Lincoln Mark series
| Lincoln Mark | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer |
Continental (1956–1960) Lincoln (Ford) (1969–1998) |
| Production | 1956–1957 1969–1998 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size personal luxury car |
| Body style | 2-door coupe 4-door sedan (1980–1983) |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Lincoln Continental (1940–1948) |
| Successor | Lincoln LS |
| Mark II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1956–1957 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 368 cu in (6.0 L) V8 |
| Mark III, IV and V (1958–1960) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Model years | 1958–1960 |
| Assembly | Wixom, Michigan, United States |
| Designer | John Najjar |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door hardtop 2-door convertible 4-door sedan 4-door Landau hardtop 4-door Town Car sedan 4-door Limousine |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related |
Lincoln Premiere Lincoln Capri |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 430 cu in (7.0 L) MEL V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed Turbo-Drive automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 131.0 in (3,327 mm) |
| Length | 1958: 229.0 in (5,817 mm) 1959: 227.1 in (5,768 mm) 1960: 227.2 in (5,771 mm) |
| Width | 1958–59: 80.1 in (2,035 mm) 1960: 80.3 in (2,040 mm) |
| Height | 1958: 56.5 in (1,435 mm) 1959–60: 56.7 in (1,440 mm) |
| Curb weight | 5,000–5,700 lb (2,300–2,600 kg) |
| Mark III (1969–1971) | |
|---|---|
1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III
|
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1969–1971 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 460 cu in (7.5 L) V8 |
| Mark IV (1972–1976) | |
|---|---|
1975 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
|
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1972–1976 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 460 cu in (7.5 L) V8 |
| Mark V (1977–1979) | |
|---|---|
1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Cartier Edition
|
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1977–1979 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 460 cu in (7.5 L) V8 (1977–78 Optional in both years in 49 states) 400 cu in (6.6 L) V8 (1977–79 Standard in all 3 years in 50 states) |
| Mark VI | |
|---|---|
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1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Bill Blass Edition
|
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1980–1983 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe 4-door sedan |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
4.9 L (302 cu in) 5.0L Windsor V8 5.8 L (351 cu in) Windsor V8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed AOD automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2-door: 114.3 in (2,903 mm) |
| Length | 216.0 in (5,486 mm) |
| Width | 78.2 in (1,986 mm) |
| Height | 55.4 in (1,407 mm) |
| Mark VII | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1984–1992 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Platform | Ford Fox platform |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 302 cu in (4.9 L) Windsor V8 149 cu in (2.4 L) BMW M21 I6 |
| Mark VIII | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1993–1998 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Platform | Ford FN10 platform |
| Related |
Ford Thunderbird Mercury Cougar |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | DOHC 4.6 L V8, 280 hp DOHC 4.6 L V8, 290 hp |
The (Lincoln) Continental Mark series is a series of personal luxury cars that were marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company under various nameplates, including the short-lived Continental Division. The Mark Series was marketed from 1956 to 1960 and from 1968 to 1998, always serving as the flagship of Ford Motor Company in North America.
Initially existing as the product line of the Continental Division, the Mark became part of Lincoln in 1958; from that point, while marketed and sold by Lincoln, the line remained badged as a Continental for many years. To fully eliminate any confusion, the Mark series adopted the Lincoln badge in 1986.
While sharing underpinnings with other Ford Motor Company vehicles, Mark-series cars were distinguished by their own interior and exterior trim along with separate exterior panels. With the exception of the 1958-1960 Continental Mark III-V and the 1980-1983 Continental Mark VI, the Marks were all sold in the form of the original 1939-1948 Continental, as a two-door personal luxury coupe.
While discontinued in 1998, Lincoln adopted the legacy of the later Mark series personal cars in its current naming nomenclature. Since 2007, nearly all of its vehicles have adopted an "MK" prefix.
Before there were series of "Continental Mark", "Lincoln Continental Mark", "Lincoln Mark", or "Lincoln MK" models, there were various models built by the Ford organization employing the name "Continental". These began in the 1930s with a one-off car, a custom personal car that ended up serving the function of a concept car, which Edsel Ford directed his designers to create. It began with the existing design of the Lincoln-Zephyr and was modified extensively. It was called the "Continental" because it was meant to capture an essence of Continental European luxury. This first car led to a production model, the first of the "Lincoln Continental" series, which was built from 1939 to 1948.
In 1955, Ford Motor Company chose to introduce a new personal luxury car as a successor to the pre-war Lincoln Continental. As it was to be one of the most exclusive and expensive automobiles in the world, Ford chose to create a stand-alone division above Lincoln. The new Continental Mark II of the Continental Division adopted a naming convention of "mark number", also meaning "version number" or "model number"; while used in the European automotive industry, this was also used to identify versions of artillery, tanks, naval vessels, and aircraft, as demonstrated with the Jaguar Mark 1. The name was thus equivalent in original meaning to simply "Continental, version 2" or "Continental, model B", although the name "Mark" later took on a brand-like feel of its own in the minds of many customers, which later branding efforts then expanded upon.
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Wikipedia