Insert the Rocky theme song here – Lincoln, the underdog going after the champ: Cadillac. The movie Rockie came out a year before this 1977 Lincoln Versailles was made, but if Sly would have driven one, just think of what it could have done for sales. This champ of a Lincoln is listed here on eBay in Lansdale, Pennsylvania and the seller is asking $7,995 or you can make an offer.
Ok, that comparison was a bit of a stretch, but this is a great-looking car in my opinion. They sometimes don’t get much love for the fact that they were basically a fancy Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch, something to give Lincoln a small luxury car in the post-gas-crisis era when a lot of buyers were looking towards European cars for their smaller luxury vehicles. The seller includes a few underside photos and a “drive-over” video along with a full video of the car. They do mention some rust appearing on the bottom of the right-front fender but it looks solid otherwise. Hagerty is at $6,700 for a #3 good condition car and depending on the amount of rust, that may be a fair starting point.
This is a first-year Versailles and they were made from 1977 until 1980. They were certainly interesting cars but they may have been a little too little and a little too late. Cadillac’s new Seville which debuted in 1975 for the 1976 model year, was their smaller luxury car and it didn’t skimp on anything including price. The Seville far outsold the We saw a somewhat similar Lincoln Versailles here on Barn Finds back in the spring of 2018.
The interior looks perfect and it was quite a bit more luxurious than the Granada or Monarch was. The transmission is a three-speed automatic Ford C4 with a column shifter. The seller tells us that this Cinnamon Gold Metalic exterior color was rare and I don’t recall seeing a lot of two-tone interiors which this one has. At least where the leather seats and door panels are a different color than the dash, carpet, and console. The seats look great and the back seat looks perfect. The trunk is even plush and although it’s not shown in this trunk photo, there is another tire included including the original spare. The seller has provided a great video here on YouTube where they go through this car and then drive it at the end.
This was the top engine for this car, a Ford 351 V8 with 135 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. It looks clean, runs great, and the air-conditioning works. They say that it has 45,872 miles on it and it sure looks great other than not having a detailed photo of that fender rust area. If you had to choose one: Versailles or Seville?
Nice write-up Scotty on a seldom-seen car. The Granada/Monarch had very humble underpinnings. But giving it attractive styling and very nice trimmings (even for the base model), it was a very successful 1970’s entry for Ford. The timing, as it turned out, was also good; memories of the Arab Oil Embargo coupled with full-size sedans becoming VERY full sized played right into Ford’s hands with this smaller offering.
So, I figure the execs at Ford had this thought: since the tarted-up Granada/Monarch is successful, let’s see if we can take it up even one more notch. For example, check out that trunk carpet!!
Not too many people will have any attraction for this car. But I like it, with its oh-so-70’s exterior and interior colors, posh appointments, somewhat garish styling, and the fact that not many remain. Go to shows and for leisurely cruises and have fun.
Versailles or Seville?
SEVILLE…
I had a 1976, 1978 and 1979 and I want a SEVILLE again!
I think the Seville of the same era pulls off the midsize luxury car much better than the Lincoln offering. My dad purchased a 76 Monarch with the 302 but that car turned out to be a huge disappointment. I don’t think he owned it for a year before it was traded back in for another car. Another interesting discovery is Ford chose to use the GM Frigidaire compressor over their usual York compressors. I guess another example that for A/C GM was king.
I’d have to go with the Seville also, but check out the back seat in this car…looks like a proper luxury car back seat for the day.
I think that the Seville hides the Nova underpinnings better than the Lincoln hides the Granada’s. l’m probably a bit bias though as my father owned a sweet metallic green Seville with green leather interior back in the day.
Indeed, whereas Ford just tarted up a Granada, keeping basically the same chassis, passenger compartment, doors and dashboard, GM sprung for enough improvements to the X-body chassis for the Seville to warrant a new designation as K-body, along with a whole new interior and groundbreaking razor-sharp body styling that turned out to be the bellwether for all GM design to follow for the next decade-plus — and IMO still the best example of that design language.
These cars were best known to most car enthusiasts back in the day for their disc braked rearends that ended up underneath early Mustangs and other cars. In all my years of junking, I saw plenty of these cars in the yards but never saw one with its rearend still in it!
Yup, the Ford 9″ and it had 4 wheel disc brakes. So if anyone was so inclined, you might be able to drop in a Coyote V-8 and 10R80 10-speed auto and the rear would be able to handle the power. I would definitely upgrade those disc brakes to larger ones, and put in stiffer springs and shocks!
Oh Lincoln, you were once so proud, this is what they reduced you to, a warmed over Granada. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Granada was probably the best medium sized car for the time, but certainly not Lincoln status, at least what my old man saw in a Lincoln. Ford sure saw the public coming and I read, this was the most expensive Lincoln in 1977, over $11 grand then, almost FIFTY GRAND today and ironically, offered the least. It faded pretty fast, 3 years and I doubt anyone missed it. If there ever was a “lipstick/pig” reference, this was it. It is, however, one nice Granada/Monarch.
Not much more than a chrome Granada!
I remember Ford calling them “Precision Engineered”.
I know I know its a Ford Granada with a different grill and fancy trunk lid and a leather interior but I would still drive it but at $8k they can keep it I know most of them have been recycled by now and this thing might be rare to me its only worth about $2500 max
I just got to ask, what was Ford thinking on many of their cars, with a console and bucket seats, why was the shifter still in the column? (Many will say cost, but that is no excuse).
Lovely looking car. I don’t get why the Lincoln Versailles isn’t popular among Lincoln car fans. Not everyone needs or wants a behemoth Continental or Town Car. If I was around during the 1970s and wanted something smaller than a Continental, or a Caprice, I’d be happy with something smaller than this.
Always wonder if the guys at Cadillac thought “Well, if Ford can dress up a Granada, let’s dress up a Cavalier…”
Thinking the exact same thing…
Hey, let’s not pick on the Cimarron. We had an ’83 D’Oro that turned heads everywhere we went. It was the perfect stepping stone to our next car, an ’86 Sedan DeVille.
If anything, they didn’t think of the Versailles at all, or they would also have remembered what a miserable market failure it was, not to mention a hit to the marque’s prestige.
It pains me to write this but I’d take this over the later J-bodied Cadillac. Neither were memorable vehicles.
grandmas Granada
Being a kid at that time, I vividly remember these cars, and thinking “What’s the big deal? It’s a Grenada.” The Seville didn’t look like a Nova.
The big thing for me in 76-77 was the rectangular headlights. That was AWESOME!!!
I will say, that I’d be half in the bag to buy this car for the hell of it. It’d have to be a little cheaper, but for like 6k, it’d be a hoot.
I always liked em…that 351 can be built into a screamer…theyre not just a granada, they filled their role well…
Whereas the Seville was based on the Nova (but looking nothing like it) the Versailles was just a Granada with a Lincoln grille. Ford wanted to cash in on some of the Seville’s popularity. Not even close, there was no comparison.
I would not want either, with the exception of the rear end for the early Mustang.
I would not pick the Nova due to everyone that I have seen looks like it is going down the road sideways! LOL
Yuck.
Had a Versailles T boned in our town, broke in half
What I do like on this car is the color – it’s certainly unique! Even though the front end looks tacked on to a Granada, I still prefer this to the 79- 80 model with the longer roof and back doors – ack! It’s interesting to see this.
The ’79-80 didn’t really have longer back doors, just a more squared-off quarter window that made them look longer, along with a fiberglass cap around the rear window (hidden under the landau padded vinyl) to square it off for a more formal roofline.
Had one. It rusted away. Put the rear end in my 66 Mustang. It is posi and still there. Also kept the seats. Nice leather. Sold the hulk for scrap. Also while driving as I recall it was next to impossible to get to the radio knobs.
Having had the opportunity to ride in both a granada and the Versailles I will gladly say the Granada looked great in the Lincoln form. The Seville was a better car ,but these are nice too.
These cars are much better than most peoples opinion of them. I owned a ‘77 Versailles for nine years, it was silver with wedgewood blue leather. The first year models had the 351 Windsor engine the later models were equipped with a 302 and throttle body efi. My Versailles was a great car, the ride was smooth and the amenities were luxurious. These were not just a Granada or Monarch with bling, the suspension was much different, everything was rubber mounted and loaded with sound deadner. The hood was made of aluminum. I should have kept that car, it was perfect when I sold it, it had never seen a salted road and was cared for impeccably. On another note, the famous disc brake rear end was not as nice as most thought either. The housing was a ugly shape and the disc brake set up was a bad design. In order to keep the discs in adjustment the parking brake needed to be exercised frequently. The only good feature was that it was almost a direct bolt in to many other FoMoCo models.
In hindsight, your comments on the brakes are absolutely true. But for many years they were about the only option for those wanting rear discs.
I have always liked and wanted one. I bought one of their rears with disc brakes to use in my ’67 427 Fairlane GT 500 XL convertible. I sold the rear because of the step-down axel housing and decided to shorten the original Fairlane housing since it was a 9″+ with stouter axle housings for the 35 spline axels.
I looked at the pic and my very first thought was Granada, Lincoln never even entered the thought!
Kinda goes without saying, I’d choose the Seville. At least the Seville was it’s own car. This “thing” is, as you said, nothing more than a fancy Granada.
The Seville was a Nova that from the back tracked to one side, that’s real impressive.
Thus, the Seville was a dressed up Nova…..LOL
Then again today’s Caddy is a Chevrolet.
My father had a 1961 2 door coupe Caddy….now that was a good looking car…..
So many good 👍 comments. I like this ride and think its a valu buy for a Ford fan. As well optioned as it could be. Luxury interior, torquey 351ci , malaise era 2.50 rearend , but bet it moves out nice around 30mph on up. I’d rather have the Seville, but this is a nice car to see here and a rare offer.
The asking price is about right for the market right now. People are reaching out for cars they knew when they were younger and as many have already mentioned, LOTS of these ended up in junkyards, so to have one today and head down to the local cars and coffee, it WILL garner looks, attention and be a conversation starter, which is what many people get into this hobby for, the camaraderie. It will also probably be the only one there.
I sold one for a client last year in very similar shape, but blue over blue with the 302, and it sold for $5000.. Asking on this at $7900 would probably sell for around 6K plus or minus. For someone looking to get into the hobby cheap, still have fun and ease of parts access, ease to work on, it’s a great start.
I went to look at them when the came out. Went into showroom and asked what it was, rep said it was a “versigh”. I replied where I come from it is pronounced “Versales”. The rep turned his nose up and walked away.
I live in north versailles (versales)pa.
Glad to read some positive reviews. I remember reading at the time, perhaps Smokey Yunick in Popular Mechanics, it was “an options laden Monarch.” That has always stuck with me!
If you want one of these in 2021, this is the one to buy.
Are you the seller?
That happens here!
Not I. To me the ultimate 70’s car of my choice is a 1972 and up Torino Sport with a factory 4 speed manual….Engine size does not matter as long as it is a manual. (would be a V8 anyway). However, the 351 in the Lincoln is nice!
Not me.
Just a regular who recognizes a very nice example of a car that you don’t normally see in this condition.
Who stole the headlite treatment from the other? …
https://carsalesbase.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Dodge_Diplomat-US-car-sales-statistics.jpg
Black wipers seem out of place – on both of these cars with all that chrome.
Still for sale.
Is the price too low?
There is one for sale on Facebook in Michigan for $3,900. Looks like a clean car, but a 1979. I am thinking about going to look at it if still available after my Cougar leaves.
My grandparents had a neighbor who bought one new back in the day. When I first saw it, I was a young kid. My first thought was “who would pimp out a Granada”? Then I learned it really was a Lincoln. I was disappointed. Now I am thinking of going to look at one lol. Pretty sad!
Stevie, also in Michigan, on FB is a::
1979 Lincoln Versailles Plastic Sign Promo Advertising Dealership Automotive, Measures approximately 28 x 15.5 x 4.5 for $115.
Buy that, will be so easy to keep it clean and rust free.