The Continental Division - Ford's Brief Ultra-Luxury Fling

[@ATLcentury334]

I remember the Lincoln’s of the 60’s very well. My grandfather was a longtime Ford exec. He drove a new exec lease every year. He drove Continentals until the Mark III was introduced, it was a treat when grandpa took me on errands or brought me home from a babysitter. He allowed me to press every button on the dash and electric seat. The only button I couldn’t touch was the trunk release. He drove my folks and I to the airport for a summer long vacation in California. I had never flown before, but riding to the airport in his Mark took my mind off being nervous. He retired in 1976, his last lease car was a dark green Thunderbird. It wasn’t a Lincoln, but it was just as big and beautiful too.

[@orvilleh.larson7581]

I liked the look of the early 1960s Lincolns (and, of course, the presidential limousine was the same style). Also, I like the look of the early '60s Ford Thunderbirds. (You'd see Paul Drake tooling around in them in "Perry Mason.")

[@josephsierzengaIV]

Did he live in Grosse Pointe?

[@ATLcentury334]

@@josephsierzengaIV, no, my grandfather lived in a 3 bedroom apartment not far from Ford World Headquarters. He also owned a condo in Florida. Whenever he drove past the glass house, he always made the sign of the cross because that’s where his pay checks came from.

[@Bellathebear777]

That was my first morning read. Nice.... My first car was a 66 continental. It was broke down in my friends driveway. Mr lehe said , " It's $300 & the pink slips signed in the kitchen drawer, if you want it, put the $$$ in there. I asked if I could try & get it started first. Of Course! I was excited, & went the next morning, changed the plugs, ck the oil, charged the battery & it fired right up. The only real fix was the rear view mirror hanging from a metal hanger. The body & interior were perfect. I drove that for years in the 70s for years with Zero problems. About 10 years later I bought a used mint root beer brown mark5 for $700, both of those cars served me well....Nice times...In the early 2000s I picked up a black mark 8, imo That car was the best driving Lincoln, ( car) I've ever driven. Through the back roads of the Mojave desert, in summer, @ !!! Speeds, rough roads was a dream. Those cars called ugly by friends & family, dont matter to me, that car went 181+ mph stock @ Bonneville, the motors bulletproof, it was reliable, comfortable & I could get just under 30 mpg cruising 70. Definitely my favorite all around car, of 300.....If I found a clean one today for a good price, I'd get it. The air bags are an ex fix, even though ford charged a mint to have them do it. The mark 7 I also had, but didn't care for it, though that's my brother's favorite all time car. Peace

[@davidluciano1106]

From The 1940 Sonny Corleone Lincoln Continental to the opulent coupes of the 50's; followed by the Mark 3 thru Mark 6 iterations of the 60's & 70's it was indeed a brief moment in time for superlative automotive excellence. Modern works of art & craftsmanship.

[@redjupiter2]

I was 17 years old when I bought a 1961 Lincoln continental suicide door for $600 it was in pristine condition and had only 90,000 miles on it. I drove it for the remainder of high school and sold it for $3500 and bought a 1969 Lincoln Mark III. I owned a few Mark III subsequently. Many of my friends had other American iron but When they would ride along with me they were absolutely amazed at the build quality, power and agility that my Lincolns possessed. One friend of mine had a Firebird Trans Am and I could blow him away with my 1969 Lincoln with a high compression 460 V8 engine. He would not believe that I had not modified it after we raced four or five times. The build quality of the 1961 Lincoln was absolutely rocksolid and outstanding and no Cadillac of the period came close.

[@iatsd]

Build quality, power, and agility? Those aren't words associated with US designed and/or built cars 1950 - 2020.

[@friguy4444]

@@iatsd Agility I agree on with you. But to lump the cars of the 1950's 1960's in with cars of the 1970's is just not even close. The build quality (If you get a chance check it out for your self) of the cars in the two decades prior to 1970's was incredible. Not every brand and model but when it comes to most of the higher end cars they really had very high quality and beautiful tech filled cars.

[@Jeffgordonfan24hesthegoat]

Must have been a v6 firebird or third gen crap

[@mopar_dude9227]

@@iatsd another Eurotwat that knows nothing about US cars.

[@iatsd]

@@mopar_dude9227 I'm American and an auto mechanic, dear. You ever wondered why American cars don't sell well outside the US? No, I doubt you have. Thinking would be outside your wheelhouse, wouldn't it?

[@keepyourbilsteins]

Thanks for this excellent, albeit sadly brief, production. I've owned several Lincolns over the years, my favorites being a '62 Continental sedan, an '87 MK7 LSC (5 liter 225 HP), and my last, a '97 Continental Executive series. The latter were both converted into what we here in the States call "sleepers". Staid, stock looking cars that receive a massive powerplant upgrade while retaining a stock appearance and try otherwise to remain as innocuous as possible. The MK7 received a 5.8 liter, 351cid "Windsor" with aggressive cam profile, higher compression ratio, and free flowing exhaust utilizing 4! Flowmaster 40 series mufflers. It was absolutely quiet at idle and at low rpm, but bellowed once the accelerator was mashed. The Continental's upgrades were more significant. Revised "PI" cylinder heads, aggressive cams, upgraded fuel system and a GT45 turbocharger which I fabricated the complete installation of. Installed lower final drive gears in the differential along with the positive traction system from a Ford Explorer SUV also. I do love my Hotrod Lincolns!

[@angeloparedes7984]

i love everything in this comment

[@ZacLowing]

The 5.8 (351) was not a stock motor, but was converted by Cars and concepts.

[@keepyourbilsteins]

@@ZacLowing who are Cars and Concepts? My Windsor came out of a crashed '86 E350 van. Factory installed powerplant. Windsors are basically tall 5 liter 302s. Oil pan, valve covers, timing cover, and myriad other parts interchange. Windsors have longer pushrods and wider intake manifolds as a result of the block deck being taller and the resulting assembled long block being wider.

[@ZacLowing]

@@keepyourbilsteins I was talking about what you posted, and even you said they where "The latter were both converted into" which is non-stock.

[@keepyourbilsteins]

@@ZacLowing There was a Company named Cars and Concepts that installed 5.8s in MK7s?

[@Silent_Speaker]

Who doesn't love the american land yachts.

[@runoflife87]

They suck.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

They are special.

[@totalrecone]

As ugly as a hat full of bums.

[@Dave_Sisson]

@@totalrecone The land yachts may (or may not) have been ugly, but the sheer, massive, utterly ridiculous size of them is what makes them amazing. They were the size and weight of a swimming pool, had enormous 7 litre engines, yet they handled like cows and couldn't go around corners at even modest speeds. The huge gas guzzling engines were massively inefficient meaning they were expensive to operate but still very slow and the things were really only designed for two people. Who couldn't appreciate such an exercise in pointless absurdity?

[@stevie-ray2020]

These were all fugly!

[@stanleycostello9610]

A long bonnet and and a short boot is the essence of what I still think is luxury car design.

[@NoosaHeads]

I rented a Lincoln Town Car in 2001. Although it wasn't a grand luxury car, it swallowed up the great distances with grace and aplomb. I thought I wouldn't like it (as I was used to small Australian cars) but I ended up being delighted with it.

[@heirofaniu]

Those old Panther bodies were a dream.

[@aday1637]

One of my buddies had a Continental with the suicide doors. It was black and very luxurious. We all loved to take a cruise in it when we had the opportunity. Very smooth and comfortable. Nothing understated about it. Just pure and true to its intended market. Wish they still made those.

[@anakina1]

I loved my LSC Mark VIII. Black with grey gut, it was a treasure to own for 18 years. Thank you for the well produced video.

[@corypoteet6543]

My parents had one of those when I was in high school…they barely ever left me drive it… and every time I’m they did I kinda understood why 😂 😂….It wasn’t a fast car, but it loved gong fast….I’ve never been in a car where I didn’t didn’t really notice 100MPH like that Lincoln

[@anakina1]

It really did. Smooth and comfy with everything geared toward the driver.

[@Hemingray1893]

My favorite Lincoln’s are the ‘58-‘60s. First, I fell in love with the MEL engines (I currently have a 1958 430 in the garage waiting to be dropped in a hot rod). 375 horsepower, bigger and more powerful than a Cadillac. The cars were a unibody design, which was leagues ahead. Then, the styling does mid-century better than it’s contemporaries. The Cadillacs will fetch six figures at auction, the Imperials have the demolition derby notoriety, but the Lincolns, I think, had the style and power.

[@gunner678]

Betty Draper's 61 Lincoln in black on Mad men was a cracking motor!

[@georgemckenna462]

The iconic Gene Hofstadt's Lincoln was given to Betty with his passing. An element that factors in heavily in the arc of the story.

[@josephsierzengaIV]

Dons ice-blue 1960 Caddy wasn’t to shabby either…. Took Betty around the block and back!

[@bahamutsix5765]

@@josephsierzengaIV pretty sure his was a ‘62 coupe deville

[@anthonycbrown1952]

Thank you for the Continental retrospective and passing along this critical story to future generations. I am a firm believer of the notion one cannot successfully move forward unless one is aware of the past.

[@kalleklp7291]

To me, the 63 Continental is one of the most beautiful cars. Regardless if it's a convertible or limosine it has everything...clean lines, chrome (without being obnoxious) and style. :)

[@chuckselvage3157]

Yeah a early 60s Lincoln is great especially with the suicide doors.

[@jamesslick4790]

@@chuckselvage3157 Getting rid of the " suicide" doors in the early 70s was a huge mistake, From 1970 until 1975 there was no real reason NOT to go with a Mercury Marquis rather than a Continental, as the two looked very much alike. At least GM maintained a big styling difference between the Buick Electra and Cadillac DeVille.

[@danielulz1640]

I heartily agree. I used to have a 63 Lincoln Continental sedan and there was not a bad line on the car. It also rode and drove beautifully even though it was over 20 years old when I bought it.

[@JackF99]

Yeah that's series actually started in '61 right? Such an epic clean design compared to the cartoonishly overdone look of the '58 to '60 Lincoln.

[@paulpeterson4311]

@@jamesslick4790 They took off the suicide doors because consumer feedback was very negative and through surveys of Cadillac buyers they found out many would not switch to Lincoln because of the doors. Though glamorous and chic and cool, those doors are very hard to live with. Sales for Lincoln did nothing but go up, once those doors were gone.

[@HamiltonStandard]

Great video, Rory! Wow. Back in 1976 I had a friend who had a keen interest in Lincoln cars, which i thought was kind of odd as most of my friends who could afford a car were either keen on American muscle or British and Italian roadsters, myself with a TR-4. Relevant to your video, as the oil crisis wained, it was briefly possible for just about anyone to afford a barely used Mark IV, because owners who were tired of the cost of operating them i.e.gasoline prices., traded them in for something less costly. Dealers wanted to get rid of them too. Bingo! My friend and I had decent paying jobs as ticket agents for the CTA. One night (I worked nights mostly) he rolled up to my station in a gleaming jet-black Mark IV! My brief embarrassment soon gave way to envy after my first cruise in the front passenger seat, lol! That car was incredible smooth quiet and powerful. Ive been in a few Rolls. The Lincoln had muscle! After that the only embarrassment I felt was when my girlfriend had to push-start my rain-soaked rattle trap TR-4, lol!!!

[@nomebear]

That's a great story. I had no idea these cars existed until an elderly lady pulled up to a store driving a black Mark IV with frost on the windows. It was a hot Texas afternoon. It was obvious that I was looking at something very special (the car, not the old lady dripping in diamonds).

[@HAL-dm1eh]

Yea in the mid to late 80s I was very excited when my parents bought me a 1968 Buick LeSabre for me to drive to high school. It was made fun of, put down and even vandalized (just stuff like putting paper cups on the (stuck in up position) automatic antenna. But not a word was said or scoff made when they needed a ride somewhere, and after me and my dad got to work on it and painted it ourselves with red (the color was RED red), that in contrast with its chrome and perfect black vinyl top, made it beautiful and admired. I never understood why these big "yank tanks" were considered an embarrassment. Ironically I think it's because I was humble enough to be appreciative of what my parents did for me and the transportation, something those cars weren't exactly originally produced for.

[@marem3038]

You are old af😆

[@danielulz1640]

@@marem3038 and you are an immature child.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@@marem3038 that's old?

[@pjesf]

The one on the AZ Proving Ground at 6:03 is awesome. Also loved the shot of AZ Rte 66

[@randystegemann9990]

Great cars, and a decades long run is hardly brief, just not long enough. Love the Mark III.

[@chuckselvage3157]

Those 50s Continentals are great looking cars. Works of art.

[@john1703]

Frank Cannon loved his car. Remember Opera Windows?

[@john1703]

@Professor McClaine Whist we are here, remember David Vincent and his white Galaxie 500, in The Invaders?

[@dukecraig2402]

Here's one for ya, William Conrad was a P51 pilot in WW2, I can just picture his crew chief stuffing him in one of those things with a shoehorn.

[@JR-es5zl]

@@dukecraig2402 I didn’t know that.

[@dukecraig2402]

@@JR-es5zl Yea it's no wonder he wanted huge car's the rest of his life after being crammed in one of those things.

[@None-zc5vg]

@@dukecraig2402 "Cannon" was used to showcase the latest Lincoln of the early '70s: the peripatetic detective, who only worked for the well-off, appeared to live in the car [maybe most real P.I.s DO live in their cars] which had a convenient car-phone ('gasp!'). A British 'classic car' magazine found a credible Cannon look-alike to pose as Frank for a late '90s article on preserved 'luxury' cars.The giant 'Continental' they featured would have been a mobile 'traffic jam' on the narrow British 'horse-and-cart-era' road network of the '70s (or even today in many places) .

[@rp9674]

It seems like most of the commenters are missing the bombshell point of this video - Continental was a separate brand from Lincoln/Ford. Continental Division of Ford Motor Company was a stand-alone division, with its own manufacturing facility; in July 1956, Ford closed the division, integrating Continental into Lincoln.

[@rogersmith7396]

So was Edsel. Both disasters.

[@donswier]

The fact that the name was used indiscriminately by Ford (much like the name Cobra), took away some cachet. Ford is not alone in this. Chrysler used the name De Tomaso on 4cyl Horizons, and Maserati on a K-Car in the 80s.

[@rp9674]

@@donswier amen - 80s Charger, 80s Nova, 88+ LeMans, 02 Cougar, Mustang Mach E, Maverick P/U

[@rogersmith7396]

@@donswier My next door neighbor had a Maseratti TC. He tried to give it to me. I said no thanks. Don't forget the Ford Pantera with 351 Cleveland. I hear they have major rust problems like a Ferrari.

[@zerocool5395]

My friend's dad bought a brand new 98' Lincoln Mark 8. It's had the twin can 4.6 it made close to 300hp (In the late 90's that was alot) really cool car, it was a really comfortable cruiser and at the same time it was fast. It's really sad how the personal luxury coupe market now pretty much doesn't exist.

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

Yeah everything is going away in favor of station wagons, oh i mean suv crossovers (haha). Now that everyone has been told you need an suv.

[@SuperBooboo02]

its sad the market now only caters to fat soccer moms riding around in ugly 4 cylinder suv boxes ....

[@LMacNeill]

My grandfather *loved* the Lincoln brand. He was an executive VP at Scripto in the '60s '70s and '80s, and while all the other VPs drove Cadillacs, he always drove a Lincoln. They called him Lincoln George. :-) When I was a kid in the '70s and '80s, he *always* had a Continental Mark -- the III, IV, and V in succession. When they "updated" the Continental Mark in 1983, he hated it. Instead of getting that car, he traded his Mark V for a Mercury Grand Marquis. Then a few years later when he retired, he went and found a very well-cared-for, very-low-mileage example of a '79 Continental Mark V and bought it. Drove it until he passed away in January of 1993. It was still in immaculate condition. I wish I had been able to buy that car from his estate and keep it, but I was only 22 at the time and didn't have the money or space to buy and keep a car that wasn't a daily driver.

[@davegoldspink5354]

Great job on this one personally I always liked the 40s to 60s Lincolns.

[@CDBC]

I've had the opportunity to drive a number of older vehicles, but one of the most remarkable was a 1971 Lincoln Continental Town Car. All in white. It had been kept in storage, driven around the block every month, had the oil changed annualy. And when I drove that car, was around 2001 when a friend of mine had just bought it. With 385 original miles on the odometer! Such a big, heavy car. But it sure glided along the roadway ...

[@TheAtheistWarrior]

The claim that the downturn in engine performance was due to the 1973 oil embargo is false. The downturn in engine performance began with all new cars beginning in 1972 as a result of government requirements of engines needed to run on lower leaded gas. Lead was being phased out of gasoline and at the time, technology was not capable of designing any dependable high performance engine that could match the engines made prior to 1972. Instead of redesigning engines, car manufacturers just reduced the piston compression ratio and built all engines with hydraulic lifters instead of solid lifters. The engines could then run on low lead fuel but at the cost of greatly reduced horsepower. A 1971 GM 454 Cubic inch engine produce 370 HP. The same engine, in 1972 produced 270 HP. The engines just got weaker and weaker during the 70's as lead was completely removed from gas. And by 1978, only a few cars had more that 225 HP.

[@rosaamarillo2110]

Yes! .. I forgot about the ‘smog pumps’ all those cars had that was a real drag on performance.. and you could not remove them. … as a teenager in the ‘70’s, the 60’s muscle cars had turned into trash by the mid ‘70’s..

[@salninethousand2496]

1.) Lead does not affect performance capability, and wasn't phased out till '90s (at least in the USA). Plenty of hi-po cars today run 11:1 or greater compression ratios on lead free gas. 2.) Only an extremely small number of ultra hi-po engines prior to 1973 had solid lifters, and plenty of engines made a lot of power with factory hydraulic lifter cams such as the 383 and 440 Magnum, LS-5 454, Buick/Olds 455, Caddy 472/500, Ford 429/460. Each could be had with 300-400 hp with hydraulic lifters. 3.) A 370 gross hp engine produces 275 net hp, which is exactly what happened (change in rating engine power from gross to net in 1972). 4.) Most vehicles prior to 1972 were outfitted with lo-po engines. What happened in 1973 is the hi-po engines disappeared and if anything, things got a bit better overall, as prior to 1973, a good portion of cars had 6-cylinder engines and 2-speed transmission, and this combo was largely replaced with 2bbl V8s and 3-speed transmission. 5.) The hi-po models disappeared in 1973 for a variety of reasons - economy, emissions and insurance (safety).

[@kingkrimson8771]

@@salninethousand2496 I noticed you left Pontiac out of your list of performance engines in point #2 above, but Pontiac still produced a high performance engine in 73 & 74 - the Super Duty 455.

[@mopar_dude9227]

The demand for high performance cars was because of the oil crisis, which if there is no demand, why build it. And the insurance companies destroyed high performance cars more than the government did. Most car manufacturers stopped using solid lifters in the mid 60’s and some of the highest HP engines followed that time. And as said by another post, all US car manufacturers switched from gross to net horsepower ratings. Throughout the 70’s, very few people wanted high performance cars, they wanted cars with good fuel economy. Not only was there the oil crisis, and fear of it happening again, but there was peanut farmer in the White House screwing up the economy. Paying more for a performance car, then at the pump, wasn’t attractive to most people. We had to drop to the bottom with the early 80’s, but performance started to come back (slowly). New technology now allowed more performance with better fuel economy. Once that happened, the HP wars started up again (again slowly). Now we are a time when 400HP said weak. If you are at 500 HP plus, just stay seated on the bench.

[@daviedmond4639]

We had a mark 5 as a kid and I still love the look and sound of it. Steering was nuts cause you had no Rd feedback and an extremely over tuned steering.........there just is an elegance of old school lux in American cars

[@yoranw4608]

And now that we are being attacked by SUVs, luxury sedans and coupes are in serious danger of getting extinct. Nice video. Thanks for posting.

[@jeffjackson9679]

Pretty soon you are going to have to buy a foreign brand if you want an actual car. Rumors are they are turning the Camaro and Mustang into damn SUVs pretty soon.

[@d.s7741]

who cares when you have vehicles like the Escalade, or Grand Wagoneer, that can carry you through the snow in luxury

[@fraserhenderson7839]

A friend owns and occasionally drives a '70 Mark III which he hot rodded or "resto-modded" in 1985. It features very customized lowered suspension and a Keith Black bespoke NA 428 CI lump with BIG mufflers and 3" pipes. It idles quietly and makes a kind of thunder when pushed hard. It's not terribly agile but it is confidence inspiring with flat cornering and big brakes. It's signature trick was the ability to produce copious smoke from 2 wheels for several hundred feet. It still goes to car shows but no burnouts have happened in the last few decades, too much work to clean rubber off the wheel wells. Navy blue non metallic paint wet sanded to perfection and custom chrome makes the car an absolute standout on the street, everyone stops and looks.

[@lilibethdoherty295]

Apparently you have been living in a alternate universe. Lincoln during the 1990's was selling Town cars as fast as they could build them, in 1998 when the new Town car was even more popular !

[@chadakoin1]

Well done, once again. You might want to consider a look at the US Ford Falcon. An innovative car in many when it was introduced.

[@robmcgowan4034]

Enjoyed the video, but had a question on 2 things. I'm pretty sure the Mark II was also produced in '57, and that they put the names Mark III, IV and V on the upmarket Premieres of '58, '59 & '60 respectively. The '59 is left out, with the '60 mentioned as the Mark IV. I'm mentioning it for purposes of clarifying. I never cared for those models. After the '57 Premiere for me, it kind of skips ahead to the '61 and those that followed. Lincoln did the right thing in naming the '68 Mark III the Mark III as it was the first legitimate successor to the real Mark II. My favorites are the '77-'79 Mark V. I appreciate Lincoln trying to continue it with the Mark VI, but it just couldn't pull it off. After that, it skips ahead to the Mark VIII's of the 90's. They were a sleeker, sportier Mark than the VII's in the same way the '89-'97 T-Bird's were over the '83-'88. Historically the Mark VIII is significant because it was the last Lincoln coupe, period, gone (as we know now) permanently. To see one on the road now is rare, and a real treat for that reason.

[@rctopfueler2841]

who the hell is this mark fella anyway

[@micotexo]

Incredibly you don't mention Elwood Engel the designer of the 1961 Continental. The most succesful and beatiful Lincoln.

[@danb.3397]

I still think the '55 is one of the icons of motoring design. Just my humble opinion.

[@railtrolley]

Styling well ahead of its time, during the Tail Fins and chrome era.

[@peterkane192]

Since Ford and Lincoln ended their sedan production last year, I hope Ford can create an all muscle car brand (Mustang) and a luxury car brand (Continental).

[@syxepop]

OK, the last gen FWD Continental was NOT based on the Fusion / Mondeo (CD1) midsize platform (previous one was a stretched D186 / 4G Taurus ), but a larger Volvo-derived D3 FWD platform from the 6G full-sized Taurus originally named MKS. The topline engine on that last Conti was the original and only transversal version (for FWD-based apps) of the 400hp EcoBoosted (2T-)3.0 V6 now used in certain RWD-biased apps. The Conti's last model (until there's a BEV to put the name on, I suppose) was 2019.

[@nlpnt]

One problem with the Continental Mark II was that the ultra-luxury market was *tiny* compared to the prewar and 1980-present one. There basically was no volume to sustain a model above the "standard" Lincoln and Cadillac. The Cadillac Series 75 (limo) was a vocational model by then, sold almost entirely to fleets for VIP transport and to the funeral trade. Rolls-Royce was foreign and could get away with 10-year design cycles (their ads pitched unchanging styling just as explicitly as VW at the other end of the market).

[@19553129]

Great history of the epitome of Lincoln’s heritage

[@nlpnt]

You mentioned the Mark VII without its' most unique (at launch) feature; it was the first American-market car since WW2 to have composite rather than sealed-beam headlights.

[@donswier]

....or to offer a BMW inline 6 diesel😉

[@hijodelaisla275]

"Dormant," indeed. That's a diplomatic way of putting it.

[@tapper701]

Remember from February 1973 first time family traveled to Florida from New York state, silver Mark IV's with silver vinyl top & cranberry interiors were every where ...

[@michal90210]

You did a great job. Respect. As a Lincoln fan and an owner of 76 Mark IV I just wish you mentioned their introduction of designer series, which was a first among other car makers, as well as some technical novelties along the way. Still great to watch. Subscribed :)

[@jamesstuart3346]

Great video. My vote goes to the Mark III but be sure to check what's in the rocker panels

[@maxpayne2574]

One minor point the 10s oil embargo didn't cause pollution controls. It caused the gov to set MPG requirements. No more 8mpg 400+ CI land yachts of course the car companies said these were unobtainable goals. I remember when car companies and oil companies were saying unleaded gas would doom engines to short lives lol

[@Anatoli50]

I owned a 1959 Mark III in High School. What a giant sled. Just the thing for going to the beach on Saturday night to watch the submarine races.

[@jasperdilincoln2341]

The last generation of the Mark IIIV was my dream car whiles I was in Highschool

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

Great video the exclusivity has dropped off in Lincoln and many other companies over the years sadly. Though despite perception there was a very noticeable difference between the Lincoln and ford/mercury versions through the last continentals. I had a 97 continental and my mechanic said oh that's just a expensive taurus, until he got it on the lift. Yup just like a Taurus, except the engine, suspension, not to mention the interior and especially the leather seats were much nicer. The 32 valve v8 was exclusive to the lincoln except for later on the limited production svt cobra and mercury marauder. I do see what you mean though the exclusive items now typically are more of a repair or maintenance hinderance. As opposed to a noticeable improvement or difference.

[@davidepperson2376]

We had a '74 Mark IV - my father bought it with 30K on the clock around 1985. Huge car, huge front seat legroom, but with less rear legroom than my 911 lol. 460 in^3 Police Interceptor engine, being a California car it had horrific performance. But he was damned proud of that thing, and I have to say it had a luxurious ride (despite the fact you had to steer it like a ship)!

[@markkeller8915]

I was just 10 years old when we got a 1970 Mark III, and spent many happy long Sunday drives in the back with my sisters. Later while restoring a couple of 65 Thunderbirds, the interior styling seemed more Lincoln styling than Ford with all the Stainless steel trim. Nice to see a connection of sort in the chassis between the two cars, albeit later models Currently considering a Mark III or Mark V. I did do some restoration on a Mark VI, but generally felt the car was too small proportionally. Also nice to hear of Lee Iacocca's involvement in the Mark III. Thanks for the good vibes and putting some names to the car's background.

[@Miata822]

Growing up in the '60s in a small farming town in upstate New York I thought the Mark IV was the most luxurious and elegant vehicle I would ever see. Having such a large car that was really only meant for two occupants was what I longed to have one day back in my early teens, cramped in the back of a Ford Country Squire station wagon with my younger siblings.

[@Soh90]

Never even knew such a car existed until today 7 Nov 2021. What an astonishingly beautiful car!

[@grownjohnboy]

A 2018 Ford Fusion Sport is a powerhouse to drive and has this legacy behind it. It looks like Granny's Fusion but the four tailpipes are there for a reason.

[@johnrobinson5156]

I remember going to Jr.High in 1970's, passing a neighbor's home where they parked a broken Black Mark II 2 door Continenal Convertible on the street. Looked like a T-Bird on steroids. Huge car! Looked like The Batmobile. Never saw another. Probably went to a junkyard.

[@danielulz1640]

If it looked like a Batmobile, then it was probably a 1957 Lincoln Premiere convertible, not a Continental Mark II.

[@christopherstreet2214]

The Continental should be brought back as ultra luxury version of Lincoln … a cheaper maybach

[@nomebear]

Ford has recently made a step in the direction with the Continental, but nothing close to a Maybach in execution.

[@rp9674]

When I hear Maybach - I think maintenance nightmares & corresponding depreciation.

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

That was what the Continental was supposed to be, Cadillac was going to do similar with a new Brougham. Cadillac nixed theirs early on and Ford soldiered on but scaled down the Car none the less. There were some custom ones made like the stretched suicide door versions made though. Which were closer to what the idea was early on.

[@rogersmith7396]

See Navigator. Give the people what they want. US industry has never been interested in low volume production cars. There was Viper and Ford GT.

[@christopherstreet2214]

@@cardinaloflannagancr8929 I think the black label coach door edition should have been the only version available … should have been a BEV with generator and had power open and closing coach doors - should have been truly opulent and became the capstone model then created a Crossover version of it and a convertible version … all should have been coach built and with no compromise

[@jnstonbely5215]

Magnificent Video and research . Perhaps Electric may bring back the era of these Great Lincoln Models

[@vernwallen4246]

Mark 11 was a sight too behold.10k was a hunk of 💰💰💰💰in 56.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

You'll never see cars like these again made by Ford/Lincoln/Continental. It's all crossovers & SUVs now.

[@rogersmith7396]

Cars will go all electric. If they are cheap to run the land yacht may return although trucks are the current land yacht.

[@christian-michaelhansen471]

I started my Lincoln love affair when I was young. After a time when I drove a 1979 Mercury Cougar, Bill Blass edition, I bought a 1979 Lincoln Mark 5, also a Bill Blass edition. I’ve owned a 1968 Lincoln Mark III, with the rare headrests. Also a 1984 Town Car, and a 2001 Lincoln limousine. I’ve wanted a Mark VII sports coupe.

[@GintaPPE1000]

There's a bit more to the Mark name's history that you missed. The Mark LT was a full-size luxury pickup sold between 2006 and 2008 in all of North America, and another 6 years until 2014 in Mexico only. Furthermore, the "MK" in all of Lincoln's MK-- names from the mid-2000s until recently was originally intended to be marketed and pronounced as "Mark" rather than just the two letters, but it was shortened to fit the numbering and naming schemes that other luxury automakers like Lexus were doing. So, for instance, the MKZ's original name was supposed to be "Mark Z".

[@youtubeisinconsistent9169]

I miss my black 79 continental towncar. A 23 foot long four door rolling apartment with hideaway headlights and opera windows and the aerodynamics of a cathedral. (23 foot is an exaggeration for you anal retentive types...sheesh.)

[@MrTheHillfolk]

My buddy's got his dad's old 76 with like 30k on the clock , suckers mint. Maybe not my cup of tea as a car I'd buy but I love any time capsule.

[@Soh90]

Aerodynamics of a cathedral…. Can I steal that?

[@Derpy1969]

The Marks were just over 19 feet, not 23.

[@youtubeisinconsistent9169]

@@Derpy1969 mine wasn't a mark. Think of the big town cars at kim jong il's funeral procession. Or gerald fords ride

[@jamesslick4790]

@@Derpy1969 The 1979 Continental (with or without the Town Car package...) AND the 1979 Mark V were BOTH a bit more than 19 feet. The Continental was a mere 2.7 inches longer than the Mark V! (233.0" VS 230.3") An amazingly small difference for cars made on two different platforms! This is in stark contrast to the 1979 Cadillacs, Where the DeVille was the equivalent to the Continental and the Eldorado was the equivalent to the Mark; The DeVille was 17.4 inches longer than the Eldorado! (221.2" VS 204.0"). The longest "regular production" American car in 1979 was the Cadillac Series 75 limousine, and even IT only clocks in at 20.3 feet. Even the pre- "downsized" 1976 Cadillac Series 75 Limousine was "Only" 21 feet.

[@mattmayo3539]

Liz Taylor’s continental has to be the most famous one. Given a paint job that matched her eye color.

[@Boss429..]

I’ll never understand how Ford could let the Continental and Mark brands just languish.

[@rogersmith7396]

No Eldorados for some time now.

[@jakebe4915]

Profits....they saw much more in Navigator!

[@DWS1435]

Very nice informative video. It is a shame Lincoln has stopped producing luxury sedans. Not all of us want to drive truck like SUV's.

[@sergioleone3583]

The Continental Mark II is one of THE best looking cars of all time in my book.

[@robertd9850]

I wasn't sure which one that was so I Googled images of it. You're right, that's a beautiful car.

[@justron1234]

I had a Continental Mark II 56 it drove like a newer Lincoln Town Car. Smooth as she mouse belly, Driving down the freeway the cars taking photographs, it was a photoshoot no fun to drive with all the photographers She was a Queen of cars, a lady of first class.

[@johnmayer5920]

I would’ve liked to have seen more about the early Lincolns my dad had a 1924 or 1926 Lincoln phaeton . He said it was a real luxury vehicle but he could not drive it long because of the gas rationing after the second world war this was in London England I think it had a V 12 in it if I remember what he told me properly. Thanks for the videos

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

As a boy in the '50s, I had a model of a Lincoln Premier. I thought it was elite because of the Russian use of that word. My Dad showed me the Time magazine cover with Kruschev.

[@ENZEEVIDS]

one would imagine that in terms of luxury cars, and in that era, any associations with the ford brand would be snidely ignored outside of the us

[@jaygill5582]

Boy you gonna drive me to drinking, if you don't stop driving that hot rod Lincoln!

[@martentrudeau6948]

My grandfather worked at Ford for 36 years, he always said the Continental Mark II was hand built.

[@marblox9300]

I am now liking the 1968s the most.

[@MidKid61]

The creation of the Continental division was an effort put out by Ford to match General Motors and Chrysler to have five distinct brands as both GM and Chrysler had back then. Not only Continental but Edsel was created in that way of thinking. The Continental would be the Ford's luxury class division going up against Cadillac and Imperial, Lincoln would match up with Buick and Chrysler, Mercury would go head-to-head with Oldsmobile and DeSoto and Edsel would fill in the blank and go against Pontiac and Dodge and Ford would remain one of the "low-price three" with Chevrolet and Plymouth.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

Nice video! Seems that your sources have some issues with their facts. It's really a shame the federal government put such draconian requirements on automobile design and build. It's now almost impossible to build a car with truly unique appearance and "underpinnings".

[@dbc105]

The government doesn't dictate what a car looks like. there is no part of an American made car that can't be made to look good. The problem lies with the consumer, that is who dictates design. We put a man on the Moon, we can design cars but when cars come from Japan & S Korea in the shape of a turd American manufactures have no choice but to build what people want. I don't like the looks of new cars but my kids do and the entire family things my 1968 Roadrunner is the ugliest car they ever seen, so.......

[@mikeweizer3149]

@@dbc105 .......When you talk about the taste that most people today have in Automobile design that's bad enough but look at the taste that young people today have in music. Led Zeppelin is light years better than Crap or hip slop!.( BTW. I remember full well what a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner looks like and enjoy it!).

[@grgmck77]

So many memories.

[@peterdaniel66]

All that amazing work.. for 2 years and 3000 cars/... and McNamara thought that the loss on each car sold was unacceptable???

[@rogersmith7396]

He then went on to gut the US military. I had his sister as a patient in a KC nursing home. Also General Lucious Trscotts secretary.

[@machtschnell7452]

I drove a Mark III through Mexico one Summer as it was a very good road car and highly visible to Mexican truck drivers and bus operators. It was very comfortable for four people. Sporty it was not. I also drove a Mark VII with the 302 for a month. It was a solid comfortable car if not as superficially as opulent as the Mark III. The Mark VIII looked interesting, but I never drove one. The last Lincoln I drove was the FWD V6 one. Interesting, but no Tornado. It was a short lived car with many problems.

[@baronvonjo1929]

Could you do a video on the collapse of basically the British automakers? I think all of them are now owned by foreigners or have been discontinued.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Morgan is still 100% British owned but they use BMW engines.

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@TheMrPeteChannel - Er, not quite correct I’m afraid. Since March 2019 the majority stake in The Morgan Motor Company Ltd is held by the Italian investment group Investindustrial.

[@rogersmith7396]

Bentley?

[@JustFunandGames]

You first need to rise, before you can collapse 😂

[@Tourist1967]

@@rogersmith7396 Bentley is owned by VW. Rolls Royce, once its stablemate, is owned by BMW.

[@scootergeorge9576]

In 1942 all civilian car production was halted; not just the Continental.

[@thefrontporch8594]

I had a MKIII, and it was a wet dream come true.

[@scarletmacaw]

In 1972 Cannon drove a brand new Mark IV which was one of the most elegant and classy cars ever made. I would rather have one any day instead of these modern day German bathtubs like the Mercedes S550

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

0:20 Lincoln wasn't a short-lived marque under the Ford banner. MANY YEARS that Lincoln spent as a Ford brand. My late father had a 1957 Lincoln for years, lead sled (we put it on a scale at a grain elevator once, about 7000 pounds all up) but it rode very very smooth at 110 on the (empty, or I'd have not gone that fast) freeway one afternoon. But for accelleration, it BARELY matched my 1966 Ford Falcon with the 3-on-the-column manual and a 170 I6 (a MUCH lighter car).

[@mattmayo3539]

What a time to be alive.

[@ralphsanchico2452]

Quiet as it's kept, it was the PIMPS that helped the Mark series stay afloat in the 70's! (LOL)

[@smartprocesssolutions748]

I owned a 1999 Lincoln Town Car. I owned it for a total of 63 days before I traded it back in. The drivers seat near killed my lower back if I drove longer than 20 minutes. I rolled out of the car in agonizing lower back pain. I loved the car, but sadly, I could not drive it. Thankfully, I lost no money on the deal.

[@rogersmith7396]

Cold War Motors is restoring a Mk II.

[@chickenwarrior9991]

Isn’t the new Continental built on the same platform as the Taurus, not the Mondeo/Fusion. The more common MKZ is the same size as the fusion, whereas the Continental remains the larger flagship. At least that’s how it works here in Canada!

[@FXDGRND]

We have Frank Sinatras Mark II getting restored. Mark II's are insane. They have trim for trim. Brackets on brackets. Everything is vacuum operation, AC system in the trunk. Just alot of it is overly engineered. Amazing cars when done right but total trainwrecks if you are cutting corners.

[@outlet6989]

Trivia Question. What was the name of a 70's TV show that had an overweight detective? His name was the title of the show. He drove a Continental. I can't say that I liked the show, but I watched it because of that car. A real beauty. This detective show was one-upped by another, whose star was Barry Sullivan. He rode around in a Rolls, in the REAR seat, as HE had a chauffeur.

[@AML2000]

Cannon starring William Conrad.

[@jimalinc]

The detective who rode around in a Rolls Royce was Gene Barry in Burke's Law.

[@kimbarling4213]

Such a shame to witness the evolution and success of such an elegant beautiful vehicle to be slowly diminished to a sad reflection of its once former splendour of class. Most ppl don't realise or understand that there was a separate vehicle division Continental as opposed to Lincoln. It was not till later in in its evolution life it became absorbed into a Lincoln Continental with model option Town car And then the 2 door coupe Mark series variant.

[@joelhenderson4450]

Was there not also a Mark LT? An F-150?

[@oxcart4172]

I don't understand why GM have let the Cadillac brand slide so much. Surely someone could at least try to revive it to its former status?

[@johnc.bojemski1757]

I am a GM/CHEVROLET "kid" myself. All the "luxury" cars in the families around us drove CADILLACS. However... The LINCOLN BRAND was favored by "BLACK CAR" and LIMOUSINE COMPANIES by far in our suburban area around NYC. They were "cheapened" a bit when FORD decided to slap its name on them as "THUNDERBIRDS" trying to regain some if that automobile's past glory.

[@badweetabix]

American car makers have an inexplicable ingrained self-destructive streak. I have seen over the last 50 years various Detroit automakers discontinue models of cars that have good (and improving) quality and in demand, but continue to pour money into making low quality cars no one wanted. GM discontinued the Buick LeSabre line after near 50 years of production. This particular model was highly rated and the rating kept improving even more with succeeding years. Then out of nowhere, GM cancelled it in 2005. When you consider such reviewers as Consumer Report which have always been highly critical of any American brand cars giving the LeSabre high marks, the cancellation of the model is bizarre. Then there is the Ford Fusion, Chrysler Fifth Avenue, and many more.

[@fortisfortunaadiuvat9262]

I have a 56 Mark Two A/C car, love it

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

They wanted to do like Chrysler did with the imperial give it its own name for a Time.

[@B1970T]

I sure wish they’d make a MarkIX.

[@fk4515]

What you didn't mention was the Cadillac Motor Car Company's original name was "The Henry Ford Company". they changed their name after Henry Ford left.

[@geoffreystearns1690]

The Lincoln Continental is best remembered as The Deathmobile in Animal House.....

[@plap.]

Forgot to mention that the suicide door continental came out in the early 60s but was a designed in the 30s

[@cashkenterprises5584]

What about the Mark LT?

[@rogersmith7396]

So now people are paying big money for rebadged pickup trucks. This is progress? Sad.

[@rosewhite---]

MKS looked really nice.

[@jakebe4915]

I had one in cherry red, on black leather. I loved that car!