I had a 73 mark IV with the silver luxury package it was one of the most beautiful cars ever manufactured like a rolling piece of jewelry I also had a 74 thunderbird what I love about those cars is they are like driving around in your living room couch while suspended on a cloud and because of the big blocks in them they have no trouble keeping up with modern day traffic that’s why many people of the day bought them and only used them on Sundays like a church clothes so sometimes original excellent example’s can still be found on the market ❤
*_"...one of the most beautiful cars ever manufactured like a rolling piece of jewelry."_* That's one of the best descriptions of the luxury domestic (American, that is) cars of this era that I've heard. It's sometimes hard for me to justify or make people with exclusively modern, minimalist tastes in cars see why previous styles like the big '70s and '80s cars were so appealing. I've concluded *it's impossible to convince anyone who thinks that any paint colour other than black or grey, and any interior colour other than black is actually more appealing aesthetically.* Add to that that almost everyone in the past twenty or so years has *'drunk the Kool Aid' of every car having to drive like a sports car---harsh ride, low profile tires echoing loud road noise into the cabin,* etcetera.
Of course, I’m sure that it didn’t hurt that William Conrad drove one every week on the CBS-Quinn Martin show CANNON. That show alone made me want a Mark more than once!
It was the Frank Cannon series that made me fall truely for the Continental Mark IV. It didn't run on Danish TV, we had to endure watching it on German TV dubbed into German. I bought my Mark IV in 2002 and have enjoyed it ever since. Drove it several times today.
YES! My cousin Karen worked for Quinn Martin on Cannon, and I totally wanted Dad to buy a Mark IV! The big problem was that the Mark didn't have the Town Car's huge trunk for going back and forth to Lake Tahoe...
Younger people might not really get how much less traffic there was when these big cruisers roamed the highways. You could take a nice leisurely ride across country, stopping every once in a while at a Howard Johnson's, or for a roadside picnic, and feel like you were practically flying along on an adventure. No trucks jamming every lane, no worrying about people in their SUVs watching TikToks, just smooth sailing on the open road.
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Driving today sucks. 32 years ago, when I got my license, there was nobody on the roads after 11pm. The traffic lights would all blink red and yellow. I miss those days.
Very true. The gas lines would have difficult I'm sure. In PA you could only buy gas every other day based on the first digit on your license plate. These were called odd/even days. IF you had the wrong digit on your plate on the wrong day you were not allowed to buy gas.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs During the 1973 oil embargo the main problem was the inconvenience of possibly needing to feed this gas hog and having no gas available. But by 1975 when the prices hit around 60 cents, even those who owned expensive cars complained about fuel prices.
The 1972 Mark IV came in at 220” long… By 1976, by the time the safety bumpers got installed, the car came in at 228”. The 1977-79 Mark V came in at 230.3” long on the same chassis. The 1980-83 Mark VI shrunk back to almost the Mark III dimensions, but with much better packaging, albeit, a lot less distinctive than its III, IV and V predecessors.
The automakers were constrained by the CAFE fuel economy standards, which explains why the last big boats (1979) only offered the 400 cubic inch V8 instead of the better (my opinion having had both) 460. A shame really as the larger cars were great.
My Dentist had a mark4 in the late1970s .It was white and blue Bill Blass edition. I saw it in the Junkyard a few months ago😢 wish I could have got it!!!
I recall that version. Even as a little boy I thought that colour combination looked so 'clean'. That blue and white look always had such a 'nautical' feel to it. Lovely.
A little known fact is that the 1972 model had a one-year-only roof. After customer feedback the roofline was raised for 1973, although it's almost impossible to tell unless the two are parked side-by-side. The glass area remained the same, so ease of entry was unchanged, but there was a bit more clearance for a hat or hairdo once inside the car.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs From Sydney, Australia. The MK3's were built on what was basically the 117" wheelbase 1965 Galaxie coupe chassis, which was being used from 1967 to'71 as the new 2 door coupe Thunderbird chassis. Customers complained that for the price, there was not enough rear legroom in MK3's. So for the new MK4's the Fairlane had been killed off and replaced with the Torino which was a body on chassis frame car. Ford used the heavy-duty ute chassis for the new MK4 as it had a 121" wheelbase which would supply the extra rear legroom required. Re the one year only roof pressing, for every year of the MK4 there are at least 3 different roof pressings, for 1972 there were 4, the one year only one was the base roof with NO sunroof and NO portholes, 1972 was the only year for delete portholes in the MK4 series. Now the remaining 3 roof pressings were the base roof with no sunroof, the Glass moonroof pressing, and thirdly the steel sunroof pressing. Here in Australia, I have 3 mates with MK4's and one myself when lined up you can see that the base car roof with or without portholes is lower than the cars with a sunroof. when you look at my mate Dave's 1974 MK4 with a glass moonroof it has a slight "forehead" as you look above the front windscreen, however, My MK4 is an early '73 model already registered and on the road by 4th November 1972, it has a steel vinyl covered sunroof and the roof pressing is different to Dave's one as the "forehead" is even higher it has quite an extra dome to it to allow for the way thicker steel sunroof rather than the thin glass one. Ford Aust' had CKD kits sent to their Homebush, Sydney plant (completely knocked down) to be built as factory right hand drive cars, from '70 up to '79 4 door Town Car kits were sent here as well, I also own a '79 Collectors Series Town Car. The 1970 to'79 Town Car chassis is a 10inch longer 1965 Galaxie chassis and Ford Aust' had been building RHD Galaxies from 1965 to '73 and RHD 4 Door T;birds from 1967 up to 1969 so it was easy for Ford Aust to build the RHD Town cars using the same RHD components firewalls, steering box, windscreen wiper modules and heavy duty suspension. Another thing that is entirely different with the Aussie Ford 1970's Lincolns is the metal dashboard units, cast alloy & anodized in the color of the interior trim, and since the fake plastic wood dash panels were not able to be used as asymmetric we had genuine solid wooden ones Teak for MK4's & Mahogany with matchwood inlay for my 1979 Town car. My mate Dave with the '74 MK4 also has a '74 Town car that is a genuine Ford Aust RHD car, that has a reverse image dash the same as a US version. Dave's white 1974 MK4 was a private import that was converted to Right hand drive by a company in Melbourne, Victoria. Ford Aust' only delivered FACTORY right hand drive 1972 & '73 MK4's I have a Ford Aust' Lincoln MK4 "body" book which shows all the body panels for both year models and points out the different roof pressings. Additionally because the Torino chassis was never really intended to be a potential right hand drive unit, Ford Aust had to hugely re-engineer the car as that chassis has a short firewall to front axle ratio, so Ford Aust' went to GM Holdens Aust' to obtain a variety of GMH-A componentry to build the factory RHD MK4's and for just the 2 year models. So in the genuine Ford Aust RHD MK4's you get GM forward mounted steering box ahead of the front axle, to sweep the front windscreen when raining the Aussie FordMK4's use the Trico designed wiper module/unit where the wipers meet in the middle and arms are articulated to perfectly sweep vertically to the A-pillars, then when "parked" the left wiper blade sits atop the right one in the middle of the car. We have an entirely different service manual to cover all the many Aussie differences. Additionally our Lincoln 460's had ZERO anti-pollution gear fitted and the Ford Aust' built cars had twin Carter AFB 4bbl carbies fitted with a locally made induction plenum and twin cold air induction snorkels to attach to the twin outlets on the air cleaner. My other two mates with MK4's are recently imported LHD USA cars, now we are allowed to register/drive LHD cars, however both these two cars and my mates 1974 private RHD converted USA spec car all feel like either 6 or 4 cylinder cars compared to my own Ford Aust built car, I was shocked at how gutless the detuned anti-pollution USA versions were.
That would totally make sense that they "raised the roof" for the sunroof! The Mark already had a lot less headroom than the sedan, which is why my dad never bought one.
In 1977, a friend of the family bartered work for a 1975 Mark IV. Silver with blue/blue velvet interior and a huge moonroof. It had Greek key bronze trim. Huge. Holy S**T. There it is!
Thank you for this informative video. I own a '76 Mark IV with only 42K original miles. I think they are rolling works of art. Interestingly, whenever I fill it with gas, people come over, smiling from ear to ear, with stories and sometimes photos of their experiences with these cars. It is the "happiest" collector car I have ever owned.
I love me some Mark's, all models. There were a couple of III's parked at the side of a house in Chicago, near where our terminal is. Our company bought the property, along with most of the rest of the neighborhood and the house was torn down. I'm not sure what happened to the Mark's, though. I tried to buy a 1956 Mark II from a gentleman just west of Toledo, where I live, but he wanted too much for it. It had minor rust, but that was repairable. It was not an air conditioning equipped version, but it was nice. I would buy a III, if I could find one at a decent price. I'm retired, so it would have to be a great deal. As for now, I drive my Mustang convertibles during the good-weather months and my Eddie Bauer 'Exploder' in crappy weather. A great and excellent video.
I may be weird on what I like in automobiles, but I love every Mark series from the 3 on up until they stopped making them! The Mark 3 is definitely the GOAT though!
My dad had a ‘70 Mark III, triple Olive green, a stunning car. My dad, who’d switched to Lincoln from Cadillac loved the Lincoln so when news of a new Mark trickled out he was excited about the new model. The dealer called him to say they were receiving two Mark IV’s that week, dad said call me when the carrier pulls in. They called Thursday afternoon and we went up that evening. Dad was so disappointed. The clean, almost European look was gone, replaced by a heavy, baroque exterior that made the car look bigger than it was. The interior was a similar disappointment, fake wood replaced the real walnut of the III, and the seating and trim didn’t feel as he’d expected. We left and dad told the salesman the only thing that would get him back is if the new Eldorado is worse. The ‘73 Eldorado was introduced and it was in fact more gauche that the Lincoln. Back to the Lincoln dealer where dad ordered a new 73 Continental Town Coupe’. The Connie was huge, but oddly sleek in the semi-fast back coupe style. That ‘73 was an awesome traveling car with tons of space, a roomy yet cozy back seat and a gargantuan trunk. Unfortunately for 75 the Continental was restyled in a more heavy and fussy style and dad was done. A series of European cars took him up until the Lexus LS400. Then a decade of Lexus until a Chrysler 300 took its place.
@@wjtinatl as someone who grew up in a 71 sedan, I agree with you. However, after 4 years of that body they had to do something so they went with the "formal look" roof & grill... The real crime was on the inside, when it got the 400-in engine and the plain-Jane dashboard.
As the years went on 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, to me it just kept getting better looking. The changes really enhanced the look of the car. I remember these cars were everywhere! Great video!
I remember mid 70’s many Lincoln lots were packed with these used, most under 10k miles. Owners were dumping like crazy, dealers were giving them away.
I think that means that people that bought expensive cars like these didn't hold on to them very long because the newest model was out. Now if you are talking the late 70's the gas crunch and downsizing becoming popular might have something to do with that situation.
I drove a 73 Thunderbird in the late 70s (highschool) which was basically the same car. I enjoyed driving that car a lot. A neighbor had a white Mark IV, and I was jealous because while it was basically the same as my TBird, it was much better looking
Big fan of the Lincoln Mark's... I have never had the opportunity to own one, but amazing vehicles imo. If only the MK3 power was part of the MK4...wow...but I realize the times were all about emissions...performance was an afterthought.
A cousin of mine had one. We had a good time crusing in it back in the early '80's. I loved the interior. However, I still feels it pales in comparison to the Mark V (which is the ULTIMATE Lincoln/Continental for me, anyway). Still, it's a very beautiful car and the ride was incredible. I'd also rank it behind the Mark III AND the Mark II (in the looks department). Nuff said.
Had a Mark VII LSC, probably the best of the Mark series. But I always thought the Mark IV was the most elegant and they just are the definition of a big luxo cruiser.
I wish someone would talk about the slightly curved A pillars on the Ford Thunderbird and the mark four and five... Never seen it done in all Automotive History. I wonder why they did that. I really like the look... nice video
Great video Tony! I watch because I have a 2023 Mach 1 in mischievous Purple but my first car ever was the 1974 Mark IV in gold. My dad gave me his car in 1983 when I turned 14. He switched to Cadillac. I drove it for 5 years and won 10th loudest car stereo in Wichita Kansas in 1984 hahaha
Thank you! That's is an awesome first car. I have been through Wichita several times and the roads out there seem to be perfect for that kind of cruiser.
I would love to see a '72 Mark IV without a vinyl roof. That would be one very sleek Mark IV. BTW, the longest Mark IV's were just 228 inches with duel 5MPH bumpers. There was never a 230 inch Mark IV. Mark V was 230 inches.
I was 17. Had a 73 and a 76 Mark lV. 73 was triple white with electric moon roof. 76 was red, red int, white top. I kept switching between the two. Depending which had more gas. They were very cool, but thirsty cars.
Another extremely well done video Tony! Hear me out on something. I know that you’re a Ford Lincoln Mercury aficionado but what if you started doing videos like this for other makes and models or something along the lines of the competitions, equivalent models you obviously do a ton of research anyway. It really would widen the viewer reach exponentially just an idea. Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words and I thought long and hard about this when I started the channel. I have always been a Ford guy. I have owned plenty of other makes of cars and trucks however I prefer Fords and enjoy researching the history of the those cars and the company. I don't think I would enjoy learning about the history of GM nearly as much and I'm not really looking for 100's of thousands of subscribers as i don't need the income. That's why you don't see sponsored content on the channel. I'm content doing what i'm doing. Thanks for watching.
@@CoastalAutoReactionCAR That's another reason I'm not sponsored. :) I have no one I need to please or talking points I need to cover. I give my opinion and you folks can agree or disagree. Thanks again for watching.
I don't recall seeing Mark 3 but the mark 4 were everywhere My dad's friend Joe had a green over green with a green interior ,1976 mark 4 nice car but not a lot of room inside of it
Ford based the Mark IV (and 1972 T-bird) on a stretched version of the new for 1972 Torino/Montego mid-size platform. This was for cost savings. The Mark III was based on the 5th generation T-bird platform.
Thank you for the video. Cannon! I immediately went there. I liked when they updated the front bumper in 1973 and the rear bumper in 1974. Thank you for the footage and catalog information as well. I liked the Motor Trend magazine cover. I recall all the designer series as well. That trend has continued. I liked the Mark Series. The only one I did not care for was Mark VII. I was so glad when Mark VIII came along. The thing is the car was so luxurious over the years. I do think Mark VIII need a little more on the interior. The Mark IV did its thing and did it well. Thank you for the video.
Mark Vll was a great car. Luxury, comfort and performance. Funny, as rounded as it was it still was the most un aerodynamic production car on the road at the time. Still had to be better than all the previous models
Wow, that really sucks with those emission controls... Our high- compression 1971 got 14 whole miles per gallon on the highway with a full trunk and the York air conditioning running! 😂
0:16 The '69 Mark III's 216 inch length was far from record setting; it was actually the 1958 Mark III that, at about 229 inches, probably deserves the title for FoMoCo's longest 2-door car. That car, as well as the other '58-'60 Lincolns, sold poorly because, among other things, they were seen as too big: too big to fit in many garages, too big for urban maneuvers, and too thirsty. Which makes the success of the '70s Mark IV and Mark V all the more perplexing. They had about the same footprint as the '58, but with much, much less room inside. And the handling was compromised by the massive overhang at each end, though radial tires mitigated the clumsiness to some extent. These cars seemed to have all the disadvantages of big cars, but few of the advantages. But the massive overhang, which made them look like kit cars to my eyes, seems to have been a massive hit with enough of the public to keep these cars profitable, even in the worst "energy-crisis" years. Go figure.
Thank you for your comment and for watching. This car did get to 230 Inches with the 5 MPH bumpers front and rear. I do think the 74 Continental Coupe at 232 inches may have been the longest ever. I do agree that these cars never should have been popular but they were and they were certainly profitable for Ford Motor company. Today we have SUV's the size of tanks roaming around which check both boxes as well for Ford. The world is certainly a strange place.
I owned both a 70 MK III and a 72 MK IV. Although the MK IV was more stylish, it didn't have the quality of materials and build quality of the MK III. I also had a 75 T-Bird, which was basically a re-badged MK IV, but really a POS. I'm still looking one day to get a MK V. We'll see how that goes!
The Mark III was the best built of the series. The Mark V was great, made you feel like a king, get the 460 engine, not the 400, more power and smoother.
My great uncles owned an Oldsmobile, then Lincoln-Mercury, Dallas dealership back in the 1970's, W.O. Bankston L-M. The 1972 through 1976 Continental Mark IV was, in my opinion, one of America's most beautiful automobiles of the 1970's era. I got to drive lots of these gorgeous cars. I grew up in the best time of memorable automobiles in the 1960's through early 1980's when large cars dominated the expressways and boulevards. No other country could build anything that comes close to our beloved luxury cars of yesterday. With today's technology, they could easily build these cars again with decent fuel economy. Bring back Town Cars, Fleetwoods, Ninety-Eights, Electra 225's, Grand Marquis, LTD's, etc!!!!! There is a market! People are SICK of boring SUV's!!!!!😂
@TonysFordsandMustangs My pleasure! Your channel is one of my favorites. You bring back so many memories for me as a car lover. Especially Ford Motor Company products.
The 1972 Continental Mark IV came out in September 1971, not 1972, the 1972 model year was over by then. Also the Lincoln Continental coupe was the longest Lincoln two door, they were longer than the Mark IV.
You are correct. I had 1971 written down correctly and just read it wrong and didn't catch it in editing. Once it's live on youtube it can no longer be edited. On the longest thing I said the Mark III was the longest built, which it was, so that accurate and that this car was longer which is also correct. Yes the Coupe was a couple of inches longer.
Two-door Continental was a better car than the Mark IV all around. More interior room, bigger gas tank, trunk, glove compartment with the exhaust on the correct side. Arguably better looking with fender skirts too. Lower base price and more options.
I own the Mark 5, currently being restored by myself, its truly a annoying car to drive daily, as its hard to get into, has such a low roof, especially the sunroof model i have, the 6 ft hood so long its kinda overkill dumb.... i love lincoln's but yeah the Marks are cool looking, yet annoying to live with daily, and practically useless as far as room is concerned in the interior, considering how massive it is on the outside, the trunk has about the same room as a ford focus, the interior about the same as well but with less head room, the fuel milege is horrific, even when tuned up properly....lol its a car i call all show, its like driveway jewllery, but they are utterly useless in almost every other way aside from the awesome styling....lol.. and im a lincoln lover...
I had a 76 for a while. 12 on the highway and 8 around town on premium, you could drive with one finger and never felt anything at all!
That’s how you rolled
I had a 73 mark IV with the silver luxury package it was one of the most beautiful cars ever manufactured like a rolling piece of jewelry I also had a 74 thunderbird what I love about those cars is they are like driving around in your living room couch while suspended on a cloud and because of the big blocks in them they have no trouble keeping up with modern day traffic that’s why many people of the day bought them and only used them on Sundays like a church clothes so sometimes original excellent example’s can still be found on the market ❤
They'll pass everything but a gas station, lol.
*_"...one of the most beautiful cars ever manufactured like a rolling piece of jewelry."_*
That's one of the best descriptions of the luxury domestic (American, that is) cars of this era that I've heard.
It's sometimes hard for me to justify or make people with exclusively modern, minimalist tastes in cars see why previous styles like the big '70s and '80s cars were so appealing. I've concluded *it's impossible to convince anyone who thinks that any paint colour other than black or grey, and any interior colour other than black is actually more appealing aesthetically.* Add to that that almost everyone in the past twenty or so years has *'drunk the Kool Aid' of every car having to drive like a sports car---harsh ride, low profile tires echoing loud road noise into the cabin,* etcetera.
Of course, I’m sure that it didn’t hurt that William Conrad drove one every week on the CBS-Quinn Martin show CANNON. That show alone made me want a Mark more than once!
And a pile of hamburgers a milkshake and a bottle of wine
Although I have a Mark V, I had someone the other day mention William Conrad to me the other day when he saw my car.
It was the Frank Cannon series that made me fall truely for the Continental Mark IV. It didn't run on Danish TV, we had to endure watching it on German TV dubbed into German.
I bought my Mark IV in 2002 and have enjoyed it ever since. Drove it several times today.
@ That’s great!! 😃
YES! My cousin Karen worked for Quinn Martin on Cannon, and I totally wanted Dad to buy a Mark IV! The big problem was that the Mark didn't have the Town Car's huge trunk for going back and forth to Lake Tahoe...
Younger people might not really get how much less traffic there was when these big cruisers roamed the highways. You could take a nice leisurely ride across country, stopping every once in a while at a Howard Johnson's, or for a roadside picnic, and feel like you were practically flying along on an adventure. No trucks jamming every lane, no worrying about people in their SUVs watching TikToks, just smooth sailing on the open road.
I do remember the days of the open highway. That can still be found in parts of Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana.
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Driving today sucks. 32 years ago, when I got my license, there was nobody on the roads after 11pm. The traffic lights would all blink red and yellow. I miss those days.
@@williampalmer8052 All we have to do is think back to Corona, a year and a half of non traffic bliss
People back then were generally better drivers too.
People who could afford near 10k dollars for a Continental didn't care about the price of gas....
Very true. The gas lines would have difficult I'm sure. In PA you could only buy gas every other day based on the first digit on your license plate. These were called odd/even days. IF you had the wrong digit on your plate on the wrong day you were not allowed to buy gas.
@@TonysFordsandMustangsThat's F***ed up.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs During the 1973 oil embargo the main problem was the inconvenience of possibly needing to feed this gas hog and having no gas available. But by 1975 when the prices hit around 60 cents, even those who owned expensive cars complained about fuel prices.
The Mark IV debuted BEFORE the oil embargo and the later massive inflation that drove the price up... It didn't cost $10,000 until about 1977.
The 1972 Mark IV came in at 220” long…
By 1976, by the time the safety bumpers got installed, the car came in at 228”.
The 1977-79 Mark V came in at 230.3” long on the same chassis.
The 1980-83 Mark VI shrunk back to almost the Mark III dimensions, but with much better packaging, albeit, a lot less distinctive than its III, IV and V predecessors.
Thank you sir! I will be getting the other Mark's at some point. This is my third in the series.
The automakers were constrained by the CAFE fuel economy standards, which explains why the last big boats (1979) only offered the 400 cubic inch V8 instead of the better (my opinion having had both) 460. A shame really as the larger cars were great.
My Dentist had a mark4 in the late1970s .It was white and blue Bill Blass edition. I saw it in the Junkyard a few months ago😢 wish I could have got it!!!
I recall that version. Even as a little boy I thought that colour combination looked so 'clean'. That blue and white look always had such a 'nautical' feel to it.
Lovely.
My parents had 1975 mercury Marquis! Great car actually decent gas mileage for the size of the car and tons of power.
My uncle had one, beautiful car.
I loved watching Charlie’s Angels just to see all of the beautiful Ford Lincoln cars of the era. And the angels, of course.
Love to see a video on the Mark V next!
It won't be next but it's in the pipeline. Thank you for watching!
A little known fact is that the 1972 model had a one-year-only roof. After customer feedback the roofline was raised for 1973, although it's almost impossible to tell unless the two are parked side-by-side. The glass area remained the same, so ease of entry was unchanged, but there was a bit more clearance for a hat or hairdo once inside the car.
Thank you for the information. I had no idea. It's stated no where in the literature.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs From Sydney, Australia. The MK3's were built on what was basically the 117" wheelbase 1965 Galaxie coupe chassis, which was being used from 1967 to'71 as the new 2 door coupe Thunderbird chassis. Customers complained that for the price, there was not enough rear legroom in MK3's. So for the new MK4's the Fairlane had been killed off and replaced with the Torino which was a body on chassis frame car. Ford used the heavy-duty ute chassis for the new MK4 as it had a 121" wheelbase which would supply the extra rear legroom required.
Re the one year only roof pressing, for every year of the MK4 there are at least 3 different roof pressings, for 1972 there were 4, the one year only one was the base roof with NO sunroof and NO portholes, 1972 was the only year for delete portholes in the MK4 series. Now the remaining 3 roof pressings were the base roof with no sunroof, the Glass moonroof pressing, and thirdly the steel sunroof pressing. Here in Australia, I have 3 mates with MK4's and one myself when lined up you can see that the base car roof with or without portholes is lower than the cars with a sunroof. when you look at my mate Dave's 1974 MK4 with a glass moonroof it has a slight "forehead" as you look above the front windscreen, however, My MK4 is an early '73 model already registered and on the road by 4th November 1972, it has a steel vinyl covered sunroof and the roof pressing is different to Dave's one as the "forehead" is even higher it has quite an extra dome to it to allow for the way thicker steel sunroof rather than the thin glass one. Ford Aust' had CKD kits sent to their Homebush, Sydney plant (completely knocked down) to be built as factory right hand drive cars, from '70 up to '79 4 door Town Car kits were sent here as well, I also own a '79 Collectors Series Town Car. The 1970 to'79 Town Car chassis is a 10inch longer 1965 Galaxie chassis and Ford Aust' had been building RHD Galaxies from 1965 to '73 and RHD 4 Door T;birds from 1967 up to 1969 so it was easy for Ford Aust to build the RHD Town cars using the same RHD components firewalls, steering box, windscreen wiper modules and heavy duty suspension. Another thing that is entirely different with the Aussie Ford 1970's Lincolns is the metal dashboard units, cast alloy & anodized in the color of the interior trim, and since the fake plastic wood dash panels were not able to be used as asymmetric we had genuine solid wooden ones Teak for MK4's & Mahogany with matchwood inlay for my 1979 Town car. My mate Dave with the '74 MK4 also has a '74 Town car that is a genuine Ford Aust RHD car, that has a reverse image dash the same as a US version.
Dave's white 1974 MK4 was a private import that was converted to Right hand drive by a company in Melbourne, Victoria. Ford Aust' only delivered FACTORY right hand drive 1972 & '73 MK4's I have a Ford Aust' Lincoln MK4 "body" book which shows all the body panels for both year models and points out the different roof pressings. Additionally because the Torino chassis was never really intended to be a potential right hand drive unit, Ford Aust had to hugely re-engineer the car as that chassis has a short firewall to front axle ratio, so Ford Aust' went to GM Holdens Aust' to obtain a variety of GMH-A componentry to build the factory RHD MK4's and for just the 2 year models. So in the genuine Ford Aust RHD MK4's you get GM forward mounted steering box ahead of the front axle, to sweep the front windscreen when raining the Aussie FordMK4's use the Trico designed wiper module/unit where the wipers meet in the middle and arms are articulated to perfectly sweep vertically to the A-pillars, then when "parked" the left wiper blade sits atop the right one in the middle of the car. We have an entirely different service manual to cover all the many Aussie differences. Additionally our Lincoln 460's had ZERO anti-pollution gear fitted and the Ford Aust' built cars had twin Carter AFB 4bbl carbies fitted with a locally made induction plenum and twin cold air induction snorkels to attach to the twin outlets on the air cleaner. My other two mates with MK4's are recently imported LHD USA cars, now we are allowed to register/drive LHD cars, however both these two cars and my mates 1974 private RHD converted USA spec car all feel like either 6 or 4 cylinder cars compared to my own Ford Aust built car, I was shocked at how gutless the detuned anti-pollution USA versions were.
That would totally make sense that they "raised the roof" for the sunroof! The Mark already had a lot less headroom than the sedan, which is why my dad never bought one.
Beautiful cars. My favorite is still the Mark V, though. But I love all the Mark series cars.
Good choice! A video is coming!
In 1977, a friend of the family bartered work for a 1975 Mark IV. Silver with blue/blue velvet interior and a huge moonroof. It had Greek key bronze trim. Huge. Holy S**T. There it is!
Had a 76 Bill Blass back in highschool with the moonroof… An absolute masterpiece, fantastic car
Thank you for this informative video. I own a '76 Mark IV with only 42K original miles. I think they are rolling works of art. Interestingly, whenever I fill it with gas, people come over, smiling from ear to ear, with stories and sometimes photos of their experiences with these cars. It is the "happiest" collector car I have ever owned.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your experience with your car.
I love me some Mark's, all models. There were a couple of III's parked at the side of a house in Chicago, near where our terminal is. Our company bought the property, along with most of the rest of the neighborhood and the house was torn down. I'm not sure what happened to the Mark's, though. I tried to buy a 1956 Mark II from a gentleman just west of Toledo, where I live, but he wanted too much for it. It had minor rust, but that was repairable. It was not an air conditioning equipped version, but it was nice. I would buy a III, if I could find one at a decent price. I'm retired, so it would have to be a great deal. As for now, I drive my Mustang convertibles during the good-weather months and my Eddie Bauer 'Exploder' in crappy weather. A great and excellent video.
Thank you very much for watching and for the kind words. It is appreciated.
I may be weird on what I like in automobiles, but I love every Mark series from the 3 on up until they stopped making them! The Mark 3 is definitely the GOAT though!
My dad had a ‘70 Mark III, triple Olive green, a stunning car. My dad, who’d switched to Lincoln from Cadillac loved the Lincoln so when news of a new Mark trickled out he was excited about the new model. The dealer called him to say they were receiving two Mark IV’s that week, dad said call me when the carrier pulls in. They called Thursday afternoon and we went up that evening. Dad was so disappointed. The clean, almost European look was gone, replaced by a heavy, baroque exterior that made the car look bigger than it was. The interior was a similar disappointment, fake wood replaced the real walnut of the III, and the seating and trim didn’t feel as he’d expected. We left and dad told the salesman the only thing that would get him back is if the new Eldorado is worse. The ‘73 Eldorado was introduced and it was in fact more gauche that the Lincoln. Back to the Lincoln dealer where dad ordered a new 73 Continental Town Coupe’. The Connie was huge, but oddly sleek in the semi-fast back coupe style. That ‘73 was an awesome traveling car with tons of space, a roomy yet cozy back seat and a gargantuan trunk. Unfortunately for 75 the Continental was restyled in a more heavy and fussy style and dad was done. A series of European cars took him up until the Lexus LS400. Then a decade of Lexus until a Chrysler 300 took its place.
Thank for sharing the Mark III would be the one for me as well.
@@wjtinatl as someone who grew up in a 71 sedan, I agree with you. However, after 4 years of that body they had to do something so they went with the "formal look" roof & grill... The real crime was on the inside, when it got the 400-in engine and the plain-Jane dashboard.
Great watching your videos. I have a rare 1979 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe.
Very cool!
‘72 best looking year. No crappy, big mandated bumpers. I had the ‘72 T-Bird with the 429.
As the years went on 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, to me it just kept getting better looking. The changes really enhanced the look of the car. I remember these cars were everywhere! Great video!
Thank you for watching!
Learned to drive on Dad's '76 Mark IV Bill Blass edition......one damn nice car at the time, but what a giant land yacht!!!
IF you could learn to drive in that type of car all the others should be really easy wheel around town.
My first car was a triple white 1974 Mark IV. Was not my first choice, but I could not complain as it was free.
I remember mid 70’s many Lincoln lots were packed with these used, most under 10k miles. Owners were dumping like crazy, dealers were giving them away.
I think that means that people that bought expensive cars like these didn't hold on to them very long because the newest model was out. Now if you are talking the late 70's the gas crunch and downsizing becoming popular might have something to do with that situation.
I drove a 73 Thunderbird in the late 70s (highschool) which was basically the same car. I enjoyed driving that car a lot. A neighbor had a white Mark IV, and I was jealous because while it was basically the same as my TBird, it was much better looking
Thanks for watching and the 6th gen Thunderbird video is coming in a couple of weeks 😉
Love your videos Tony, what was the MSRP Originally for these Mark IV?
Depending on how they were equipped they could easily be north of 10K. In today's money that's 60K plus Thanks for the kind words.
@@TonysFordsandMustangsYou're welcome brother Tony
Big fan of the Lincoln Mark's... I have never had the opportunity to own one, but amazing vehicles imo. If only the MK3 power was part of the MK4...wow...but I realize the times were all about emissions...performance was an afterthought.
A cousin of mine had one. We had a good time crusing in it back in the early '80's. I loved the interior. However, I still feels it pales in comparison to the Mark V (which is the ULTIMATE Lincoln/Continental for me, anyway). Still, it's a very beautiful car and the ride was incredible. I'd also rank it behind the Mark III AND the Mark II (in the looks department). Nuff said.
Had a Mark VII LSC, probably the best of the Mark series. But I always thought the Mark IV was the most elegant and they just are the definition of a big luxo cruiser.
Great video. Thanks for putting it all together. Very well thought out and edited. Cheers.
Thank you very much for watching and the kind words. It is appreciated
It's ironic a 5.5 bed, crew cab F150 is longer than the "long" Lincoln....
I wish someone would talk about the slightly curved A pillars on the Ford Thunderbird and the mark four and five...
Never seen it done in all Automotive History. I wonder why they did that. I really like the look... nice video
Great video Tony! I watch because I have a 2023 Mach 1 in mischievous Purple but my first car ever was the 1974 Mark IV in gold. My dad gave me his car in 1983 when I turned 14. He switched to Cadillac. I drove it for 5 years and won 10th loudest car stereo in Wichita Kansas in 1984 hahaha
Thank you! That's is an awesome first car. I have been through Wichita several times and the roads out there seem to be perfect for that kind of cruiser.
Yep smooth and straight 😂
Definitely one of the best looking cars of the 1970’s. My favorite being the Bill Blass edition.
I would love to see a '72 Mark IV without a vinyl roof. That would be one very sleek Mark IV. BTW, the longest Mark IV's were just 228 inches with duel 5MPH bumpers. There was never a 230 inch Mark IV. Mark V was 230 inches.
Thank you and yes I can't always count on my sources being spot on. I guess close is going to have to work this time.
Great video as always! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
The 1972 was good looking without the big bumpers. The front grille really stood out.
I was 17. Had a 73 and a 76 Mark lV. 73 was triple white with electric moon roof. 76 was red, red int, white top. I kept switching between the two. Depending which had more gas. They were very cool, but thirsty cars.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
💙💙💙💙A dream car of mine, I love it. Awesome channel, with great content & incredibly informative & entertaining.
Thanks so much!
Nice Piece
Another extremely well done video Tony! Hear me out on something. I know that you’re a Ford Lincoln Mercury aficionado but what if you started doing videos like this for other makes and models or something along the lines of the competitions, equivalent models you obviously do a ton of research anyway. It really would widen the viewer reach exponentially just an idea. Thanks!
Also, I would love to see a video on the Thunderbird used in the movie the Crow!
That's interesting. I'll have to look into it and see if i can track it down. :)
Thank you for the kind words and I thought long and hard about this when I started the channel. I have always been a Ford guy. I have owned plenty of other makes of cars and trucks however I prefer Fords and enjoy researching the history of the those cars and the company. I don't think I would enjoy learning about the history of GM nearly as much and I'm not really looking for 100's of thousands of subscribers as i don't need the income. That's why you don't see sponsored content on the channel. I'm content doing what i'm doing. Thanks for watching.
@ Fair! But do it cause you are the right guy and tell it like it is👍💯
@@CoastalAutoReactionCAR That's another reason I'm not sponsored. :) I have no one I need to please or talking points I need to cover. I give my opinion and you folks can agree or disagree. Thanks again for watching.
I don't recall seeing Mark 3 but the mark 4 were everywhere
My dad's friend Joe had a green over green with a green interior ,1976 mark 4 nice car but not a lot of room inside of it
Thats my baby. Same color scheme and everything. I miss her so much.
My favorite car then and now!
A big, beautiful impressive car with an unimpressive trunk. I owned one.
Ford based the Mark IV (and 1972 T-bird) on a stretched version of the new for 1972 Torino/Montego mid-size platform. This was for cost savings. The Mark III was based on the 5th generation T-bird platform.
Same 121 in wheelbase like the LTD. that started in '69 till '78 and Lincoln Mk IV - V to '79
Thank you for the video. Cannon! I immediately went there. I liked when they updated the front bumper in 1973 and the rear bumper in 1974. Thank you for the footage and catalog information as well. I liked the Motor Trend magazine cover. I recall all the designer series as well. That trend has continued. I liked the Mark Series. The only one I did not care for was Mark VII. I was so glad when Mark VIII came along. The thing is the car was so luxurious over the years. I do think Mark VIII need a little more on the interior. The Mark IV did its thing and did it well. Thank you for the video.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching!
Mark Vll was a great car. Luxury, comfort and performance. Funny, as rounded as it was it still was the most un aerodynamic production car on the road at the time. Still had to be better than all the previous models
The Mark IV and sixth gen Thunderbird seemed to have gotten some of its exterior styling from the first gen Toronado.
That's possible, I haven't looked a Toronado in long time so I couldn't say.
The announcers and ads were so much better back then. These things were as big as a Semi.
Very enjoyable video. I always thought these were magnificent, especially the 1972 (in triple white!).
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching.
Wow, that really sucks with those emission controls... Our high- compression 1971 got 14 whole miles per gallon on the highway with a full trunk and the York air conditioning running! 😂
0:16 The '69 Mark III's 216 inch length was far from record setting; it was actually the 1958 Mark III that, at about 229 inches, probably deserves the title for FoMoCo's longest 2-door car. That car, as well as the other '58-'60 Lincolns, sold poorly because, among other things, they were seen as too big: too big to fit in many garages, too big for urban maneuvers, and too thirsty. Which makes the success of the '70s Mark IV and Mark V all the more perplexing. They had about the same footprint as the '58, but with much, much less room inside. And the handling was compromised by the massive overhang at each end, though radial tires mitigated the clumsiness to some extent. These cars seemed to have all the disadvantages of big cars, but few of the advantages. But the massive overhang, which made them look like kit cars to my eyes, seems to have been a massive hit with enough of the public to keep these cars profitable, even in the worst "energy-crisis" years. Go figure.
Thank you for your comment and for watching. This car did get to 230 Inches with the 5 MPH bumpers front and rear. I do think the 74 Continental Coupe at 232 inches may have been the longest ever. I do agree that these cars never should have been popular but they were and they were certainly profitable for Ford Motor company. Today we have SUV's the size of tanks roaming around which check both boxes as well for Ford. The world is certainly a strange place.
The 1972 Mark IV was the best looking because of the more attractive bumpers.
So far the comments are split on the 5 MPH Bumpers on this car which is interesting.
I owned both a 70 MK III and a 72 MK IV. Although the MK IV was more stylish, it didn't have the quality of materials and build quality of the MK III. I also had a 75 T-Bird, which was basically a re-badged MK IV, but really a POS. I'm still looking one day to get a MK V. We'll see how that goes!
The Mark III was the best built of the series. The Mark V was great, made you feel like a king, get the 460 engine, not the 400, more power and smoother.
The tires were HR 78x15.
i like 1972 model.
I liked the 72, the best.
My good friend’s daddy had a Mk IV-big ol’ gas-guzzling pig-but it was great to take to the drive-in. Could fit quite a few friends in the trunk. 😂🤣😂
We have all been at the sneak em in at the drive in. 😉
@ I had a 77 Coupe De Ville-tell me about it!🤣😂🤣
I always thought this car was a fat pig. I much prefer the Mark V. But now this styling has grown on me. 😮
The people who bought them were not exactly worried about fuel prices. They were beautiful cars for the time.
Very true!
The whole line exhibited considerable class. Rolls Royce did custom designer cars, Lincoln made the process an ethos. 🥝✔️
My great uncles owned an Oldsmobile, then Lincoln-Mercury, Dallas dealership back in the 1970's, W.O. Bankston L-M. The 1972 through 1976 Continental Mark IV was, in my opinion, one of America's most beautiful automobiles of the 1970's era. I got to drive lots of these gorgeous cars. I grew up in the best time of memorable automobiles in the 1960's through early 1980's when large cars dominated the expressways and boulevards. No other country could build anything that comes close to our beloved luxury cars of yesterday. With today's technology, they could easily build these cars again with decent fuel economy. Bring back Town Cars, Fleetwoods, Ninety-Eights, Electra 225's, Grand Marquis, LTD's, etc!!!!! There is a market! People are SICK of boring SUV's!!!!!😂
Thank you for your comment!
@TonysFordsandMustangs My pleasure! Your channel is one of my favorites. You bring back so many memories for me as a car lover. Especially Ford Motor Company products.
Nice work Tony...my buddy calls these..overpriced Thunderbirds at the time.
Working on the 6th gen T-Bird video right now. ;) Thank you!
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Thanks Tony..looking forward to seeing it
Jock Ewing of Dallas tv show had this car
Those things were huuuuuge!
The 1972 Continental Mark IV came out in September 1971, not 1972, the 1972 model year was over by then. Also the Lincoln Continental coupe was the longest Lincoln two door, they were longer than the Mark IV.
You are correct. I had 1971 written down correctly and just read it wrong and didn't catch it in editing. Once it's live on youtube it can no longer be edited. On the longest thing I said the Mark III was the longest built, which it was, so that accurate and that this car was longer which is also correct. Yes the Coupe was a couple of inches longer.
The Mark IV may have been the easier luxury car to drive, but I’m sure none were easy to park!
Two-door Continental was a better car than the Mark IV all around. More interior room, bigger gas tank, trunk, glove compartment with the exhaust on the correct side. Arguably better looking with fender skirts too. Lower base price and more options.
I don’t think I would disagree with anything you stated.
At 1:19 you mean September 1971. September 1972 would be 1973 models.
Nice 😊
Thanks for the visit
I own the Mark 5, currently being restored by myself, its truly a annoying car to drive daily, as its hard to get into, has such a low roof, especially the sunroof model i have, the 6 ft hood so long its kinda overkill dumb.... i love lincoln's but yeah the Marks are cool looking, yet annoying to live with daily, and practically useless as far as room is concerned in the interior, considering how massive it is on the outside, the trunk has about the same room as a ford focus, the interior about the same as well but with less head room, the fuel milege is horrific, even when tuned up properly....lol
its a car i call all show, its like driveway jewllery, but they are utterly useless in almost every other way aside from the awesome styling....lol.. and im a lincoln lover...
Thank you your comment!