Vehicle Description
11,572 original miles (not a misprint). Exceptional original car,
beautiful interior, fully operational and complete. Completely
original except maintenance items, gas tank, and exhaust resonator.
Heavily documented. Like a new 1973 Lincoln!The mileage is no
mistake and with just two owners this extremely original and
correct 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV looks and drives like a
new car. It has been very well kept by people who understood that
keeping it as factory-correct as possible was important. The
vintage 1973 Tan paint (yes, Tan is the name-Lincoln wasn't big on
elaborate color names) has a wonderful shine and very, very few
signs of use or age. No checking, no major scrapes or dings, and
certainly no rust. It has never been wrecked and as far as we can
tell it has never had any paint work. The only item of note is the
driver's rear fender molding is a little tweaked, although there's
no paint damage underneath so it would be relatively easy to repair
or replace. The padded roof is in excellent shape with no evidence
of issues underneath and details like the emblems and lenses are
quite nicely preserved. The headlights work properly and the chrome
gleams like it did decades ago. We've sold a lot of survivors, but
very few are this well preserved. Lincoln excelled at interior
design in the 1970s, with a level of restraint that was uncommon in
the industry. The Tobacco cloth and vinyl upholstery is pretty much
as-new with almost no signs of wear and firm seating surfaces that
reinforce the believe that there haven't been that many drivers
behind the wheel. The plush carpets are deep enough to swallow your
shoes and the faux wood, while not particularly convincing, is at
least subtle. You'll note there's a rather long list of features,
including power windows, locks, and seat, remote mirrors, A/C
(still using R12 refrigerant!), cruise control, and a decent AM/FM
stereo radio. Sadly, the Cartier clock isn't working, but the rest
acts like it's still the early '70s. The back seat looks completely
unused and the headliner is a beautifully finished piece that's as
luxurious as the rest of the interior. It's really nicely done!
There's also a mammoth trunk with more deep pile carpeting as well
as a new full-sized spare tire assembly (more on the wheels and
tires in a moment) and original jack. The only engine available in
the Mark IV was Ford's biggest: the 460 cubic inch V8. Bereft of
emissions controls or other considerations to economy, it churns
out the kind of effortless power and mountainous torque that makes
these big American luxury cars such peerless highway cruisers.
Aside from maintenance items, this one remains 100% as the factory
built it, with original markings, decals, and fittings all intact.
You'll note original hose clamps, the flex tube on the air cleaner
assembly, and factor wiring that isn't dry, cracked, or falling
apart. It starts easily and idles smoothly and thanks to proper
care and maintenance over the years, drives properly. The
undercarriage shows off a life that was mercifully out of the
elements, with clean floors and almost all original components.
Look closely and you'll see everything but the gas tank, brake
lines, and resonator on the factory exhaust system was installed in
1973. The C6 3-speed automatic transmission shifts unobtrusively
and with 2.75 gears, it just loafs along at highway speeds with
that incomparable big car ride. Yes, there's a little surface scale
on the heavy metal parts, but that's not surprising given that most
were left unpainted by the factory-it's just unavoidable. And about
the rolling stock-it sits on new 235/75/15 whitewall radials with
new wheels and wire wheel covers from a slightly later Mark V.
However, the original hubcaps, wheels, and factory Michelin tires
are included, so if you want to eke out those last few points at a
show, you can do it.Documentation is likewise extensive. We have
the original window sticker and build sheet, found under the rear
seat. The original owner's manual and OwnerCard are included as
well. Dealership paperwork from the original purchase is filed in a
thick binder, which also includes maintenance receipts and details
from the car's past. There's also a show board with details about
this car and 1973 Lincolns in general.This is a special car. If you
appreciate untouched, original, low-milage cars this one stands
out. The level of preservation is uncommon in cars of this age and
the level of detail previous owners used to keep it as close to
factory spec is extremely impressive. And thanks to careful
maintenance, it's ready to drive so it's not just a trailer queen.
For those of us who appreciate these grand luxury yachts, there is
no substitute for the real thing. Call today!Harwood Motors always
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
