Lincoln Continental Mark IV

The Lincoln Continental Mark IV was a luxury car at the top end of the personal luxury car market sold under the Lincoln brand of the Ford Motor Company in North America between 1972 and 1976. It replaced the successful Continental Mark III, and was in turn replaced by the Continental Mark V.

The Mark IV and the contemporary Ford Thunderbird were built on a common platform at the same plant in Wixom, Michigan, and were alike in most major respects.

For the 1977 model year it was replaced by the Mark V, which kept similar dimensions and internals but featured updated straight-edged styling.

Contents

1 Styling 2 Mechanical specification 3 Limited editions 4 Designer editions 5 Sales and pricing 6 Specifications (1976 model) 7 References

Styling

The Mark IV carried over most styling motifs from the successful Mark III, including the tall Rolls-Royce-style grille (even taller on the Mark IV), the fashionable long-hood short-deck style, covered headlamps, a "spare tire hump" in the trunk, and the taller, knife-edged fender line.

The car was both longer and wider than the Mark III, and was slightly more rounded in shape, the fender line losing some of its straightness and sharpness. The wheel openings on the Mark III wear somewhat tear-dropped at the trailing edge, but the Mark IV's were symmetrical front to rear in the Oldsmobile Toronado-inspired style then popular.

For 1972, close-fitting bumpers dipped in front to allow a longer grille. At the rear, the bumper followed the rounded "spare-tire hump", continuing its lines further down. Both of these styling touches were lost in subsequent years because of Federal 5 mph (8 km/h) bumper mandates; the front in 1973, the rear in 1974.

All Mark IVs were equipped with a vinyl roof. The Mark IV introduced the opera window to the Mark series, a feature that would become a Mark trademark until 1984. In 1972, it was an option, but it was almost universally specified, and from 1973 onward it was a standard feature.

Mechanical specification

All Mark IVs were equipped with the 460 in³ (7.5 L) Ford 385 series V8 engine, rated on introduction at 212 SAE net hp (158 kW). This drove through a C6 3-speed automatic transmission.

Limited editions

Designer editions

For the 1976 model year, Lincoln introduced the Designer Series; special edition Mark IVs with color, trim and interior choices by famous fashion designers. All carried the designer's signature on the opera windows, and had a 22 karat (92%) gold plated plaque on the instrument panel which could be engraved with the original owner's name. The concept was successful, and future Lincolns would continue to offer designer editions.

For 1976, four designer editions were offered:

• The Bill Blass Edition was in dark blue with cream accents. The external finish was dark blue metallic paint, with a cream "Normande Grain" landau vinyl roof, cream and gold pinstriping, and cream or dark blue bodyside moldings. Inside, a blue cloth or leather interior used cream accent straps and buttons.
• The Cartier Edition was in dove grey. The external finish was dove grey paint, with a dove grey "Valino Grain" landau vinyl roof, red and white pinstriping, and dove grey bodyside moldings. The interior was in dove grey cloth or leather.
• The Givenchy Edition was in aqua blue. The external finish was aqua blue "Diamond Fire" paint, with a white "Normande Grain" landau vinyl roof, black and white pinstriping, and white or aqua blue bodyside moldings. The interior was in aqua blue cloth or leather, and the instrument panel was in a special, lighter shade of simulated woodgrain.
• The Pucci Edition was in red and silver. The external finish was dark red "Moondust Finish" paint with a silver "Normande Grain" landau vinyl roof, silver and lipstick red pinstriping and red or silver bodyside moldings. The interior was in dark red "Majestic" cloth.

Sales and pricing

Year	Production	Price ($US)
1972	48,591	$8,640
1973	69,437	$8,984
1974	57,316	$10,194
1975	47,145	$11,082
1976	56,110	$11,060

Specifications (1976 model)

	US	Metric	vs. Mark III
Wheelbase	120.4 in	3.058 m	+2.7%
Overall length	220.1 in	5.591 m	+1.9%
Width	79.8 in	2.027 m	+0.5%
Height	53.5 in	1.359 m	+1.1%
Weight	5,264 lb	2,388 kg	+11.1%
Engine	Ford 385 series V8
Displacement	460 in³	7.5 L
Bore & stroke	4.36×3.85 in	111×98 mm
Power (SAE)	202 hp	151 kW	@ 3800 rpm
Torque	356 lbf·ft	49.2 N·m	@ 2200 rpm
Compression	8.0:1
Carburetor	Motorcraft 4350
Transmission	Ford C6 3-speed automatic

References

• Automotive Mileposts. Lincoln Continental Mark IV (http://automotivemileposts.com/contentsmark4.html). Retrieved on May 7, 2005.