Vehicle Description
Cool Mint Green with Dark Green Leather Interior402ci V8
EngineAutomatic TransmissionAutomatic Headlight DimmerPower
Windows, Mirrors, and Door Locks This 1971 Lincoln Continental
Convertible is in near perfect condition. The paint is mint green
with dark green leather interior. The working powered top is in
great condition. This Continental Convertible is a top of the line
model, complete with automatic headlight dimmer, power windows,
mirrors, and door locks. This great cruiser vehicle that's sure to
get lots of attention. Mechanically the vehicle is in tip top
condition with a 402ci V8 and automatic transmission. Free and
clear of major blemishes as well as mechanically sound, this RARE
and beautiful Convertible 1971 Lincoln Continental is a true dream
of a car. There are times when the American automobile industry
swings for the fences and hits a home run. There are times,
however, that the industry misses out on a tremendous opportunity,
and such is the case with this 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III
convertible. Introduced in April 1968 as an early 1969 model, the
Mark III was Ford Motor Company's answer to Cadillac's El
Dorado-GM's top-of-the-line entry in the personal luxury car
marketplace. Ford competed well with the lower GM marquees with the
Thunderbird but had no vehicle to match up against the Cadillac
until Ford vice president Lee Iacocca tasked his design team to
"put a Rolls Royce grill on a Thunderbird" for the newest Lincoln
model! In reality the designers did far more than that and, while
utilizing the Thunderbird chassis, built a new car atop the
platform. The goal, as far as Ford executives were concerned, was
to outsell their Cadillac competitor and the first-year offering
(1968) did just that by several thousand units. Ford named the car
the Mark III, homage to the short-lived Continental Mark II of 1956
and 1957. The new design featured vacuum-operated hidden headlights
keyed to the body color, a radiator-styled grill (think Rolls
Royce) and a trunk lid that appeared to hold a spare tire (but
actually did not). By using existing parts and pieces from other
models, the Mark III was developed at a relatively low cost for a
brand-new model of vehicle. Previously, the Lincoln division of
Ford Motor Company had been operating at a loss but sales of the
Mark III turned the division into a profit center and were later
credited by Iacocca to have been one of his greatest career
achievements. For the man who spearheaded the launch of the Ford
Mustang and introduced the Chrysler K-car that saved that company
from bankruptcy, that's an Impressive feat! The Mark III was
offered only as a two-door hardtop, just as the namesake Mark II
was just over a decade earlier. Power was derived from Ford's 460
cubic inch engine backed by the proven and dependable C6
three-speed automatic transmission. A variety of gear ratios were
available for the trusty nine-inch rear differential. Standard
equipment included leather interior, power split bench front seats,
power steering, power brakes and power windows. A host of factory
options were available (air conditioning was not standard equipment
until the 1971 model year) including cruise control, power door
locks, automatic dimming headlights and a variety of stereo
systems. While a vinyl roof was technically an option, because of
the additional bodywork needed to smooth the two-piece roofline on
solid-roof models very few cars were manufactured without the vinyl
roof treatment. The Mark III held its' own against the Cadillac
during the three years the model was built (the final year being
1971) but just like with the predecessor Mark II, there was
something missing for a particular segment of the motoring public.
There was not a convertible option for the Lincoln Mark III, and it
was up to private, independent coachbuilders to provide such a
vehicle. This 1971 Lincoln Mark III is an excellent example of
that! This car was converted to a convertible several years ago by
a professional coachbuilder and has been in the present owner's
portfolio since May 2009. It has been driven occasionally since
that time and has been stored in a humidity-controlled environment
under his ownership. Based on a visual inspection of the car, we
believe the just over 56,000 miles showing on the odometer could be
correct but in accordance with Missouri laws regulating licensed
automobile dealers the car is offered as "mileage exempt" due to
age. As with all Lincoln Mark III's, a 460 cubic inch power plant
lives under the expansive hood and the C6 automatic transmission
shifts flawlessly. The rear end houses a 2.80:1 gear set. Even upon
close inspection, it's almost impossible to determine this car did
not leave the Wixom, MI Ford Assembly Plant in January 1971 as a
convertible. The coachwork conversion is exceptional and the fit
and finish is superb for a vehicle of this age. Added factory
options include cruise control, auto dimming headlights and AM
radio with 8 track tape player. The light green exterior color and
dark green leather interior match the car's trim tag and present
very nicely. The trim tag indicates the car was initially sold to a
dealer within the Atlanta, GA district sales office so it is likely
the vehicle initially spent time in the southern United States.
Obviously there is no way to know how many convertible conversions
have been made on the Mark III platform over the years, but a quick
Google search for photos yielded very few examples and at least one
of those was from the United Kingdom. It's a pretty safe bet that
you will not find another Mark III convertible when you pull in to
your local or regional car show or cruise night! This nearly 5,000
pound, 18 feet long luxury car will be hard to miss no matter the
size of the event!