Vehicle Description
1973 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe
"For my generation, the cars driven by our favorite television
characters have a special appeal. Six years ago, I wrote about
Kojak's brown Buick Century, and it generated quite a nostalgic
response. Starsky and Hutch had a Gran Torino, whose paint scheme
the DC Taxi Commission adopted a few years ago. Quincy drove a
Matador station wagon. Barnaby Jones drove a Ford LTD. The cars
were important in character development, so it only made sense that
an ex cop turned high end private eye would drive a Lincoln, which
is why Frank Cannon drove a four door 1971 Lincoln Continental in
the two hour pilot." Hemmings, July 2024
For consignment, a 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe showing
84,071 miles, but the true miles are unknown. The Lincoln brochure
proclaims, "The 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Cars. Our most formal
cars. Luxury in many forms has been provided in both sedan and
brand new coupe'". Our car is a fine representation of this bygone
era and has a stunning presence, inside and out.
ExteriorI
t goes without saying, measure your garage, this relic of the
swinging 70's is nineteen feet of slab sided goodness. Here in
Light Ginger Moondust Poly, a name befitting the period still
discovering tie dye and macrame. Right angles abound here with
squared corners and vertical ends and a trunk lid so large, you
might have to pay real estate taxes on it. Front grates on the
grille are repeated as ornamental trim on the headlight covers and
the massive hood contours with bends in the steel that funnel wind
over the brick but don't worry, fender skirts are on board to
smooth out the turbulence. In back, three part tail lights anchor
the tail, embedded in a large chrome bumper. Wheel covers obscure
the 15-inch steel wheels which carry 235/75R15 tires with an early
2023 date code. The single stage paint and metal are fantastic,
while the white vinyl top has some discoloration, the only exterior
imperfection we could find.
Interior
The handsome ginger doors include a brocade cloth insert under the
door pulls and the long doors include electric switches in a
woodgrain faceplate and carpeted kick panels. We note some of the
armrest trim on the passenger side is loose but the doors otherwise
present cleanly. Brocade cloth washes over the split bench in
front, a dramatically luxurious floral pattern you're more likely
to see in a living room, here with vinyl sides and piping, and a
large, fold down armrest. The rear bench is dressed in the same,
includes an armrest of its own, and barely looks used. Both front
and back are in great shape. Browns dominated the front beginning
with the steering wheel, showing some cracks and patina adorned
with cruise control buttons and a woodgrain insert. The horizontal
speedometer tops inset gauges in square bezels, a holdover from
earlier Lincolns but on a smaller scale. An AM/FM radio with
Realistic 8-track player is in the middle of the dash, under a
brown pad that has a taped crack on top. Plush brown carpet covers
the open floor with plenty of legroom for all occupants and the
endless trunk is nicely finished with gray cloth panels.
Drivetrain
Driver quality but clean, the bay holds a 460ci V8 rated at 218
horsepower and topped by a 4-barrel carburetor. Setting this land
yacht into motion is a C6 3-speed automatic transmission with power
going to the Ford 9" rear with 3.00 gears. Power brakes are onboard
and configured as front disc and rear drum.
Undercarriage
Clean and driver quality here too with some typical surface rust on
heavy metals and the exhaust. We note some residual oil on the pans
but otherwise, the underside is dry. The single exhaust runs
through a stock style muffler before terminating in back and
suspension consists of coil springs in front and a 3 link with coil
springs and a panhard bar doing duty in back.
Drive-Ability
We notify the Coast Guard and head out onto the test loop where the
460 pulls this car along with adequate power and we steer this very
large car through its paces. The ride is floaty as expected,
comfortable, and dare we say, relaxing. It's easy to drive once to
embrace the girth and the only functions that are not working are
the air conditioning and the driver's side power window. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
The sales brochure is masterful. "In test conducted by Nationwide
Consumer Testing Institute for smoothness, steadiness, and
quietness, 60 out of 100 owners of that other North American luxury
car said the Continentals had a more comfortable ride". We can't
argue with that. So far, 100% of the people who have seen this time
capsule love it, and you will too!
3Y81A922447
3-1973
Y-Wixom, MI Assy Plant
81-Continental Town Coupe
A-460ci 4bbl V8
922447-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
