Vehicle Description
Big American luxury cars of the '70s were unlike anything that came
before or since, and the biggest, most luxurious of them all had to
be the Lincoln Continental. By the time this 1979 Continental
Collector's Series was built, Cadillac had already downsized,
making it the undisputed champion of the luxury car wars. With
wonderful preservation combining with a faithful repaint, this is
one of the finer examples of its type anywhere and it's definitely
the most sheetmetal per dollar in the collector car world.
Basic white looks great on a luxury car, and it's the ultimate
finish on this limited-run Lincoln (1 of only 4 available colors on
the Collector's Series), showing off the design in all its decadent
greatness. Finish quality is quite good - an attribute of
tantamount importance to the Lincoln name - and the resulting
strong driver-quality respray shows that when this luxury 4-door
was repainted, the restorers new they were working with something
very special. The long, straight almost gothic lines of the last of
the land yachts have aged well and still look attractive today.
Traditional Lincoln styling cues abound, including the bright strip
of trim that runs along the tops of the fenders and doors, a
feature that first showed up with the 1961 Continental. The rubber
filler panels for the bumpers remain in very good condition
(although like most, they're not a 100% color-match to the rest of
the car) and if you're familiar with these cars, you already know
that these parts deteriorate fast if the car is exposed to the
elements. The white vinyl top looks great, ostensibly turning this
special Continental into a Town Car, and the overall look is quite
uniform, so someone has obviously always loved this car. Nice
chrome bumpers, a tall, vertical gold grille, and folding
headlights complete the look.
The interior is about the size of a Manhattan starter apartment and
as luxurious as a penthouse suite. Blue Kashmir velour on tufted
seats is both durable and comfortable and shows little wear, as
you'd expect from a car that's been babied. Ornate door panels have
controls for the split power front seats, windows, and locks - all
framed in fairly convincing faux wood. The weather seals are still
supple, so this car seals up like a tomb and just whispers along on
the highway, and thick carpets underfoot certainly help with that
effect. Other features include automatic climate control, cruise
control, automatic dimming headlights, and a rather sophisticated
Cartier clock. The back seat has enough room for the starting front
line of the LA Lakers and the beautifully finished trunk will carry
all their gear and then some.
Ford's 400 cubic inch V8 (aka the 6.6L V8) was the only powerplant
available in the Continental/Town Car in 1979, and it's a good
choice. Smooth, torquey, and almost completely silent, it moves the
massive sedan without ever feeling like it's working hard. It's
quite original and nicely maintained (although not overly
detailed), with many of the factory markings still visible under
the hood. It's got the proper replacement parts, but with so few
believed actual miles, most of the equipment hasn't been broken in
yet. It starts easily and idles so smoothly you'll be tempted to
hit the starter again, and the single exhaust system offers just a
distant hum to advertise the engine's operation. A 3-speed
automatic transmission shifts almost imperceptibly and with
towering highway gears in back, this is perhaps the best
long-distance cruiser you'll ever drive. Factory "turbine" alloy
wheels remain in excellent shape and carry 235/75/15 whitewall
radials that finish the look perfectly.
They called this a "Collector's Edition" and perhaps it's time has
come. We'll never see cars like this roaming the highways again, so
take advantage of this opportunity to drive perhaps the finest
example of Lincoln's last land yacht. Call today!
