A perfect Florida car, which is where this 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V is located, this example is crazy nice with ultra-low miles and in an eye-popping color that nobody will mistake for someone else’s car. Not that a person generally runs into too many ’79 Continentals on their daily grind. This triple-blue beauty is posted here on craigslist in the Ormond Beach, Florida area and they’re asking $27,999. Here is the original listing, and thanks to PRA4SNW for the tip!
Wow, what a car. We’ve seen some nice Continental Mark Vs here on Barn Finds over the years but this one stands out for me. This car almost looks like new inside and out. This color always gets me, it looks like Crystal Blue to me but we’ve gone over this before and it usually comes up that it’s Wedgewood Blue. What are your thoughts? The color balance of the Florida skies and water may be playing tricks on things in the photos, it sure is vibrant. This car appears to have optional forged aluminum wheels, very nice.
Lincoln made the Continental Mark V for just three model years, 1977, 1978, and 1979 and they were the fourth generation of their series of “Mark” cars. At just over 19 feet in length, these are not small cars so check your garage before sending an offer to the seller. This gorgeous car is said to have had just one owner and it has 18,880 miles, that’s only 420 miles a year for the last 45 years, wowie. In case you were thinking, “Hey, what the?! That car didn’t cost $27,999 new!!!!” No, no it didn’t, it would have been around $13,000, give or take, which is $57,000 today.
There is no optional leather here, but the “Twin Comfort Lounge” seats with “pleated Ultravelour” cloth appear to be in excellent condition both front and rear. Right out of high school, I worked in a four-level indoor parking garage in a medical building and several doctors had Mark Vs. They were like driving a cloud. This one has the optional power moonroof.
The engine is Ford’s 400-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had 160 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque. The seller says that the engine is in mint condition, it’s hard to argue with that given the photos. Hagerty is at $23,000 for a #2 excellent-condition car, just as a reference. Any thoughts on this beauty?
When these were new, I remember thinking “big but not spacious inside, gaudy, over-styled, too much gingerbread”, and so forth. Who would ever want one of them? Fast forward several decades (!!!), and now I think they are cool…. for the same reasons I used to not like them. They are such an appropriate representation for their type of car, in this case before downsizing had taken hold.
I’m always glad to see one which has been babied for such a long time. You can always reel me in with a blue interior, especially when matched with an eye-catching blue exterior. Cruise in style.
Thanks Scotty.
My sentiments exactly!! I was with my dad the day he picked his up from the dealer, and even as a child I was mesmerized by this car. There should be no confusion by the author the color IS WEDGEWOOD BLUE. He told everyone that would listen about this car and he thought the color was special. Wedgewood Blue 100%!! – Jeff NC
You are correct Scotty, perfect Florida car, or certain parts of California. I currently own a 1979 Town Coupe and when the restoration is finished this summer…(been saying that for the last five years) I plan to drive it until it needs restored again. This beautiful blue Mark deserves a care taker better than I. Perhaps a climate controlled living room between the rare drive on the most beautiful days.
Absolutely! I once saw a feature on a garage with classic black and white tiles, gilt framed promotional upscale aumobiles, Velvet swags on the window, and large crystal chandelier. This MARK, deserves the full Versailles 🏰 treatment. And the Versailles was a much better car than many would have you believe.
LINCOLN! What a Luxury CAR Should BE,and once was. This is a stunner! Only issue for me is the 400 engine which was the only one offered in 79. Have heard this is not powerful enough for the car. But I once had a 78 Town Coupe with 460 that had starting issues with carburetor. That was a second car which needed significant work. Health issues caused me to sell. Wish I had kept it. This MARK V hits the mark in every way. Color is beautiful, luxurious cloth seats for me are better than usual leather found in so many, and sub roof is a definite plus. Have owned numerous upscale vehicles from the BIG 3. Overall LINCOLN has been my favorite. Currently have beautiful low mileage 2007 Town Car Signature Limited in CASHMERE and will not let this one get away. A second car is not an option for this Vintage Rolls Canardly (Rolls down one hill and Canardly get up the next), but THIS MARK V needs to be lovingly preserved as a MONUMENT to The GREAT AMERICAN LAND YACHT. The likes of which unfortunately will never be built! Even LINCOLN has now focused on Glorified trucks!
Lucky they didn’t try sticking a 5.0 in it! Because, you know some of them would be driving around with that in one of those too if it was available.
I don’t know for sure but I have seen some resto modded Lincoln Mark V’s with the louvers ground down to fender. Apparently some people don’t like them.
A Coyote 5.0 would been a good choice with the 10 speed automatic! They make stock pickup trucks that outweigh this absolutely fly! Another good choice would be to repower with a 7.3 Godzilla crate engine!
My brother had three of these. A 77, a 78, and a 79. He died over 20 years ago, and we gave all of them to our former next door neighbor/friend. Last I heard, each of his 3 kids were driving those boats on a daily basis, and enjoying them. What an amazing automobile!
Nothing looks as good, wearing robin egg blue 🐦 as a Ford.
Parents friends had a 60 Mercury Montclair two door in this color with white roof. Beautiful! At a grocery store, the carry out boy told wife, You sure have a pretty car Grandma. Being in her late 40s, she had mixed feelings!
You’re right. I had a 63 1/2 and a 74. Both of them robin egg blue and they were beeeautiful !!
Wow, gorgeous car in beautiful, original condition with very low mileage. I prefer the metallic blues, but considering it’s mileage and condition, I’d love it. It’s too bad those gorgeous luxury cars of the late 70s were so underpowered. Let’s hope, as others said above, that it finds a good home, where it’s preserved and enjoyed on nice days.
Though not my choice model of Lincoln, I have to respect every one I see now, which I didn’t do when they were new. As a kid I thought the scaly louvers on the fenders were an eyesore. Little did I know then (in fact, until just several years ago) that those louvers were more than a styling gimmick: They actually operated, serving the purpose they were meant to serve.
Say what you will about these cars being behind the times–the downsize fad was in full swing across the industry by that year–but these cars held on with unwavering popularity. Its rival, Cadillac’s Eldorado, debuted a thoroughly-redesigned, smaller version in that year, which sold far more in its debut year than any year of Eldo before (oddly). The Mark V, already in its third year and handicapped with its sole higher-performance option deleted after ’78, STILL beat those sales.
Whoever the new owner winds up being, remember to register to the Lincoln Forum where you can find almost any answer to any questions you may have about this car.
Then there’s also the Lincoln and Continental owners club.
Someone else please correct me if I’m wrong, but I worked at a Lincoln dealership in the late 70s when these cars were new and those side louvers are NOT functional, only decorative. Are there any current owners of these cars who can confirm this? These Marks were the ultimate luxury cruiser, so quiet and comfortable! And available in so many great colors and combinations – unlike the mostly dark, drab color choices on most cars today.
I did a quick look at the 1979 Mark V paint chips. Including the specialty models, looks like there were 20 color choices. Five of them were the currently-popular black/white/silver/gray, others were the more colorful choices folks like me wish would return.
I don’t know for sure but I have seen some resto modded Lincoln Mark V’s with the louvers ground down to fender. Apparently some people don’t like them.
Very nice find. One of our neighbors was an exec at Bethlehem Steel in Burns Harbor and drove a 79 Town Coupe in the subjects triple blue. It seemed like every realtor in town, who could make the payment, drove a Lincoln Continental 4 door. The two co-owners of the butcher shop drove Mark V’s.
Our family weren’t big blue oval fans but somehow ended up at the other end of the spectrum with a 4spd Mercury Lynx hatchback and a gen 1 jellybean Ford tempo 4dr sedan
I always wondered why did they delete the rear center armrest on the Mark5? Unless you got the Versailles option interior. I guess to save money! My absolute favorite is the 1976 Mark 4 Bill Blass Edition with the Cloth Versailles option! To me that was a classy looking car. IMHO!
Just guessing, but the MARK V, like many Personal Luxury vehicles, was basically driven with few if any rear seat passengers. With only two doors, entrance and exit was somewhat of a challenge. A center armrest might have become an obstacle.
According to some thing I just looked up the original MSRP $16,546, not that it’s even relevant just a factoid. I assume that’s a base Mark V, but that I’m not sure either. Anyway, this car here couldn’t get much better condition or mileage-wise, but I do believe there’s some negotiation to be done there…
Sorry, but a 79 Mark in powder, pimp blue just ain’t my cup of tea,and I don’t care how many miles they claim it has on it. The 400 engines by 1979 with all the smog and emissions on it was just a joke. 1972-76 year Lincoln Mark’s are a much better choice, IMO. Whatever flips you trigger I guess.
Thankfully we STILL can have our opinions! Sorry this MARK V doesn’t flip your trigger, but it sure Floats MY BOAT as a great American Land YACHT!
There are many Lincoln land yachts that do flip my trigger, like the ones in years, 1972-77, but not this year in 1979 and especially in this ugly, powder blue and cloth interior. To each their own.
If I’d had the money id be driving it! This is American luxury as it’s supposed to be! OVT ( over the top) ! The engine is only at 160 HP because those were the early years of emissions regulations! But that car is purely for cruising ! Colors are perfect and harken back to the day when there was more than black or grey interior choices! Love it!!
🎵Those 🎶WERE 🎵 The 🎶DAYS!🎵. Not only car and interior color choices, but choices to have CLASSY CARS as opposed to SUVS, crossovers, trucks, and a few tinker toy cars! Always OTT. LINCOLN, what a Luxury car Should BE(and once was)! On to VERSAILLES! 🏰 👑 🏆
To My knowledge ( My dad traded marks every other year) the louvers or vents in the front windows lowered when you opened the window! The last Ford product with VENTS in the front was Grand Marquis,,Crown Vic ! 89 ” those functioned like normal vents!
I believe the reference was for decorative louvers mounted on sides of fenders. The small WINDOW vents did lower after main window was completely lowered. If I recall correctly, you could stop vent lowering by removing finger from control. The vents didn’t serve as ventilation like older cars. The main function was to allow main window to fit into the body.
I never thought of that! I always thought most louvers on fenders were purely decorative, similar to Buicks Portholes!
Listing update: the seller has lowered the price to $22,999.