Vehicle Description
52,443 original miles. Beautiful color combination with full
leather interior. Lifetime southern car in excellent condition.
Recently serviced, everything works. The last of the giant land
yachts, ready to cruise and enjoy! The time is coming when these
iconic cars will be collectable, and perhaps that time has already
arrived. Members of the Lincoln Continental Owners Club know that
they are superlative highway cruisers and the best ones have been
immaculately maintained over their three-decade-long lives. This
1977 Town Car shows just 52,443 original miles and has been
collector owned for more than half of its life. And unlike so many
of its peers, it wears a handsome color combination that will
always be fashionable. As far as we can tell, the dark red paint
remains 100% original and in very, very good condition and we
really had to look to find any flaws (that's a lot of sheetmetal to
examine!). There might be one or two minor chips on the nose due to
highway use and maybe a few others on the rockers from some stray
stones, but the overall look is extremely impressive. Despite what
you've heard, build quality on these big cars was quite good for
the period, and all four doors close with a precision that you may
not expect. In fact, you may have to give them a little harder slam
than you're accustomed to doing with modern cars, as the heavy-duty
weather seals that make it tomb-silent inside are still quite
supple and effective. Likewise, the chrome is excellent (there's
some light pitting on the grille shell, but I bet you won't see it
without using a camera flash like we did), the wonderfully ornate
parking light lenses are just beautifully rendered, and the padded
half roof shows no rips, tears, or other notable demerits. And yes,
the headlights work as they should. The wonderful Cordovan leather
interior is pure 1970s, but it's tasteful instead of over-the-top.
You almost fall into the pillow-tufted seats, which are still
comfortable enough for 10-hour cross-country cruising. There's no
notable wear on any of the seating surfaces and they're still firm
where they're supposed to be firm, soft where they're supposed to
be soft. The carpets are deep enough that you could lose a shoe,
and as I said, with those heavy-duty weather seals, it's dead
silent inside this car. There's a lot of faux wood on the dash and
door panels, and even the steering wheel, but it contrasts nicely
with the Cordovan dashboard, which also features a brushed metal
speedometer face for a bit of a high-tech look. The options list is
extensive, with this car carrying almost every available feature:
automatic climate control, power windows, locks, and seat, cruise
control, automatic headlights and dimmer, power antenna, tilt
steering column, and an AM/FM/8-track stereo radio. Better yet, it
all works-even the clock! See, yet another reason for this to be
your next road trip car. Your passengers will be stunned by the
amount of space they have in back and the trunk is large enough for
everyone to bring, well, everything. The original spare tire and
jack assembly are still in place, hidden behind their own carpeted
bulkhead. Downsizing was on the horizon, but in 1977 you could
still get the muscular 460 cubic inch mill that never seems to work
very hard. With just 52,000 original miles, it has never needed
anything but routine service items and still runs superbly. Turn
the key and it starts almost instantly and settles into a smooth
idle. There's torque all over the map, which is why you want a big
cubic inch engine pulling your luxury car around, and like a good
servant, it never, ever calls attention to itself. The engine bay
is wonderfully original and very well preserved, with Ford Blue on
the engine, air cleaner, and other parts, all of which remains
bright and clear. It is notable in the fact that little things like
the hose clamps, fasteners, distributor cap, and other small parts
that are often discarded are all correct and likely original. It's
rugged, simple, and very well designed. The big V8 is backed by a
C6 3-speed automatic transmission with seamless shifts and good
reflexes. Of course, it's best at gliding around town where the
luxury-grade suspension can vacuum up potholes or out on the
interstate where it can gobble up pavement at a voracious rate.
With 2.73 gears in the rear end, 80 MPH is effortless and there's
only a whisper of wind noise past the A-pillars to let you know how
fast you're really going. The chassis is extremely clean, albeit
original, so you're going to see some light surface scale on some
of the heavy metal parts like the front suspension arms and
driveshaft, but nothing that should cause you any alarm. It has
obviously not been used in winter weather. Braking is almost too
effective, with heavily-boosted 4-wheel disc brakes that will toss
you through the windshield if you're not careful. And as you'd
expect, the exhaust is just a muted hum. It's fitted with steel
wheels and factory hubcaps, and carries fresh 235/75/15 whitewall
radials for an appropriate look. We have to admit that we like this
car a lot more than we expected to. It's beautifully preserved, a
joy to drive, and you can't help but feel like a millionaire when
you're behind the wheel. It's probably the most car per dollar
available anywhere on the planet and it is already a popular car
for AACA and LCOC events simply because it's so easy to drive and
so comfortable for the whole family. At this price, what do you
have to lose, and you will be getting one of the best examples
we've ever seen. Call today! Harwood Motors always recommends and
welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our
inventory prior to purchase.
