Lincoln MkV Coupe

Monday 11 July 2017
The (Lincoln) Continental Mark series is a series of personal luxury cars that were marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company under various nameplates, including the short-lived Continental Division. The Mark Series was marketed from 1956 to 1960 and from 1968 to 1998, always serving as the flagship of Ford Motor Company in North America.
Initially existing as the product line of the Continental Division, the Mark became part of Lincoln in 1958; from that point, while marketed and sold by Lincoln, the line remained badged as a Continental for many years. To fully eliminate any confusion, the Mark series adopted the Lincoln badge in 1986.
While sharing underpinnings with other Ford Motor Company vehicles, Mark-series cars were distinguished by their own interior and exterior trim along with separate exterior panels. With the exception of the 1958-1960 Continental Mark III-V and the 1980-1983 Continental Mark VI, the Marks were all sold in the form of the original 1939-1948 Continental, as a two-door personal luxury coupe.
While discontinued in 1998, Lincoln adopted the legacy of the later Mark series personal cars in its current naming nomenclature. Since 2007, nearly all of its vehicles have adopted an "MK" prefix.
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.

Technical data:
- engine: V8
- capacity: 7500 cc
- horsepower: 140 HP
- gearbox: 3+1
- top speed: 150 km/h

Lincoln Mk VII

Saturday 7 March 2015
The Lincoln Mark series was a series of personal luxury cars that long served as the flagship of the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company.
Lincoln introduced the Mark Series when the Continental Division was integrated into Lincoln for 1957; the Mark was the most expensive model in the lineup. In 1961, Lincoln returned to a single-model line, dropping the Mark series.
In 1968, the Mark series was re-introduced as a personal luxury car, as the Lincoln Continental Mark III. Future Mark models shared platforms with the Lincoln Continental series but typically represented the sportier coupe segment. In 1998, the discontinuation of the Mark VIII ended the series.
The legacy of the Mark Series lives on in the current Lincoln naming scheme; since 2007, all models have adopted an "MK" alphanumeric prefix, with the exception of the Navigator and the now-discontinued Town Car.
The Continental Mark VII, later just called the Mark VII, was introduced in 1984. It rode on the Ford Fox platform that was originally used by the 1978 Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr. Mark VIIs were manufactured at the Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom, Michigan through 1992.
The Mark VII had most of the comfort, convenience, and performance options that were available in the 1980s. This included all power accessories, leather seating, keyless entry, an onboard computer and message center, digital instruments (on all except the LSC models after 1986). All Mark VIIs came with full air suspension with an electronic ride control system. Mark VIIs also came with a 4-speed automatic transmission, stainless steel tubular headers, dual exhaust, and either a SEFI or throttle body fuel injection (dependent on model). Some 1987 models and all 1988 models also received a horsepower and torque boost thanks to a larger throttle body and better flowing cylinder heads.
The Mark VII was also the first American vehicle with electronic 4-channel anti-lock brakes (November 1984, six months before the Corvette). It was also the first American vehicle with composite headlights. The vehicle also featured a unique four-wheel air suspension that developed a problematic reputation.
The standard engine was Ford's 302 cu in (4.9 L) Windsor V8, equipped with fuel injection. A high-output version of this engine was available in the Mk VII LSC. The LSC model also included sport-tuned suspension and gearing. In 1984 and 1985 a 2.4L BMW inline-6 diesel engine was available but it was rarely ordered.

Technical data:
- engine: V8
- capacity: 4900 cc
- horsepower: 205 HP
- gearbox: 5+1
- top speed: 175 km/h