One of the great challenges when buying a classic is deciding what a fair figure is when a seller says they are open to offers. It becomes a balancing act between not spending more than is necessary and suggesting a figure that won’t instantly alienate the seller. That is the dilemma facing the new owner of this 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V. It presents exceptionally well for its age and is in excellent mechanical health. It appears to be a turnkey proposition, and the odometer reading of 47,000 original miles suggests nobody has worked to wear out this beauty. It is listed here on Craigslist in Sacramento, California. The seller is open to offers or trades for the right vehicle, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder ToddK for spotting this immaculate survivor.
Some people speak disparagingly about cars like this Mark V, labeling them as “Land Yachts.” They are by no rational measure small or subtle, with the Continental Mark V retaining its title as the longest two-door Coupe produced by any Ford marque. It enjoyed a relatively short production run, with the first cars appearing in showrooms in 1977 and the last cars rolling out the door in 1979. This Continental’s first owner ordered this gem in subtle Light Champagne with a matching Landau-style vinyl top. Faulting its presentation and condition is virtually impossible, with the paint retaining an excellent shine and no evidence of flaws or imperfections in it or the steel. Life in a dry climate will allow the new owner to reap the benefits because this classic is rust-free. One prone area is the metal beneath the vinyl, but a lack of rips and splits has prevented moisture from finding its way beneath to wreak havoc. The trim, wheels, and tinted glass look virtually perfect, and the classy narrow whitewalls accentuate the exterior presentation.
Lincoln offered 1978 Mark V buyers a choice between a 400ci and 460ci V8 to power their new purchase. Shifting duties fall to a three-speed automatic transmission, with power assistance for the steering and four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock provided as standard equipment. This car’s original owner selected the 400ci V8, although if this classic was delivered in California, that was the only powerplant available. It produces 166hp and 319 ft/lbs, both modest figures for propelling a vehicle tipping the scales at 4,762 lbs. However, with maximum torque available below 2,000rpm, the Continental could hold its own in city traffic. Cruising at 70mph on the open road caused it to barely raise a sweat. The smaller V8 offered a marginal improvement in fuel consumption compared to its larger-engined sibling, but the difference is insignificant. The seller is sparing with their information about this Lincoln, not indicating whether they hold evidence supporting their claim that it has a genuine 47,000 miles on the clock. The condition makes the claim plausible, but they do say it runs and drives like it is on a cloud. That was the attraction of cars of this type, allowing occupants to waft along, isolated from the outside world.
One look at the equipment level inside this Lincoln confirms the Continental Mark V is a luxury car. It appears modest by modern standards. However, the air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power driver’s seat, cruise control, rear defroster, tilt wheel, and AM/FM radio/8-track player placed this classic in elite company in 1978. The interior presentation is impressive, although there are some aspects where it is hard to tell whether there are genuine faults or photo inconsistencies. The passenger-side door trim is one example because there appear to be upholstery bubbles in some shots but nothing in others. The pad is a mystery, being hidden below a cover. Otherwise, the slight wear and fading on the carpet is the only fault worth mentioning. However, the presentation remains well above average for a vehicle of this type and age. The Tan leather seatcovers display the usual wrinkles, but there are no rips, and I doubt the back seat has seen much use. The dash is spotless, the woodgrain is free from issues, and there is no wheel wear.
The initial sales volume for the Lincoln Continental Mark V was impressive in 1977, but the total dropped by around 10% to 72,602 vehicles when our feature car rolled off the line in 1978. However, worse was to come with the release of the Mark VI in 1980, which could barely muster half the total achieved in 1978. Values on these classics have been volatile, making determining a fair price challenging. Tidy examples have recently sold for under $6,000, while spotless low-mileage cars have topped $20,000. Potential buyers face some homework determining what they feel would be a reasonable figure, but it will be fascinating to gauge your feedback to see if a consistent number emerges. So, over to you.
When someone drove by you in one of these, i suspected a high-end restaurant owner 🍽
I had one in 1978 great car was that weird color combo of dark blue with a orangey brown roof and interior loved that car I didn’t own a restaurant just owned a small real estate office
My dad had a triple white with the 460 and wire rims. They were difficult to keep clean, beautiful car.
Fat Frank Cannon’s car if the show has made it a few more seasons. I would be proud to own this one.
It did not have anti lock brakes.
There was no such thing in the 70’s
There was anti-lock brakes in the 70s…actually late 60s, but it was an option only. Mostly to T-Birds, and Lincoln. Was called “Suretrak” supplied its active system only to the rear brakes. My 70 Mark lll had this system. Kelsey Hayes helped develop this system amongst many things (the ever sought after 8 lug Pontiac rims).
Cheers!
Yes there were, Ford offered them as Rustomodrob already stated.
The Mark IV (this car’s predecessor) had them as standard equipment for a few years. I think they were phased out for the Mark V.
Cadillac and Oldsmobile offered rear wheel ABS in the early ‘70s too.
And Imperial had 3-channel, 4-wheel ABS in the early ‘70s.
Buick even had traction control on some of their biggies from ‘71 to ‘74.
It had manual antilock brakes You pump the pedal of your foot very fast.
There are pictures of me when I was around 7 at my public schools Flag Day celebration (remember those?) and you can see my grandfather in the background in his new silver 77 Lincoln Continental. I of course always think of him when I see these. I can still remember the living room seats and the little square that you had to push down to the right to make the ash tray’s on the back doors open. GLWTA
This appears to be a Cartier Designer Series car.
I like these for their “attitude.” Big, no make that very big, and proud of it. Very space-inefficient, but all the more to accentuate their presence. In-your-face styling. 10 mpg, doesn’t matter. All of you Pintos and Vegas, get out of my way. Take a look at all the bells and whistles. Kind of a thumb-your-nose perspective, I guess.
All that said, if you think an oversized cruiser would be fun to have, Marks like this should be on your list.
Muscle cars are fine, but when you can be this comfortable getting there,you don’t need to be in such a hurry. 😊
And plenty of torque John.. especially the 460. These never felt underpowered.
I have a very clean 76 mark IV Pucci edition. It is an impressive car stops people in their tracks when you drive down the street. It gets more attention at shows than a lot of the muscle cars. And for fun you can watch the Tesla drivers faces turn red when you pull up next to them at a light.
A land yacht is a special thing. They just float on the road. It’s magical.
It does look like a really nice car. I have generally found that “Open for Offers” generally means they want way too much but don’t have the balls to put a price on it. The ad text seems to tell plenty… No punctuation, no spellchecker and little useful information. If you want one of these I would go to the next one instead of waste time here.
Yes it did. Sure Trac was standard. Early anti loc.
I drive a Toyota hybrid, I should hate this car but I kinda like it . I see the appeal if you don’t drive enough to let the awful MPG bother you.
Despite the drop in sales in ’78, the Mark V still trumped all the annual sales of its immediate predecessor, to say nothing about its chief rival, the Eldorado. Yes, the successor did poorly, but very few American cars fared well in the first three years of the ’80s.
Ok it’s a Lincoln what’s not to love about Mr Ford’s top of the line automobile. Always wanted one closest I got was a 76 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham and that was like driving your sofa down the road. Like we always said gotta have a big nice car. Because you can live in your car but you can’t drive your house. I know I’ve been there before. GLWTS To the buyer enjoy
in 1985 I bought a new town car parents bought a new grand Marquis comfort and ride the same just mine had a longer hood
It is! If you look, you can see the Cartier insignia on the deck lid. The only thing missing is the optional opera lamps! Beautiful car though!
I forgot all about those opera lamps wow! I used to play around with those as a kid – haven’t thought of that in over 40 years…
My cousin’s dad had a 79 with 460 rode like a dream cloud it would put you to sleep went through the mountains in n.c. with snow on the roads like a train on the tracks if this car is as nice as it looks it should be worth original sticker price.
These are wonderful cars, The damned vinyl top killed mine. The car was spotless and then I noticed that small blister protruding from under the mounding. My finger went right through it. needless to say what was hidden was far worse. I then switched to a custom 78 convertible Continental, which is just as good and has no rust issues now after 27 years.
My dad had a 79 Bill Blass. Dark blue and white. Damn thing got 25 MPG!!! All day/every day!God I miss that car!!!