Sometimes unkindly referred to as land yachts, American luxury cars from the 1970s have a dedicated following in the classic community. Many owe little or nothing to subtlety, but there were few cars from that era that could transport their occupants in such splendid isolation. Our feature land yacht, er, luxury offering, is a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V. Lifting it beyond mere mortals is the original owner’s decision to order the Bill Blass designer edition. The package brought cosmetic upgrades, and this one appears pretty remarkable. The seller claims the odometer reading of 7,875 miles is genuine, which could make the lowest mile example still prowling our roads. It needs a new home, with the seller listing it here on Craigslist in Huntington Beach, California. They set a sales price of $24,500, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L. for spotting this rare beast.
Lincoln offered potential buyers four versions of the Designer Series in 1978, all bringing different cosmetic upgrades to the table. The original owner of this Continental Mark V selected the Bill Blass Edition, wearing Midnight Blue paint with a Chamois Landau-style vinyl top and matching side trim inserts. Its condition is almost impossible to fault, although the seller admits a close inspection will reveal minor scratches and imperfections. However, there are no dings or dents and no rust. The seller supplies several underside shots; all they show is a fresh layer of undercoat to prevent rust from getting its teeth into this classic. The glass is flawless, as is the exterior trim. The alloy wheels show no signs of stains or damage, with their condition consistent with the claimed odometer reading.
As with the other Designer Editions, the ’78 Bill Blass offered limited interior trim options. This car features Chamois-colored leather upholstery with contrasting inserts in the seats and door trims. If the exterior condition is impressive, the interior lifts it to a higher level. There is no wear, and even the carpet is in as-new condition. The dash is spotless, and there are no signs of cracks or UV damage. What would a luxury model be without creature comforts? The new owner receives air-conditioning, power windows, power locks, six-way power front seats, cruise control, an AM/FM stereo radio with a power antenna, remote exterior mirrors, matching factory floormats, and a 22-karat gold dash plaque. The seller indicates that everything works as it should, with no issues or problems.
When it came to engine choice, this Lincoln’s owner went straight to the top of the class. Occupying this classic’s engine bay is the 460ci V8 producing 210hp. Adding to the luxury impression are a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. At 4,870lbs, the Mark V is a hefty beast, making it no surprise that the journey down the ¼ mile takes 18.3 seconds. However, it will wind its way to 117mph, making it one fast living room! The seller emphasizes this car’s originality and the odometer reading of 7,875 genuine miles. They don’t mention verifying evidence; establishing whether any exists is key to determining the car’s potential value. They recently spent a considerable sum to ensure this Mark V is in sound mechanical health. They replaced the tires, fitted the engine with new gaskets, flushed the fuel lines, flushed and replaced the vehicle’s fluids, rebuilt the carburetor, plus numerous other tasks. The driving experience is as it was the day this classic wafted off the showroom floor, making it ready for the lucky new owner.
Although manufacturers were turning their attention to smaller and more efficient models during the late 1970s, Lincoln marched to the beat of a different drummer. Its cars were big, bold, and thirsty. The Continental Mark V Designer Series proved a sales success, demonstrating that it was possible to add some inexpensive automotive “tinsel” to any car and charge a premium price. If the claims for this 1978 Bill Blass Edition are verifiable, that makes it an extraordinary survivor. Values have recently remained pretty static for these classics, and it is impossible to predict when or if that might change. The price falls within the top end of the market, but its condition could justify the cost. However, there is one further factor worth considering. Part of its inherent value rests in the odometer reading. It is possible that every extra mile could impact its future value. Would you consider continuing preservation or throw caution to the wind and hit the road for some classic luxury motoring?
Nice Mark V. Ford used this dark blue/chamois scheme on other vehicles, and it’s quite polarizing. But for an in-your-face car like this, I think it fits perfectly. Given that the original audience for this car included older, well-to-do individuals, finding one with low miles isn’t unbelievable or even uncommon. And to answer Adam’s question, I don’t think these Marks will ever be ultra-valuable, so adding miles at a reasonable amount (hundreds, maybe even a couple thousand miles per year) would, to me, strike a balance.
Nice write-up Adam.
I’ve seen it on Thunderbirds, 4-door LTD IIs and Mustang II Ghias that pull it off, Fairmont sedans less so.
I’ve also seen at least one US-spec MkI Fiesta with the dark blue exterior/chamois interior/gold pinstripe combo sans vinyl top, and it looked good but showed that whoever chose to omit the vinyl top that was part of early MkI Fiesta Ghia spec in Europe (or at least the UK) from the American model made the right call.
Oh, and I also saw it on at least one ’77-79 Caprice. Or close, since GM’s dark blue was a metallic color. They usually paired it with a lighter blue interior (and vinyl top if so equipped), so tan must’ve been special ordered by someone who liked Ford’s taste in color packages but preferred the General’s product.
Gorgeous
Ditto for great writeup. Color combo is conservative, IMHO, but makes a statement. Like driving a Bentley instead of a Rolls…still makes an “in your face statement” without having to say look at me.
Love it when the subject car makes the Bentley in the background look small.
‘Step up from a plastillac to a MK V’
No it is not an advert from Ford, but they look and feel much
better then their contemporary competitors from Detroit.
A 460. Well, my local gas stations will love me but adding
a lpg system could be an alternative to run this yacht.
I’m still looking for a Pucci Edition because its red is timeless
and unobtrusive. I take this.
Are Weber crossflow intake manifolds avail for this engine?
Or even a F.I. system? A 5-speed auto gearbox is avail.
There are a number of companies that make an FI system. They all look like 4bbl carbs and have a self contained computer control. Just bolt it on and go for a drive.
If only it worked that easily.
I put an edelbrock performer on mine and a 800 electric edelbrock, didn’t have to pump the gas to start it and the auto start worked great. I did a lot of hot rod parts on my mark 5, ran awesome!!
As long as they let you park in the RV spots at Walmart what’s not to love ? Great for cruises & car shows. 1000 miles a year all good.
Had the “Givenchy” edition … great car with the 460 … loved the Quadraphonic sound system – better than the Bose I have on my Nissan 350Z …
What a beautiful car. Though the earlier Mark IV’s were my cup of joe, the low milage and condition of this car make it desirable. The 460 is a beast, and can be spiced up quite nicely. And, it’s 3500 miles from my door…as usual.
I’m not a Ford expert by any means, so can someone please explain what that oil-filter-looking canister attached to the air cleaner is?
It is a muffler for the intake system. Can’t have the sound of air getting into the interior of this vehicle.
As EricN noted, it’s a muffler for the intake system. Technically, it’s known as a Helmholtz resonator. You’ll also see it sometimes on intakes of modern EFI cars where there’s a weird, dead-end tube as part of the upper intake and you wonder, “what the heck is that for?”
Here’s more than you probably ever want to read about it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmholtz_resonance
Bill Blass-ish colors but not a Bill Blass Edition. Those had his name laminated into the oval opera windows. Vinyl roof color and trim was much lighter – light champagne.
I always thought the fancy Marks were gorgeous in their day. This one is a prime example of that era. I have ridden in several over the years, but never owned one. I couldn’t help but notice how it was pictured between a Bentley and a Porsche. Nice.
Always liked to find the Mark V’s in the junkyards back in the day because we’d rob the rear discs and hydroboost off of them for our trucks with 9″ rear ends. The brakes are almost identical (a little larger, actually) to the Lincoln Versailles rear discs that everyone used to get so excited about.