passenger, the fight-generation Continental dropped the standard Lincoln shared seating arrangement in favor of two separate lounge seats. In comparison, separate lounge seats were designed with driver comfort in mind rather than just driver occupation.
While this may seem like a relatively simple feature to consider, where one will be seated for long drives is vitally important when it comes to crafting such an interior for a luxury car. With many different handcrafted leathers and fabrics to choose from, buyers could be more selective about the vehicle they’d be traveling in, all while keeping up the good looks.
Sources: CarEdge, Hagerty, KBB, Chime, OAPEC.
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