Lincoln Continental Mark V
| Continental Mark V | |
|---|---|
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|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Lincoln (Ford Motor Company) |
| Model years | 1977-1979 |
| Assembly | United States: Wixom, Michigan (Wixom Assembly) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Personal luxury car |
| Body style | two-door coupe |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related |
Continental Mark IV Ford Thunderbird (1972-1976) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 400 cu in (6.6 L) 335 Series V8 460 cu in (7.5 L) 385/Lima V8 |
| Transmission | three-speed C6 automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 120.4 in (3,058 mm) |
| Length | 230.3 in (5,850 mm) |
| Width | 79.7 in (2,024 mm) |
| Height | 52.9 in (1,344 mm) |
| Curb weight | 4,762–4,960 lb (2,160–2,250 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Continental Mark IV |
| Successor | Continental Mark VI |
The Continental Mark V is a personal luxury coupe that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from the 1977 to 1979 model years in North America. Introduced as the successor to the Continental Mark IV, the Mark V brought an extensive update to both the interior and exterior design, with the sharply-creased body introducing a design theme used on many Lincoln vehicles throughout the 1980s.
Derived from the chassis of its Mark IV predecessor (and the 1972-1976 Ford Thunderbird), the 230-inch long Continental Mark V is the largest two-door coupe ever sold by Ford Motor Company, with the 233-inch two-door Lincoln Continental sedan (produced alongside it) as the only longer vehicle ever marketed.
For 1980, the Mark V was replaced by the Continental Mark VI. As the Mark series underwent downsizing in the interest of fuel economy, the Mark VI saw significant reductions in exterior dimensions.
All Continental Mark Vs were assembled at the now-closed Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom, Michigan, alongside the Lincoln Continental.
While the Mark IV would prove successful in the marketplace, Ford Motor Company was financially unable to justify a clean-sheet design for the Mark V, necessitating the chassis of the Mark V be derived from its predecessor. In what would be a key move for the future of the Mark series, for 1977, Ford split the Mark and Ford Thunderbird (counterparts since the 1968 Mark III) to reduce internal competition. To give Ford a stronger offering against the Chrysler Cordoba and the General Motors quartet of the Buick Regal, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and Pontiac Grand Prix, the Thunderbird became the counterpart of the Mercury Cougar XR7, replacing the slow-selling Ford Elite.
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