ONE OWNER 1979 LINCOLN MARK 5 LOW MILES

Mark V 1979

Introduced for the 1977 model year. the Lincoln Continental Mark V was a major revision of the Mark IV. The rounded styling of the previous generation gave way to a sharper-edged look. Interior design remained similar to the Mark IV. with variants in the seat patterns and dashboard trim (while retaining the general dashboard layout of the IV) being the primary differences. As the Ford Thunderbird was downsized and based upon the intermediate chassis utilized by the Ford LTD II and Mercury Cougar XR7. the Mark V utilized its own chassis. The Mark V was larger and more complex than its predecessor. coming just ten inches short of 20 feet (6. 1 m) long. The electrical system and mechanical componentry shared less in common with other Ford products. and was harder to service than the corresponding equipment on the Mark IV.

The 460 cu in (7. 5 L) of the Mark IV no longer remained the standard engine of the Mark V. with the 400 becoming standard and the 460 optional. for both the 1977 and 1978 model years. The 460 was not available at all for 1979. After the 1976 model year. the 460 was no longer available in Lincolns sold in California. because it was not able to be emissions-certified for that state. By contrast. the 1977 Continentals were initially available ONLY with the 460 in the 49 states but around mid-production the 400 became standard and the 460 optional. except in California. The March 1977 update of the Lincoln Product Facts Book for 1977 shows these changes in red font. Evidence of a change as early as December 1976 is available. The author of these edits (March 2013) has a 49-state February 21 1977 Continental Town Car. the price sheet of which shows the 460 as an option. Marti reports however suggest that almost all 49-state Lincoln buyers chose the 460 after it became optional.

Experts from Motor Trend. April 1980. which compared the then new Mark VI (a Cartier 351-2 model with a 2. 73:1 diff) against the Mark V (a Bill Blass model with a 3. 08:1 diff):

". another automotive era ended in 1979. The press releases summed it up by calling the '79 Continental "the last traditionally full-sized American car. " The hardware of the matter is that the car is one of the largest mass-produced passenger cars ever to roll off an assembly line. With an overall length of 230. 3 inches. a wheelbase of 120. 3 inches. and a curb weight of 4. 63 pounds. it is a dinosaur. and the changing nature of the times will no longer tolerate such blatantly consumptive machines for personal transportation.

. The 1979 Mark V was the essence of unconstrained American automotive opulence. conceived in a time when fuel economy and space efficiency were the concerns of lesser cars.

. Though the styling of the Mark V was unchanged from '78 to '79. there were some mechanical and engineering refinements. Weight reduction techniques that included use of plastics. high-strength lightweight steel. thinner glass. and aluminum for such engine parts as the intake manifold and water pump produced a 400-pound weight reduction [from 1978]. as compared to the 930 pounds surrendered by the Mark VI models.

. Even with the weight loss. the Mark V is a huge piece of machinery. albeit a desirable one in terms of potential value. It is the last of a breed and has sufficient quality and style to assure eventual classic status It is entirely likely that. in 10 years. the owners of such cars will discover that they have a piece of collectible automotive machinery.

. To drive the Mark V is to be the captain of your own huge. luxurious ship. In an operational sense. the Mark V is massive. smooth and competent only in boulevard or highway applications. What it was designed to do. it does very well. It isolates the driver and passengers from the outside world. and when you're driving. it makes you feel - and makes other people think you are - rich. Even with its rather straight-lined. sharp-edged styling. the car has a certain rakishness and projects the image of the driver as an elegant rogue.

. This intangible quality is exactly what we found lacking in the Mark VI. It has a more formal look - the result of a more squared-off roof and trunk line - that would tend to make you think of the driver as a successful accountant. The interior produces none of that feeling of decadence. It is light and airy. as opposed to the cocoon feeling of the Mark V. and has a little too much space-age gadgetry and undisguised plastic to fit the traditional definitions of luxury.

. The Mark V is the pinnacle of 60 years of automotive definitions. "