Lincoln Continental Mark V
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. The fourth generation Mark series, the Mark V was derived from its Continental Mark IV predecessor, bringing an extensive update to the interior and exterior design. While only sold for three years, the Mark V is the best-selling generation of the Mark series, with 228,262 examples produced.
At 230 inches long, the Mark V is the largest two-door coupe ever sold by Ford Motor Company, with the 233-inch long two-door and four-door Lincoln Continental sedans as the only longer vehicle ever marketed by Ford. Distinguished by its sharp-edged exterior design, design themes of the Mark V would be adapted onto Lincoln vehicles throughout the 1980s. 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 alongside the Lincoln Continental at the now-closed Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom, Michigan.
Design overview
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 to reduce internal competition. To give Ford a stronger offering against the Chrysler Cordoba, Dodge Charger 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.Chassis
The Continental Mark V shares its chassis architecture with its predecessor, the Continental Mark IV. During the development of the Mark V, Ford was unable to justify the expense of designing an all-new platform for the vehicle. However, following the successful launch of the Mark IV, a significant design departure would also be considered risky. Although sharing many underpinnings with the Mark IV, in the interest of fuel economy, many updates were performed by Ford engineers. Four-hundred pounds of curb weight was cut bringing the Mark V down to 4600 pounds from the Mark IVs 5000 pounds.In the interest of fuel economy, the 1977 Continental Mark V was equipped with the smallest-displacement engine fitted in a Lincoln or Continental since 1957. Shared with the Ford Thunderbird/Mercury Cougar and Ford LTD/Mercury Marquis, the standard engine for the Mark V was a 400 cubic-inch V8. Outside of California, the 460 V8 remained available as an option. In 1979, the dual-exhaust version of the 400 was discontinued; the 460 was discontinued in the Mark V.
Paired with both engines, the Ford C6 three-speed automatic was the sole transmission offering.
| Engine | Displacement | Compression Ratio | Carburetor | Horsepower | Torque | Transmission |
| Ford 400 Cleveland V8 | 8.0:1 | Motorcraft 2150 2-barrel | @ 3800 rpm | @ 1800 rpm | 3-speed Ford C6 automatic | |
| Ford 385/Lima V8 | 8.0:1 | Motorcraft 4350 4-barrel | @ 4000 rpm | @ 2000 rpm | 3-speed Ford C6 automatic |
Body
Marketed as the flagship vehicle of the Lincoln-Mercury Division, the Continental Mark V showcased a new design theme for the Lincoln brand, with styling features from the Mark V appearing on various Lincoln vehicles throughout the 1980s.The exterior design of the Mark V began life in the late 1960s, as an alternative design proposal for what would become the Continental Mark IV. During the development of the Mark V, chassis designers intended for the vehicle to use specially-designed Michelin tires, leading to widely flared wheel openings in the design. Alongside the Lincoln Continental, the Mark V was styled with sharp-edged fender lines. In contrast to Lincoln design precedents, the Mark V shifted towards horizontal edges, with a nearly flat roofline. To increase visibility, the rear window and quarter windows were enlarged.
In Mark-series tradition, the Mark V retained the Continental "spare tire" decklid, oval opera windows, hidden headlights, and a radiator-style grille; the front fenders were given functional louvers behind the front wheels as standard equipment. In a style similar to the Mark III, the Mark V was designed with vertical dual taillamps. During its development, stylists initially designed taillamps that curved into top of the rear fender blades; the design was modified after controversial reviews from focus groups.
While technically considered a $187 option, all Mark Vs were fitted with a vinyl roof unless specifically ordered without one. For 1979, the vinyl roof could no longer be deleted.
Year-by-year changes
1977
Previously standard issue on Marks III and IV, Ford's 7.5-liter V8 was optional for 1977, as a smaller 6.6 L V8 became standard. The 7.5 L V8 was not available at all on Mark V in the state of California, as the powerplant was unable to meet that state's tougher EPA certification standards. Lincoln felt so bad about this, that for 1977 only, California-bound Mark Vs were offered with the newly optional turbine-style aluminum wheels as standard equipment, to compensate for their 460-less Californian clientele.Also, 1977 was the first year since 1960 that a Mark-series model came with an all-metal, body-color painted roof as standard equipment. The full-vinyl roof – previously standard on Mark IV - was now optional, as was the rear-quarter Landau roof. The Givenchy Designer Series had exclusive use of a new, forward-placed, front-vinyl roof in all three years of the Mark V's production.
Mark IV's successful Designer Series Editions continued with revised color combinations on the new Mark V, as well as revised Luxury Group Option color trim packages. First available in mid-1975, as the "Versailles Option", a renamed-for-1977 "Majestic Velour Luxury Group" carried over to the Mark V - for 1977 only. The returning Gold/Cream and new Cordovan Luxury Groups came with an available unique "Romano Velour" on the seat pillow inserts and matching upper door panel inserts - this too was also a relatively rare 1977-only one hit wonder.
Another limited-run, mid-year introduction was the Spring Luxury Group option, which came in the customer's combination of selecting Dove Grey or Dark Blue Metallic for the exterior paint color, a choice of Dove Grey or Dark Blue for the vinyl roof color, bodyside molding color and paint stripe color - with those same Dove Grey and Dark Blue colors in a standard tu-tone leather interior.
Luxury wheel covers, dating back to the 1972 Mark IV, were carryover as standard on all Mark Vs, except for Designer Series models. The Mark IV-era forged aluminum wheels carried on as optional, as would new-for-1977 Turbine Style aluminum wheels. These new Turbine Style wheels would be standard on Designer Series models.
Standard tires in all three years were Michelin-X steel-belted radials with a narrow white sidewall design.
First optional in 1975, and remaining so through the end of the 1979 model year, were Goodyear's LR78-15" Custom Polysteel radials, in a Lincoln-exclusive "Dual-Wide Band White Sidewall" design. This tended to create a more formal, luxurious appearance that only accentuated Mark V's exaggerated long-hood, short-deck, low-roofline styling.
Back inside the trunk, in Lincoln's attempt to eke out a small increase in the amount of available trunk space, was a new-for-1977, inflatable spare tire option which would replace the standard conventional, full-size spare, This was available for all three years of the Mark V's run. Regardless of any exterior wheel option selected, the standard, conventional spare tire would be of either Michelin or Goodyear brand, but would be mounted on a standard, 15-inch conventional steel wheel. Hardcore aficionados would go to their dealer's parts department and order an extra turbine style or forged aluminum wheel, and have the dealer remount their spare tire, so that now all five wheels matched one another. This practice of spare tire wheel-matching was standard on Mark IV, but fell off the roster beginning in 1977.
An optional Illuminated Entry System—a timed interior courtesy light illumination system with lighted door lock cylinder rings —also made its debut for 1977. This feature would set the stage for Ford's exclusive and popular Illuminated/Keyless Entry System, which would first be seen on the then newly downsized Continental/Mark VI and Thunderbird/Cougar XR-7 beginning in the 1980 model year.
1978
A larger radiator, heater core inlets and hoses were new, for improved coolant flow and heater performance. Door lock cylinders and ignition lock switches were also revised for greater theft protection. The standard 6.6 L V8 engine got a slight detuning for better fuel economy, while the 7.5 L V8 soldiered on for one more year.A super-luxurious Diamond Jubilee Edition Mark V was introduced to help commemorate Ford Motor Company's 75th anniversary. The Diamond Jubilee Edition was available on both the Thunderbird over at Ford, as well as the Continental Mark V. Designer Series Editions and the Luxury Group offerings continued with revised color selections and trim.
With the mid-1977 introduction of Versailles, Lincoln was the first American car manufacturer to produce a two-stage base-coat/clear-coat paint process for their mid-sized luxury sedan. For 1978, this new two-stage paint process was expanded to both the Mark V and Continental,. This process produced a rich, deep, and especially glossy finish, because the paint pigment was protected beneath a layer of high-gloss clear acrylic enamel. Non-metallic, solid paint colors still continued to use the traditional, single-stage paint process.
Joining the optional Full Vinyl and Rear Landau Vinyl roof options for 1978, was a new, full-length, simulated convertible "Carriage Roof" option. The Power Glass Moonroof option was not available on Mark V when equipped with the Carriage Roof.
Also new options for 1978: a digital "Miles-to-Empty" fuel indicator, new Wire Wheel Covers, a fully integrated Garage Door Opener control, a new driver's side outside mirror-mounted Illuminated Thermometer, as well as Ford's new 40-channel CB radio with fully integrated hand-held microphone and controls, which also included a new, integrated tri-band power antenna - in place of the standard issue power antenna.
Also new,, were slightly revised standard Luxury wheel covers, with fewer ribs along the outside diameter of a slightly more-convex/bulging brushed center portion of the wheel cover. This wheel cover style would then only appear one more time - on the downsized 1980 Lincoln Continental and Town Car and Town Coupé models.
1978 also marked Ford's first usage of electro-mechanical seat belt warning chimes, available, and standard only on Diamond Jubilee Edition. Lesser Mark Vs were equipped with a traditional basic seatbelt warning buzzer, and for those whoever owned or own one ever started the car with the driver's door open, and not buckled in, the separately wired "key in ignition" warning buzzer unit would also start to buzz, triggering both units at the same time, each at a slightly different sound frequency.
1979
In the engine compartment, the now-seemingly gigantic 7.5 L V8 and dual-exhaust 400 V8 are discontinued, all in the name of helping Ford Motor Company meet the US government-mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, which were enforced beginning in 1978.A new AM/FM stereo radio with cassette tape player, as well as Ford's new top-of-the-line Electronic AM/FM Stereo Search Radio with Quadrasonic 8-track tape player, were added as new radio options. The latter received a floor-mounted foot-switch, which would allow the driver to left-foot-tap the switch to scan radio stations or advance tracks on the 8-track player, without having to take their hands off the steering wheel.
As Mark V and Continental were in their final year of being the largest, and the last "traditional-sized luxury" production cars in America, a commemorative "Collector's Series" package was introduced. The ever-popular Designer Series and optional Luxury Group offerings continued - yet again in newly revised color and trim selections.
The 1972-style Luxury Wheel Covers returned for Mark V's final year as standard issue - as would the optional Wire Wheel Covers and Forged Aluminum Wheels. The also-optional very popular Turbine Style Aluminum Wheels continued with argent accent paint between the spokes, except on Collector's Series, and the Cartier, Bill Blass and Givenchy Designer Series - where these models would be treated to color-keyed paint between the spokes, for unique added flair.
The Carriage Roof option received new interior rear quarter trim panel inserts. These new interior quarter trim panel inserts would also appear on the Collector's Series, as the exterior landau roof design also eliminated the opera windows on this model. Here, though, the reading/courtesy lights in these quarter panel inserts had control switches above the rear seat quarter armrests, to allow them to operate as customary door-jamb activated interior courtesy lights, as well as rear seat passengers being able to switch them on and off independently as true reading lamps.
1978's electro-mechanical seat belt warning chimes carried over into 1979...and were now not only standard on Collector's Series, but were also standard on the Designer Series models as well. From 1980-on, selected trim levels of Ford-Lincoln-Mercury models would adopt the use of a solid state, all-electronic combination warning chime module, with no moving parts, and no more buzzers.
Full and Rear Landau vinyl roof options continued for 1979. The all-metal, body-color painted roof also continued as standard equipment - though would rarely be seen. This all-metal roof style would not appear on a Mark again until the introduction of the all-new, Fox-based aerodynamic Mark VII for 1984.
Features
Standard on all Mark Vs are four-wheel disc brakes, a "Cartier" embossed logoed sweep-hand clock with day/date feature, and full power accessories including Automatic Temperature Control air conditioning, power windows, six-way power driver's seat, power radio antenna, etc.A new optional feature for the 1978 Mark V was the "Miles-To-Empty" indicator. This was a small rectangular display, located to the right of the steering wheel, which sat in place of the standard equipment "low fuel" warning lamp. The amber LED readout would indicate the estimated distance available before reaching empty based on remaining fuel, fuel consumption, and driving habits. This system was a precursor to the electronic digital full-instrumentation which would be available on the 1980 Continental Mark VI. The system represents a first for an American automobile manufacturer, as it is the first dashboard LED display of an automobile's mechanical function.
Editions
Through its production, the Continental Mark V was produced in several different editions to highlight the Mark V. While not a specific edition, the Luxury Group option package allowed buyers near-complete control over selecting exterior and interior trim options. Carrying on a tradition from the Mark IV, the Designer Series editions were Mark Vs with specially-selected exterior and interior trim.Two commemorative editions of the Mark V were produced: the 1978 Diamond Jubilee Edition and 1979 Collector's Series. In addition to edition-specific exterior and interior trim, both editions included virtually every available feature for the Mark V.
Luxury Group (1977–1979)
From 1973 to 1981, Lincoln offered the Luxury Group option for Mark-series buyers, effectively allowing a customer to custom-design their vehicle from the dealer. In the example of the 1977–1979 Mark V, the Luxury Group was derived from an interior color name, selected below. Following the color selection, the customer selected cloth or leather/vinyl interior trim. On the exterior, the customer chose the paint color; depending on preferences, one color could be chosen or as many as four. The roof style was chosen along with its color. In addition to the roof choice, the customer chose the color of the bodyside molding and the decklid paint stripe; the customer would also choose over several combinations of wheels or wheel covers and whitewall tires.Along with various combinations of exterior and interior trim, customers ordering the Luxury Group ordered any options from the Mark V option list. With a nearly endless number of potential combinations, the Luxury Group allowed a potential Mark V customer to build a vehicle ranging from understated and elegant to dramatically flashy, or anywhere in between.
Below are some examples of the Luxury Group Mark Vs available throughout its three-year production run:
- Gold-Cream
- Cordovan
- Light Jade/Dark Jade
- Turquoise
- Midnight Blue-Cream
- Red-Rosé
- Wedgewood Blue
- Champagne
- White
- Majestic Velour
Designer Series editions (1977–1979)
Along with each Designer Series edition differing from each other, all four Designer Series editions were changed in colors and trim each year. In 1979, the Bill Blass, Cartier, and Givenchy Designer Editions adopted color-keyed alloy wheels alongside the Collector's Series.
Diamond Jubilee Edition (1978)
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Ford Motor Company in 1978; Ford released Diamond Jubilee Editions of the 1978 Ford Thunderbird and Continental Mark V. Adding $8,000 to the price of a Mark V, the Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee was the most expensive vehicle ever sold by Ford Motor Company at the time, raising the price of the Mark V to over $21,000. Only four options were available: the 460 V8, a power moonroof, and a 40-channel CB radio.In a style similar to the Designer Editions, the Diamond Jubilee Edition was given its own design. The exterior was given a nearly monochromatic exterior, with color-keyed body moldings, vinyl top, wheels, grille, hood ornament, and trunklid ; two colors were available and exclusive to the edition. Chrome trim was largely limited to the window and grille surrounds, bumpers, and trim of the fender vents. Alongside the Lincoln Versailles, the Diamond Jubilee Edition was one of the first Ford Motor Company vehicles to utilize clearcoat paint.
The interior was given its own model-specific trim. The split front bench seat was replaced by cloth bucket seats with a center console with a padded armrest; the rest of the interior included padded leather on high-wear areas. Designed to provide extra storage, the console stored an umbrella on the underside of the armrest. Matching its name, the opera windows featured simulated diamond chips inside the glass, with a Diamond Jubilee script on the window the hood ornament featured crystal-style inserts. All Diamond Jubilee Marks were supplied with a leather bound owner's manual and tool kit. Every new owner was given car keys matching the interior trim and could request a Ford-created cookbook entitled "Ford Diamond Jubilee Recipe Collection".
In total, 5,159 Diamond Jubilee Edition Continental Mark Vs were produced. For 1979, the edition was repackaged as the Collector's Series.
Collector's Series (1979)
To commemorate the end of Continental Mark V production, the 1978 Diamond Jubilee Edition was repackaged for 1979 as the Collector's Series. An $8,000 option for the Mark V, the Collector's Series Edition had a base price of nearly $22,000. Alongside the Mark V, Lincoln marketed a similar edition of the Lincoln Continental sedan.Distinguished by all other examples of the Mark V by its lack of opera windows, the Collector's Series was produced in four colors Midnight Blue Moondust Metallic, White, Diamond Blue Moondust Metallic, and Light Silver Moondust Metallic. In a slightly monochromatic appearance, midnight blue and white cars have matching vinyl tops while silver and diamond-blue cars have midnight blue vinyl tops; all examples were given a gold-colored grille with a gold-trimmed hood ornament. Inside the trunk, both the trunk floor and the underside of the decklid were lined with color-keyed midnight-blue 18-ounce carpeting.
As with the Diamond Jubilee Edition, the Collector's Series included virtually every available feature as standard equipment on the Mark V. A cloth interior with a center console, rear-seat armrest, and bucket seats was standard; as a delete option, the Collector's Series could be ordered with a standard Mark V leather interior. Another delete option replaced the 8-track tape player with a cassette player.
In total, 6,262 Collector's Series editions were produced. 3,900 Midnight Blue examples were built, with 2,040 White, 197 Diamond Blue, and 125 Silver.
Sales
Although only on sale for three model years, with a total of 228,262 examples sold, the Continental Mark V is the best-selling version of the Lincoln Mark Series.| Year | Total sales | Limited Editions | Designer Edition |
| 1977 | 80,321 | N/A | |
| 1978 | 72,602 | 5159 ' | 16,537 Bill Blass: 3,975 Cartier: 8,520 Givenchy: 917 Pucci: 3,125 |
| 1979 | 75,939 | 6,262 ' | 19,215 Bill Blass: 6,720 Cartier: 9,470 Givenchy: 2,262 Pucci: 763 |