There is NOTHING tacky about Bill Blass....that blue and light tan/cream is still one of my favorite color combinations......you might want to know I bought a brand new Ford Elite in 1975! Lol The Mark IV is one of my favorite Fords right after the 1968 Ford LTD Wagon and 1967 Cougar XR7.....been a Ford guy since my Mother's 1965 Galaxie became mine to go off to college in 1972!
@@sandromartins20 It's just that the Mark III is so much cleaner looking, with real wood in the dashboard. One without the vinyl roof is a gem of a car.
What…you don’t like 50 different shades of gray or white? You can always choose black. When it comes to today’s interior choices, black is more likely than not THE ONLY COLOR OFFERED ANYMORE. I live in Florida. Black is absolutely the worst possible color for an interior in this state.
@@mudman6156 COMPLETELY agree! I also live in Florida, but I've been so tired of all black on everything. Not only is it the worst possible color for an interior (or exterior) in this state, but for me, it's almost funereal.
You just didn't grow up with it at the same time that it came out. This 1976 is gorgeous. This came out the year after I graduated and it was sharp going down the road.😊
My Dad had EXACTLY this car and THIS is what I learned to drive on. The end of the hood is in the next time zone, but what a beautiful car......! All 9 MPG of it!
A friend of mine folks had 76 "Lipstick Edition" Mark IV. It was white with a maroon/red side trim with the same color leather interior. Handsome car, like riding in a moving library it was so quite.
Hi Adam.I worked for a Lincoln Mercury dealer between 1976 and 1984. I owned a '76 Bill Blass MKIV from 1982 to 1989. It had the ultra rare option of the top line (Versailles?) velour interior. It was a more expensive option than the leather so few were built. In fact I have never seen another....online or otherwise. It had a rich velour headliner as well as fully padded velour sun visors with illuminated visor vanity mirrors. The heavily puffed seats in combination with the thinner style plush seat velour allowed your body to sink several inches into the seat and gave a real cloud-like feeling. I bought it with Appliance genuine wire wheels but later changed them to an Enkei design with a gold center plate and added spinners. My car was used later in it's life in Season Two of the TV show Fargo. It is one of the gangster cars. It had a blue tinted moonroof to match the interior. There is no blue tint choice for moonroof color in the sales booklet. The dealership I worked for was the top volume dealer for Lincoln Mercury in Canada that year and they only sold two Bill Blass MKIV'S. Mine originally came from Vancouver and the original owner told me that the sticker price had been 19,100 CDN dollars. Gorgeous car. My favorite of many cruisers I owned including a '78 Diamond Jubilee Edition MKV. The Blass was King. It still had all the Lincoln weight compared to the '78 DJE. Nothing tacky about it. Thanks for your great channel!
@@douglasrizzo9210 Thank you for the production information! I had looked for an indication of how many Bill Blass Mark IV's were made with that velour interior and could never find a figure. I knew it was a rare one.
Since there is a little interest in my Bill Blass with velour here are a couple more interesting things about it. I sold it in 1989 in highly detailed show condition. It was appraised in about 1988 for 11,500 CDN and the appraiser told me he figured it was the nicest MK IV in the city of Calgary at that time. I had had it repainted in 1984 with an expensive two stage paint job that cost me almost $2800 in 1984. I then sourced a pinstriper and had the proper two tone pinstripes painted back on just like the original. There was only one option that car did not have and that was the very rare electrically heated gold tinted windshield. That option caused the car to have dual alternators with the second alternator having a big red power cable to the windshield. After selling the car in 1989 I didn't see it again until it showed up on Facebook Marketplace in 2021 in somewhat sorry but restorable condition. It had rust holes in the fenders and the paint on the hood had a big blistered patch. The interior still looked good in the pictures. It still had the Enkei custom wheels on it as well as I had also replaced the factory MK IV hood ornament with the special gold one that the DJE had as it suited the car so well. It was for sale for only $1200 but I was in no position to buy it. The seller is who told me it was used in Fargo. I sure miss that car.
That thing on the Air Cleaner that looks like an Oil Filter was called the Anti-Hoot valve. It quieted things down when the secondary throttle plates were activated. Thanks Adam! Happy Holidays!
I always wondered what that thing did, and it worked. I remember flooring those 460s and hardly hearing the secondarys as opposed to 455s that I had from GM which were loud
I have driven a 1975 triple brown Mark IV since 2002 and enjoy it very much. I want to keep it, why I am currently having it renovated for over $30K. Only thing missing is the new full vinyl roof, which will be added in January. Cannot wait to get it back home.
My brother got the deal of a lifetime. In late '73 at the start of the first energy crunch, he bought a mint navy blue with white interior '72 Mark with 9k miles for $3,800. Absolutely gorgeous car that stood out from anything in the neighborhood. He drove it for 4 trouble free years then sold it for $5,500 for a down payment on his first house.
We actually had both in 1976. A Eldorado Coupe and a Mark IV. My Dad had to trade the Eldorado in because of rust issues, he had the rust fixed... came right back. The Mark IV was a much better quality overall and he kept it for about 25 years. Same engine, no overhaul, original tranny... It had a full vinyl top with electric sunroof. He gave it to my Sister and she trashed it.. so that was the end of it.
As with beauty, tacky is also in the eye of the beholder. Back in 1976, this was a real head turner, as were all the Marks. I can vividly remember how awesome these looked coming down the street and you just knew it was being driven by someone with a lot of $$$$$$. This was a land yacht in the truest sense of the word!
I can't believe you did this segment on the '76 Mark IV! I just bought a '76 Mark IV Cartier series! Mine is Golden Bronze with a fabric interior and has 41K miles. These are some of the most beautifully styled cars of all time. When I gased up my newer Bentley Flying Spur, NO one says boo to me. When I put gas in this Lincoln, people smile, bring their kids over, and tell me stories about Uncle so and so or Grandpa used to take them for rides. I have never seen a car make folks so happy. Thank you again, Adam.
So you know, the Cartier in '76 was all Dove Grey. What you say is true about these cars (not just the Mark IVs, but these Lincolns of the era)...besides how great they look, they give and receive love and happiness. Enjoy your car!
I have nowhere near "Adam's Encyclopedic" knowledge. I just got it because it's beautiful. Mine says Cartier on the clock, so there I go assuming it is a Cartier. I am having a ball driving it around my tiny Arizona mountain town. Thank you for your kind words.
@@garyrains5996 You're welcome! Lincoln had a deal with Cartier going back to 1969 where all their clocks would have Cartier on them. It's understandably confusing to most people, but the first actual Cartier Designer Series car was in 1976. It was all Dove Grey. Except for a change in the pinstripe, this color scheme carried forward into the Cartier for 1977 (which I have) in the Mark V.
A friend of the family invited my dad, and me, to accompany him to Conoly Phillips Lincoln-Mercury in January 1976 and help him select a new car. A rather excited salesman told us that the order books had been thrown wide-open for Lincoln Luxury Groups. From Silver to Gold, the groups had expanded to Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Saddle/White, Lipstick/White, Gold/Cream, Red/Rose, Jade/White, and Dark Jade/Light Jade and Desert Sand - and the Versailles Option Luxury Group. The Mix & Match Groups allowed "one-of-a-kind" combinations. Amazing year, 1976.
Once again, great video and you brought back some memories. My Dad had a 1976 Mark IV, except it was the Cartier edition, in forest green. Absolutely beautiful car. Interior had very plush velour type fabric seats. It had every option and was absolutely the most comfortable car I have ever driven or was a passenger in.
They all had Cartier clocks. If the car was dark green with the interior you described, it would have been a Dark Jade car with the beautiful Versailles optional interior in Jade.
Thanks, Adam! My mom had a beautiful 1972, and she traded it for a BMW coupe. Dad hated it, and while she was away on vacation, took my 18 year old self to the Lincoln/BMW dealer in SC to help pick out a new Mark. All of the colors were pretty tacky, so I chose the black diamond edition. It wasn't a 'designer' car, but it was beautiful. Black diamond paint with dove gray leather.
Hey Adam, thanks for another great review. By the early 70s, my family had all switched from being all Chrysler to all Ford. The last Chrysler my dad bought was a 69 300. It was a cream color with a dark blue vinyl top, with the interior dark blue vinyl, it was equipped with a 440 cubic inch with a Carter 4 barrel carburetor. It was a 4 door hardtop. A big Chrysler. We had a 17 foot Aristocrat Land Commander and that 440 and it's leaf spring rear suspension handled that 3,000 pound trailering it wasn't even back there. In 1976, they bought a new Lincoln Town Car. We thought the Chrysler was big, and it was, but compared to that Town Car, it seemed really small. By the end of the 70s we had several Mustangs, a few F-series trucks, several Explorers, and my favorite, a 1975 Mercury Marquis Colony Park. A great car, every one liked that wagon. It was white with tan tuck and roll vinyl seats and door panels. It had the mighty 460, with a Motorcraft 4300 4 barrel carburetor. It was powerful and very comfortable. It had every available option including ATC and a locking hood release installed at the factory. What a great car. It would climb steep grades in the Sierras, fully loaded with the a/c on and never missed a beat. No matter how I drove it, it consistently got 11 to 12 mpg. It was a great car. In my opinion the mid 70s full size Ford wagons were the best-looking wagons of that time. Ford always built best-looking wagons.
Hi. The Linc/Merc dealer I worked for in '76 sold a new loaded Colony Park with the Lincoln forged aluminum wheels on it. The customer had insisted. It looked spectacular.
I was 26 years old...driving around in my BRONX neighborhood in a. 79 LINCOLN MARK V BILL BLASS with a white leather interior.. with blue trim...and a convertible look top ....IT was a a piece of jewelry on wheels ....
I have a 1976 Mark IV white and Jade edition. In 1976, Lincoln took away so many standard features , like tilt wheel, cruise etc. The white and Jade edition was part of the “Make your own Mark” series. I just drove it. It’s in pretty rough state. I love the Bill Blass. But I’m surprised at not seeing the vanity mirror, vent windows or headlight convince group!
Does this Blass edition have AC? Look at the temperature control panel, all it says is "auto". I would love to know if anyone knows if the horn pad with cruise control is still available, probably would have to be aftermarket, since Ford parts sold out of those years ago. I have one Cougar wagon that has the vanity mirror in the visor, lighted, and don't see that on this Mark as you mentioned.
I had a ‘78 Diamond Jubilee Mk V In Diamond Blue. It had the 4 options you could get. The moonroof, 460 with dual exhaust, traction loc rear, and the 40 channel CB. It was $21,895 in 1977. I had it two weeks and wrapped it around a tree. 😀
With the dual exhaust, you had one of the rarest of all Lincoln models; a Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition with the 460 Interceptor. Very rare indeed. That engine could catch many off guard because it was factory rated at 275 net horsepower, some 70 more than the normal 460. Torque was an amazing 450 lb/ft at only 2,000 rpm.
@@michaeltutty1540 I've never heard of that. Are any of these documented through Ford/Marti? I do know the dual exhaust added around 15-20 horsepower, so 460 powered Mark Vs should have around 225-230 net HP.
I owned a 1978 Diamond Jubilee Mark in blue as well. I worked for a large Canadian Lincoln Mercury dealer at the time they were released. I was there when our first one came off the car carrier. Sticker price was 27,776 Canadian dollars and we were all stunned. Other loaded Marks were about 6000 less than that. The Canadian DJE Marks also had the option of a plug-n electric in-car heater with the Ford oval. My car had that option as well. Nice car but not as nice as the '76 Bill Blass I had IMO.
in 1976 the right side outside mirror was a option, standard in 1975 .As for the visor mirror the option was lighted vanity mirrors both driver and passenger. The side moldings in cream were a option ,as was the Landau top and the aluminum wheels and more . This car was close to 16, thousand dollars in 1976
After watching a number of your videos, I came to the realization that your presentations are somewhat like video versions of _Collectible Automobile_ magazine articles - and I, of course, mean that in a complimentary way as that's my favorite car magazine. 🙂 This was another good one. Your level of knowledge and research is always outstanding and enjoyable. Good job.
I've subscribed to several auto magazines for decades and Collectable Automobile is my favorite also, too bad they only come out every two months - I've actually got every issue they've published. I think I'll be dropping a couple of the other magazines because all they what to write about now are EV's!!
Great video with lots of info 'tid-bits'. It reminds me of the 1974 Thunderbird that my mom had. That car was amazing. I remember it had a gold film inside the glass in the rear window AND front windshield for an electric de-icer (which also required the car to use two alternators). Oh the memories. I would love to see a video about that car. Thanks for putting these out here.
Thanks for featuring this car, Adam. I had a '76 Mark IV with the Blue Diamond luxury group (turquoise inside and out). This group included a light driftwood similated trim inside, It was given to me by a wealthy aunt and uncle when they bought a new S Class. As my uncle owned a construction business, it was quit dirty when i received it. Had to clean everything including the gas tank. The filigree trim neeed a brush to get it clean. Mine had the standard wheel covers which imo gives a cleaner look. They have a similar fake center lock nut as the aluminum wheels and i hear the were styled to resemble those on the Bugatti Type 57 Royale.
Adam, my dad worked for Ford and I read somewhere that the designers selected the color theme for their version of the Mark, and they ‘advised’ the interior styling studio, FWIW
@@owlnswan4016 The factory orange peal was really that bad. Although I did see some overspray on the bolt heads around the fuel cap. So could be both.
I had a Mark 6 Cartier Edition and it truly was one of my favorite cars and I had a lot of cars in my lifetime and that was one of the best if you ever get a chance to own one of these old cars and you like driving around in the old stuff you will not be disappointed
That same bodyside molding and aluminum wheels are on my 76 Continental. These mk IV were really gorgeous vehicles. Such class, style, presence, and elegance.
I love the dimensions of these 1970’s land yachts… the massive hood and long deck are iconic dimensions that we will never see again. Edit: @11:34 you can actually see the outline of where the deleted visor mirror that he references is supposed to be.
The vanity mirror that was there was just a mirrored piece of glass glued in place. It should have been just like those offered in the Eldorado. I seriously hope that our once fabulously silent and comfortable land yachts will make a return back into today’s dealership’s. With today’s modern electric powertrains, squeezing better gas mileage out of our cars will hopefully become an unforgettable reality from the past. With electric powertrains, perhaps it’s finally time to bring the large land yachts back. Nothing put away the miles on a long trip like the incredible comfort those cars provided us with.
To help explain the missing right front visor mirror. To offset a price increase ( and in fact a slight price decrease happened ), some previously standard equipment on the 1975 Lincoln Continental & Mark IV, was moved to optional equipment. Thank you mid-1970s inflation.
Dad had a Cartier edition. It was a road car that had a big V8 and a powerful kick on the highway. Around town, we mostly drove Mercedes and VW’s. Now, these cars are Instagram and UA-cam dream machines. I’m glad I got to live during this era. There were definitely some pluses before the Internet changed things.
The Bill Blass edition looks nice, the cut corners notwithstanding. The bean counters at Ford and GM, I guess, had no concept about higher quality expectations in prestige makes.
Great content, Adam. Back in the early 80s, I had a 72 triple dark blue Mark IV. When I first got it, I thought there was something wrong with the back windows because they only moved a small amount rearward. The driver's side door panels are almost always cracked at the armrest, just like the one you show. The glove box doors never fit right, even when new from the factory.
Those glove box doors were always an issue. It seems as though a company that could make the covered headlights always line up perfectly when off could make the glovebox door line up as well. It got even worse with the Mark VI. Those glovebox doors were upgraded with some extremely nice padding attached to them. Padding that would then dip outward and down with the passage of time…and not very much of that as well.
Actually, they didn't get the headlight doors right the first time out either. On our '71 sedan, you could tell that the sheet metal cutouts were not perfectly parallel to the axis of the eyelids and torsion bar...
I remember that, of the four designer editions on the Marks, you mostly only saw the Bill Blass and Cartier ones. I don't think I ever saw a Givenchy or Pucci one. And you mentioned that the Mark IV outsold the Eldorado despite the Mark IV not offering a convertible. It's unimaginable now, but convertibles really weren't popular in the seventies. People really didn't have a problem with their predicted demise. In the seventies, people preferred sunroofs and T-tops to convertibles.
My dad drove a '76 Mark IV Cartier Edition from '76 until he passed away in '87. He loved it for its comfort and grunt, especially after I replaced the standard 4-barrel with a Holley unit after the standard carb failed. This car was super comfortable and quiet but a VERY heavy vehicle. The Mark V likely sold better because it addressed the weight and still looked good. And his Mark IV had the lighted vanity mirror on the passenger side, if I remember correctly.
It was a very popular show that ran in the early 70s to the mid 70s called Canon. Frank Cannon was a detective and that car became iconic with him and it helps sell a lot of those cars throughout those years. I know my dad used to always love that car.
I love these old land yachts, cruise along the road with a floaty kind of peripherally involved with what's happening up at the front bumper. Just is a hoot that just the hood/bonnet takes up about as much real estate as some compact cars now.
The passenger mirror was still an option in 1976. This continued into the Mark V. The lighted visor mirrors were an option. The Luxury Group cars that began in 1973 are not Designer Series cars, but they were a precursor of sorts. They were more or less on a par with each other. The Black Diamond '76 is absolutely gorgeous...it's an off-black that's essentially a very dark gray with "diamond fire" metallic paint. The Bill Blass is in this color scheme because that's what Bill Blass wanted. Lincoln actually worked with the various designers, or at least people within each design houses, over the years to come up with exteriors and interiors they wanted, including choice of seats (I always found it very odd that Givenchy chose the standard interior in the Mark Vs in the cars with leather as it's no where near as nice as the upgraded "Luxury Group" style interior). Sometimes a designer carried over a color, etc. scheme from one year to another with little change...for instance, the '76 Cartier was all Dove Grey as was the '77, except for a change in the pinstripe. I think the Dove Grey looks better on the Mark V, but it's nice on the IV as well. I own a '77 Cartier. The Bill Blass that many people seem to remember most is the '79 two-tone White and Midnight Blue. They actually carried it over into the 1980 Mark VI.
I wouldn't say this car is tacky - particularly not by the standards of American luxury cars of its day. The color choices are quite tasteful IMO. One of my aunts had a Mark IV back in the day (not sure of the year; think it might have been a '73). I remember riding in it a few times when I was a kid. It was followed by a Mark V, and later a Mark VII and a Mark VIII. Plus she also had a late '60s Eldorado for a short while. I guess she liked her upscale American luxury! She's now in her late 70's and drives a Jaguar S-type.
I love the color and the front. But I had to laugh a bit about the fact that such a large car was only a 2+2 without much trunk space. Unbelievable. I think the car would be more balanced in its design when the overhangs would be shorter. All in all, mixed feelings here. But that color, ah.... stunningly beautiful.
One of smart looking Lincoln's. My brother's first car was white 75 Continental Mark IV. It had some special to-tone white & brown leather interior. Extremely comfortable, as long you didn't got tired filling a gas tank. 460 V8 with 4 barrel sucked gas fast. Car got roughly 9 mpg in the city. I don't know how many times car was keyed by some hater.
I miss my 81 Continental. It wasn't as nice as these older Mark series cars and it only had a TBI 302, but for me being 19 years old at the time and into big cars I loved it. It was definitely a cut above my 85 Impala i also had at the time.
Saved all the money I could and bought that exact car in high school (1985) it is a stunning car to this day … my teachers Honda was the size of my fender he was jealous lol Mine had a moonroof .. They were really prone to rust badly but outstanding quality overall loved mine
I'd still go for the Mk III I rode around in, back in '79-'80. Having said that, this Blass edition Mk IV is very pretty. Perhaps it would be better to just view these from a distance (like in a museum 🤔) to avoid seeing the underlying cheapness of the entire affair. Adam, could you make a comparison of this kind of cost-cutting vs a competitor's interior done right? Thanks and keep on making these EXCELLENT videos 👌👍👏 🖖🙏
Great idea! Maybe compare and contrast to some imports - like Mercedes. US makers were getting worried about luxury imports but IMO they missed the mark (so to speak).
@@flyonbyyaOh, yeah. I sometimes wonder how customers would have responded to options to upgrade materials - and whether that would have been practical and profitable.
My loaded cousin had a 78 Mark V diamond jubilee 460 and a 79 Mark V collector series 400 (460 was not available in 79). He bought them both new. Thanks for the informative video.
This video "almost" makes me miss my 1978 MkV that I owned from 1997-2000. It was an absolute Highway Cruiser and passed anything except a gas station...
I love the way these cars look, but after all these decades the amount of front and rear overhang is hilarious. But why lengthen the expensive drive train when it’s so much cheaper to just add sheet metal to the extremities! When I first learned these were heavily based on the Torino chassis, I couldn’t believe it, but it’s true. Yeah, the dash is pretty cheap looking especially with standard Ford switch gear for the A/C, lights, etc. With all that cost savings, the Marks IV and V must’ve been almost pure profit! Thanks Adam for another episode chock full of great content.
I don't see front and rear overhang as distracting at all from the beauty of this car. I have an 04 Marquis, and changing my own oil, it's a long reach to crawl under the car to get to the oil filter. A much easier reach on my Cougar wagons, which I don't have to jack up to change the oil. It's a must on the Marquis; there's no room to crawl under the car, just too low to the ground.
I've always liked both the MK IV and MK V and they were very popular in my neck of the woods. I know they say that every body panel on the MK IV is different than on the MK V, but I remember when the MK V came out I literally thought it was still the MK IV with just a midcycle "refresh" because it looked so similar. Look how drastically different the MK IV looked from the MK III it replaced, so I was expecting that big a difference between the IV and V so was kind of disappointed - I'd still love to have either though!
I have owned both. The Mark IV was a much more luxurious and quieter car. Ford started trimming weight from their full size cars in 1977. Much of that weight was cut from insulation and glass thickness. My '76 Mark IV Bill Blass weighed 5320 lbs and my '78 Diamond Jubilee MK V was 49 and change. The 1979 models were lightened up even more and you could tell the difference blind-folded if you rode in one.
The Lincoln models significantly out selling the competing GM' offering most likely was directly attributable to the Eldorado having the FRONT wheel drive. While the styling was on par with the Mark a lot of buyers most likely believed the front wheel drive build in an incredibly large coupe was a deterrent. BTW - even today in cable reruns we get a big laugh from television P.I. Frank Cannon (ie; Robert Conrad) beating the living sh*t out of his blue Mark IV in chase scenes. Most definitely was Ford's idea of "product placement" in a popular series during the early to late seventies. Many Thanks Yo ! 🤜💥🤛
The funny thing is although Lincoln is famous for the Designer Series that srarted for 1976, it was actuality AMC who explored this idea beforehand. Think the Gucci Sportabout Hornet wagon, the Piere Cardin Javelin, the Oleg Cassini Matador coupe , and to a lesser extant ( but more famous ) Levis Gremlin & Hornet
Tacky? I beg to differ. This thing's gorgeous!
Nothing tacky here. Just excellence.
There is NOTHING tacky about Bill Blass....that blue and light tan/cream is still one of my favorite color combinations......you might want to know I bought a brand new Ford Elite in 1975! Lol The Mark IV is one of my favorite Fords right after the 1968 Ford LTD Wagon and 1967 Cougar XR7.....been a Ford guy since my Mother's 1965 Galaxie became mine to go off to college in 1972!
I agree. Nothing tacky about it. Elegant luxury.
Blue cars look cheap, and those oval "opera" windows were trashy.
@@jamesmcinnis208Strongly disagree. But I of course respect your opinion
@@sandromartins20 It's just that the Mark III is so much cleaner looking, with real wood in the dashboard. One without the vinyl roof is a gem of a car.
Totally agree about the Bill Blass Edition. Stunningly beautiful, without being embarrassingly fancy.
Stunning color combos are just a knockout from these Lincolns! So refreshing from the awful drab paint/trim choices available today...
What…you don’t like 50 different shades of gray or white? You can always choose black. When it comes to today’s interior choices, black is more likely than not THE ONLY COLOR OFFERED ANYMORE. I live in Florida. Black is absolutely the worst possible color for an interior in this state.
@@mudman6156 COMPLETELY agree! I also live in Florida, but I've been so tired of all black on everything. Not only is it the worst possible color for an interior (or exterior) in this state, but for me, it's almost funereal.
If you want a nice interior now, buy an Italian car.
You just didn't grow up with it at the same time that it came out. This 1976 is gorgeous. This came out the year after I graduated and it was sharp going down the road.😊
My Dad had EXACTLY this car and THIS is what I learned to drive on. The end of the hood is in the next time zone, but what a beautiful car......! All 9 MPG of it!
These were awesome.
I think the Bill Blass colour combination and trim is fantastic. I bet his firm had some input into the cars.
That blue on those seats could have sold me on the whole car alone. Fantastic.
A friend of mine folks had 76 "Lipstick Edition" Mark IV. It was white with a maroon/red side trim with the same color leather interior. Handsome car, like riding in a moving library it was so quite.
Hi Adam.I worked for a Lincoln Mercury dealer between 1976 and 1984. I owned a '76 Bill Blass MKIV from 1982 to 1989. It had the ultra rare option of the top line (Versailles?) velour interior. It was a more expensive option than the leather so few were built. In fact I have never seen another....online or otherwise. It had a rich velour headliner as well as fully padded velour sun visors with illuminated visor vanity mirrors. The heavily puffed seats in combination with the thinner style plush seat velour allowed your body to sink several inches into the seat and gave a real cloud-like feeling. I bought it with Appliance genuine wire wheels but later changed them to an Enkei design with a gold center plate and added spinners. My car was used later in it's life in Season Two of the TV show Fargo. It is one of the gangster cars. It had a blue tinted moonroof to match the interior. There is no blue tint choice for moonroof color in the sales booklet. The dealership I worked for was the top volume dealer for Lincoln Mercury in Canada that year and they only sold two Bill Blass MKIV'S. Mine originally came from Vancouver and the original owner told me that the sticker price had been 19,100 CDN dollars. Gorgeous car. My favorite of many cruisers I owned including a '78 Diamond Jubilee Edition MKV. The Blass was King. It still had all the Lincoln weight compared to the '78 DJE. Nothing tacky about it. Thanks for your great channel!
The velour option on that car is exceedingly rare. Fewer than 200 examples total.
My givenchy had valor seats but they were shaped like the ones on the Bill blass in the video.. I wished I had those puffy valor sests
@@martifilipponi1024 Very rare.
@@douglasrizzo9210 Thank you for the production information! I had looked for an indication of how many Bill Blass Mark IV's were made with that velour interior and could never find a figure. I knew it was a rare one.
Since there is a little interest in my Bill Blass with velour here are a couple more interesting things about it. I sold it in 1989 in highly detailed show condition. It was appraised in about 1988 for 11,500 CDN and the appraiser told me he figured it was the nicest MK IV in the city of Calgary at that time. I had had it repainted in 1984 with an expensive two stage paint job that cost me almost $2800 in 1984. I then sourced a pinstriper and had the proper two tone pinstripes painted back on just like the original. There was only one option that car did not have and that was the very rare electrically heated gold tinted windshield. That option caused the car to have dual alternators with the second alternator having a big red power cable to the windshield. After selling the car in 1989 I didn't see it again until it showed up on Facebook Marketplace in 2021 in somewhat sorry but restorable condition. It had rust holes in the fenders and the paint on the hood had a big blistered patch. The interior still looked good in the pictures. It still had the Enkei custom wheels on it as well as I had also replaced the factory MK IV hood ornament with the special gold one that the DJE had as it suited the car so well. It was for sale for only $1200 but I was in no position to buy it. The seller is who told me it was used in Fargo. I sure miss that car.
That thing on the Air Cleaner that looks like an Oil Filter was called the Anti-Hoot valve. It quieted things down when the secondary throttle plates were activated.
Thanks Adam! Happy Holidays!
Anti-Owl valve. 😊
I always wondered what that thing did, and it worked. I remember flooring those 460s and hardly hearing the secondarys as opposed to 455s that I had from GM which were loud
I have driven a 1975 triple brown Mark IV since 2002 and enjoy it very much.
I want to keep it, why I am currently having it renovated for over $30K. Only thing missing is the new full vinyl roof, which will be added in January. Cannot wait to get it back home.
Please post photos of you car when it's done. Would love to see it.
@@tompastian3447
I will love to.
Can’t help thinking of William Conrad and “Cannon” when I see these mid-70s Marks.
and Jim Davis
Could Jim Davis drive that with a stetson on?, Ol' J.R. had to keep the sunroof open on his 450SEL to make it fit@@raymondcanessa7208
My brother got the deal of a lifetime. In late '73 at the start of the first energy crunch, he bought a mint navy blue with white interior '72 Mark with 9k miles for $3,800. Absolutely gorgeous car that stood out from anything in the neighborhood. He drove it for 4 trouble free years then sold it for $5,500 for a down payment on his first house.
We owned a 78 Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition in Jubilee Gold. Absolutely stunning car and fantastic on a road trip. Still miss that car…
We actually had both in 1976. A Eldorado Coupe and a Mark IV. My Dad had to trade the Eldorado in because of rust issues, he had the rust fixed... came right back. The Mark IV was a much better quality overall and he kept it for about 25 years. Same engine, no overhaul, original tranny... It had a full vinyl top with electric sunroof. He gave it to my Sister and she trashed it.. so that was the end of it.
Having owned both a 78 Mark V and a 78 Eldorado Biarritz, I have to agree. The Lincoln just felt more substantial, rode better, and was much quieter.
@@charlesb7019 Definitely. The Eldorado had much thinner sheet metal and .... what you said!
Really like the colours
As with beauty, tacky is also in the eye of the beholder. Back in 1976, this was a real head turner, as were all the Marks. I can vividly remember how awesome these looked coming down the street and you just knew it was being driven by someone with a lot of $$$$$$. This was a land yacht in the truest sense of the word!
I can't believe you did this segment on the '76 Mark IV! I just bought a '76 Mark IV Cartier series! Mine is Golden Bronze with a fabric interior and has 41K miles. These are some of the most beautifully styled cars of all time. When I gased up my newer Bentley Flying Spur, NO one says boo to me. When I put gas in this Lincoln, people smile, bring their kids over, and tell me stories about Uncle so and so or Grandpa used to take them for rides. I have never seen a car make folks so happy. Thank you again, Adam.
So you know, the Cartier in '76 was all Dove Grey.
What you say is true about these cars (not just the Mark IVs, but these Lincolns of the era)...besides how great they look, they give and receive love and happiness.
Enjoy your car!
I have nowhere near "Adam's Encyclopedic" knowledge. I just got it because it's beautiful. Mine says Cartier on the clock, so there I go assuming it is a Cartier. I am having a ball driving it around my tiny Arizona mountain town. Thank you for your kind words.
@@garyrains5996 You're welcome!
Lincoln had a deal with Cartier going back to 1969 where all their clocks would have Cartier on them. It's understandably confusing to most people, but the first actual Cartier Designer Series car was in 1976. It was all Dove Grey. Except for a change in the pinstripe, this color scheme carried forward into the Cartier for 1977 (which I have) in the Mark V.
A friend of the family invited my dad, and me, to accompany him to Conoly Phillips Lincoln-Mercury in January 1976 and help him select a new car. A rather excited salesman told us that the order books had been thrown wide-open for Lincoln Luxury Groups. From Silver to Gold, the groups had expanded to Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Saddle/White, Lipstick/White, Gold/Cream, Red/Rose, Jade/White, and Dark Jade/Light Jade and Desert Sand - and the Versailles Option Luxury Group. The Mix & Match Groups allowed "one-of-a-kind" combinations. Amazing year, 1976.
What a Beauty! Classic Luxury - Not Tacky
ehh.. it was pretty tacky..
Once again, great video and you brought back some memories. My Dad had a 1976 Mark IV, except it was the Cartier edition, in forest green. Absolutely beautiful car. Interior had very plush velour type fabric seats. It had every option and was absolutely the most comfortable car I have ever driven or was a passenger in.
They all had Cartier clocks. If the car was dark green with the interior you described, it would have been a Dark Jade car with the beautiful Versailles optional interior in Jade.
What a luxury car should be...
Thanks, Adam! My mom had a beautiful 1972, and she traded it for a BMW coupe. Dad hated it, and while she was away on vacation, took my 18 year old self to the Lincoln/BMW dealer in SC to help pick out a new Mark. All of the colors were pretty tacky, so I chose the black diamond edition. It wasn't a 'designer' car, but it was beautiful. Black diamond paint with dove gray leather.
Yes, the Black Diamond Luxury Group car...my favorite late period Mark IV. Just gorgeous.
Hey Adam, thanks for another great review. By the early 70s, my family had all switched from being all Chrysler to all Ford. The last Chrysler my dad bought was a 69 300. It was a cream color with a dark blue vinyl top, with the interior dark blue vinyl, it was equipped with a 440 cubic inch with a Carter 4 barrel carburetor. It was a 4 door hardtop. A big Chrysler. We had a 17 foot Aristocrat Land Commander and that 440 and it's leaf spring rear suspension handled that 3,000 pound trailering it wasn't even back there. In 1976, they bought a new Lincoln Town Car. We thought the Chrysler was big, and it was, but compared to that Town Car, it seemed really small. By the end of the 70s we had several Mustangs, a few F-series trucks, several Explorers, and my favorite, a 1975 Mercury Marquis Colony Park. A great car, every one liked that wagon. It was white with tan tuck and roll vinyl seats and door panels. It had the mighty 460, with a Motorcraft 4300 4 barrel carburetor. It was powerful and very comfortable. It had every available option including ATC and a locking hood release installed at the factory. What a great car. It would climb steep grades in the Sierras, fully loaded with the a/c on and never missed a beat. No matter how I drove it, it consistently got 11 to 12 mpg. It was a great car. In my opinion the mid 70s full size Ford wagons were the best-looking wagons of that time. Ford always built best-looking wagons.
Hi. The Linc/Merc dealer I worked for in '76 sold a new loaded Colony Park with the Lincoln forged aluminum wheels on it. The customer had insisted. It looked spectacular.
I was 26 years old...driving around in my BRONX neighborhood in a. 79 LINCOLN MARK V BILL BLASS with a white leather interior..
with blue trim...and a convertible look top ....IT was a a piece of jewelry on wheels ....
One of the most BEAUTIFUL cars ever created in modern times .
1972 was my favorite also. Mark IV's were my favorite.
Ein absoluter Traum!
Hey Adam! The 1976 Bill Blass edition is not tacky! It is classy! I agree with jonschade7036 it is beautiful.
I have a 1976 Mark IV white and Jade edition. In 1976, Lincoln took away so many standard features , like tilt wheel, cruise etc. The white and Jade edition was part of the “Make your own Mark” series.
I just drove it. It’s in pretty rough state.
I love the Bill Blass. But I’m surprised at not seeing the vanity mirror, vent windows or headlight convince group!
Does this Blass edition have AC? Look at the temperature control panel, all it says is "auto".
I would love to know if anyone knows if the horn pad with cruise control is still available, probably would have to be aftermarket, since Ford parts sold out of those years ago. I have one Cougar wagon that has the vanity mirror in the visor, lighted, and don't see that on this Mark as you mentioned.
@@tompastian3447 Yes, air conditioned with automatic temperature control. Standard in all Mark IVs.
@@tompastian3447 Cougar Wagon...that's really cool.
Cougar wagon... Torino or Fairmont variant?
I had a ‘78 Diamond Jubilee Mk V In Diamond Blue. It had the 4 options you could get. The moonroof, 460 with dual exhaust, traction loc rear, and the 40 channel CB. It was $21,895 in 1977. I had it two weeks and wrapped it around a tree. 😀
😮
With the dual exhaust, you had one of the rarest of all Lincoln models; a Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition with the 460 Interceptor. Very rare indeed. That engine could catch many off guard because it was factory rated at 275 net horsepower, some 70 more than the normal 460. Torque was an amazing 450 lb/ft at only 2,000 rpm.
@@michaeltutty1540 A police motor in a Lincoln? Wow!
@@michaeltutty1540 I've never heard of that. Are any of these documented through Ford/Marti? I do know the dual exhaust added around 15-20 horsepower, so 460 powered Mark Vs should have around 225-230 net HP.
I owned a 1978 Diamond Jubilee Mark in blue as well. I worked for a large Canadian Lincoln Mercury dealer at the time they were released. I was there when our first one came off the car carrier. Sticker price was 27,776 Canadian dollars and we were all stunned. Other loaded Marks were about 6000 less than that. The Canadian DJE Marks also had the option of a plug-n electric in-car heater with the Ford oval. My car had that option as well. Nice car but not as nice as the '76 Bill Blass I had IMO.
Tacky? NO! Beautiful, yes.
I remember the ads for those designer editions as a kid. As I was in a Cadillac family I was like: "hey..."
in 1976 the right side outside mirror was a option, standard in 1975 .As for the visor mirror the option was lighted vanity mirrors both driver and passenger. The side moldings in cream were a option ,as was the Landau top and the aluminum wheels and more . This car was close to 16, thousand dollars in 1976
That is a beautiful car. Look at those rims!
My all time favorite Lincoln!
After watching a number of your videos, I came to the realization that your presentations are somewhat like video versions of _Collectible Automobile_ magazine articles - and I, of course, mean that in a complimentary way as that's my favorite car magazine. 🙂
This was another good one. Your level of knowledge and research is always outstanding and enjoyable. Good job.
Glad you like them!
I've subscribed to several auto magazines for decades and Collectable Automobile is my favorite also, too bad they only come out every two months - I've actually got every issue they've published. I think I'll be dropping a couple of the other magazines because all they what to write about now are EV's!!
Great video with lots of info 'tid-bits'. It reminds me of the 1974 Thunderbird that my mom had. That car was amazing. I remember it had a gold film inside the glass in the rear window AND front windshield for an electric de-icer (which also required the car to use two alternators). Oh the memories. I would love to see a video about that car. Thanks for putting these out here.
Thanks for featuring this car, Adam. I had a '76 Mark IV with the Blue Diamond luxury group (turquoise inside and out). This group included a light driftwood similated trim inside, It was given to me by a wealthy aunt and uncle when they bought a new S Class. As my uncle owned a construction business, it was quit dirty when i received it. Had to clean everything including the gas tank. The filigree trim neeed a brush to get it clean. Mine had the standard wheel covers which imo gives a cleaner look. They have a similar fake center lock nut as the aluminum wheels and i hear the were styled to resemble those on the Bugatti Type 57 Royale.
As always: brilliant and very good review and production from Rare Classic Cars.
Pleasantly and informatively done.
Adam, my dad worked for Ford and I read somewhere that the designers selected the color theme for their version of the Mark, and they ‘advised’ the interior styling studio, FWIW
I just had a flashback to the movie "Car Wash" with Rose Royce, "workin at the car wash yeah"...
What a great car. Surprisingly lot of paint orange peel seen on the close up shots.
It looks repainted to me.
@@owlnswan4016 The factory orange peal was really that bad. Although I did see some overspray on the bolt heads around the fuel cap. So could be both.
I absolutely love the revamped Mark IV. A beautiful car.
I had a Mark 6 Cartier Edition and it truly was one of my favorite cars and I had a lot of cars in my lifetime and that was one of the best if you ever get a chance to own one of these old cars and you like driving around in the old stuff you will not be disappointed
That same bodyside molding and aluminum wheels are on my 76 Continental. These mk IV were really gorgeous vehicles. Such class, style, presence, and elegance.
This is American Lux at that time. I do love the look of them.
I love the dimensions of these 1970’s land yachts… the massive hood and long deck are iconic dimensions that we will never see again.
Edit: @11:34 you can actually see the outline of where the deleted visor mirror that he references is supposed to be.
The vanity mirror that was there was just a mirrored piece of glass glued in place. It should have been just like those offered in the Eldorado.
I seriously hope that our once fabulously silent and comfortable land yachts will make a return back into today’s dealership’s. With today’s modern electric powertrains, squeezing better gas mileage out of our cars will hopefully become an unforgettable reality from the past. With electric powertrains, perhaps it’s finally time to bring the large land yachts back. Nothing put away the miles on a long trip like the incredible comfort those cars provided us with.
Yes
To help explain the missing right front visor mirror.
To offset a price increase ( and in fact a slight price decrease happened ), some previously standard equipment on the 1975 Lincoln Continental & Mark IV, was moved to optional equipment. Thank you mid-1970s inflation.
Dad had a Cartier edition. It was a road car that had a big V8 and a powerful kick on the highway. Around town, we mostly drove Mercedes and VW’s. Now, these cars are Instagram and UA-cam dream machines. I’m glad I got to live during this era. There were definitely some pluses before the Internet changed things.
1976 was the best year for the Mk4 Lincolns. I would like to have one.
I appreciate the extra detail and commentary you provide
King of the Disco
The Bill Blass edition looks nice, the cut corners notwithstanding. The bean counters at Ford and GM, I guess, had no concept about higher quality expectations in prestige makes.
Great content, Adam. Back in the early 80s, I had a 72 triple dark blue Mark IV. When I first got it, I thought there was something wrong with the back windows because they only moved a small amount rearward. The driver's side door panels are almost always cracked at the armrest, just like the one you show. The glove box doors never fit right, even when new from the factory.
Those glove box doors were always an issue. It seems as though a company that could make the covered headlights always line up perfectly when off could make the glovebox door line up as well. It got even worse with the Mark VI. Those glovebox doors were upgraded with some extremely nice padding attached to them. Padding that would then dip outward and down with the passage of time…and not very much of that as well.
Actually, they didn't get the headlight doors right the first time out either. On our '71 sedan, you could tell that the sheet metal cutouts were not perfectly parallel to the axis of the eyelids and torsion bar...
The 1976 Mark IV Designer Series epitomized everything about that era.
I remember that, of the four designer editions on the Marks, you mostly only saw the Bill Blass and Cartier ones. I don't think I ever saw a Givenchy or Pucci one. And you mentioned that the Mark IV outsold the Eldorado despite the Mark IV not offering a convertible. It's unimaginable now, but convertibles really weren't popular in the seventies. People really didn't have a problem with their predicted demise. In the seventies, people preferred sunroofs and T-tops to convertibles.
Bill Blass also designed some of the best quality and most beautiful men's suits with a timeless and classy cuts.
My dad drove a '76 Mark IV Cartier Edition from '76 until he passed away in '87. He loved it for its comfort and grunt, especially after I replaced the standard 4-barrel with a Holley unit after the standard carb failed. This car was super comfortable and quiet but a VERY heavy vehicle. The Mark V likely sold better because it addressed the weight and still looked good. And his Mark IV had the lighted vanity mirror on the passenger side, if I remember correctly.
my DAD had one of these a long time ago now!!! nice ride!!
So Beautiful
Bill Blass got the Blue/Cream because Henry Ford II had a Bill Blass blaser that was dark blue with cream accents, a trademark of Blass men's wear.
It was a very popular show that ran in the early 70s to the mid 70s called Canon. Frank Cannon was a detective and that car became iconic with him and it helps sell a lot of those cars throughout those years. I know my dad used to always love that car.
also Jock Ewing of Dallas had one
Yep ..he was an updated Broderick Crawford....and not in the Joan sense.
Why, did the car appeal to a lot of 55 year old fatasses ?
Incredible looking car
It's a shame we'll never see any uniqueness in cars anymore... 😢
I love these old land yachts, cruise along the road with a floaty kind of peripherally involved with what's happening up at the front bumper. Just is a hoot that just the hood/bonnet takes up about as much real estate as some compact cars now.
When luxury was LUXURY. Beautiful car
If memory serves, Mr. Blass was known for his blue blazers hence the color scheme. I am unsure where the cream accent color came from.
Makes me want to go boating
I love this car. So beautiful in the blue color. Thanks for showing it!!!
Nice ride.
I've always admired the marker lights especially, and still ponder finding a good Mark V Cartier edition if I come into some spare cash.......
The passenger mirror was still an option in 1976. This continued into the Mark V. The lighted visor mirrors were an option.
The Luxury Group cars that began in 1973 are not Designer Series cars, but they were a precursor of sorts. They were more or less on a par with each other. The Black Diamond '76 is absolutely gorgeous...it's an off-black that's essentially a very dark gray with "diamond fire" metallic paint.
The Bill Blass is in this color scheme because that's what Bill Blass wanted. Lincoln actually worked with the various designers, or at least people within each design houses, over the years to come up with exteriors and interiors they wanted, including choice of seats (I always found it very odd that Givenchy chose the standard interior in the Mark Vs in the cars with leather as it's no where near as nice as the upgraded "Luxury Group" style interior). Sometimes a designer carried over a color, etc. scheme from one year to another with little change...for instance, the '76 Cartier was all Dove Grey as was the '77, except for a change in the pinstripe. I think the Dove Grey looks better on the Mark V, but it's nice on the IV as well. I own a '77 Cartier.
The Bill Blass that many people seem to remember most is the '79 two-tone White and Midnight Blue. They actually carried it over into the 1980 Mark VI.
YT Video of a gorgeous Black Diamond Edition ua-cam.com/video/rVlCg31YEI8/v-deo.htmlsi=Aq93fVxHK9K8J7vr
I wouldn't say this car is tacky - particularly not by the standards of American luxury cars of its day. The color choices are quite tasteful IMO.
One of my aunts had a Mark IV back in the day (not sure of the year; think it might have been a '73). I remember riding in it a few times when I was a kid. It was followed by a Mark V, and later a Mark VII and a Mark VIII. Plus she also had a late '60s Eldorado for a short while. I guess she liked her upscale American luxury! She's now in her late 70's and drives a Jaguar S-type.
The Bill Blass is the best looking combo. It is not tacky at all. My favorite.
If the seat controls are prone to fires 24/7, it would make sense just to wire in a low current relay system
I love the color and the front. But I had to laugh a bit about the fact that such a large car was only a 2+2 without much trunk space. Unbelievable. I think the car would be more balanced in its design when the overhangs would be shorter. All in all, mixed feelings here. But that color, ah.... stunningly beautiful.
One of smart looking Lincoln's. My brother's first car was white 75 Continental Mark IV. It had some special to-tone white & brown leather interior. Extremely comfortable, as long you didn't got tired filling a gas tank. 460 V8 with 4 barrel sucked gas fast. Car got roughly 9 mpg in the city. I don't know how many times car was keyed by some hater.
Saddle and White Luxury Group car. Beautiful interior.
I miss my 81 Continental. It wasn't as nice as these older Mark series cars and it only had a TBI 302, but for me being 19 years old at the time and into big cars I loved it. It was definitely a cut above my 85 Impala i also had at the time.
There were four Lincoln Mark IV designer editions for 1976. The Bill Blass, Givenchy, Cartier and Pucci..
Emilio Pucci…. Not Gucci
@@LincolnRay Typo on my part, I will correct it.
Pucci
I've been looking for one in great condition. They're hard to come by. Beautiful!
Saved all the money I could and bought that exact car in high school (1985) it is a stunning car to this day … my teachers Honda was the size of my fender he was jealous lol
Mine had a moonroof ..
They were really prone to rust badly but outstanding quality overall loved mine
The silver is smashing
@@ericruud9328 Yes. Its beautiful.
I'd still go for the Mk III I rode around in, back in '79-'80. Having said that, this Blass edition Mk IV is very pretty. Perhaps it would be better to just view these from a distance (like in a museum 🤔) to avoid seeing the underlying cheapness of the entire affair. Adam, could you make a comparison of this kind of cost-cutting vs a competitor's interior done right? Thanks and keep on making these EXCELLENT videos 👌👍👏
🖖🙏
Great idea! Maybe compare and contrast to some imports - like Mercedes. US makers were getting worried about luxury imports but IMO they missed the mark (so to speak).
Although I agree in whole…they were kinda cheap in many ways, but I miss all the land yachts!!!!!
@@flyonbyyaOh, yeah. I sometimes wonder how customers would have responded to options to upgrade materials - and whether that would have been practical and profitable.
My loaded cousin had a 78 Mark V diamond jubilee 460 and a 79 Mark V collector series 400 (460 was not available in 79). He bought them both new. Thanks for the informative video.
I remember my dad bought his Lincoln that was some the best boulevard cruising,with that super glide steering.
This video "almost" makes me miss my 1978 MkV that I owned from 1997-2000.
It was an absolute Highway Cruiser and passed anything except a gas station...
Love seeing your content. Happy Holidays
I love the way these cars look, but after all these decades the amount of front and rear overhang is hilarious. But why lengthen the expensive drive train when it’s so much cheaper to just add sheet metal to the extremities! When I first learned these were heavily based on the Torino chassis, I couldn’t believe it, but it’s true. Yeah, the dash is pretty cheap looking especially with standard Ford switch gear for the A/C, lights, etc. With all that cost savings, the Marks IV and V must’ve been almost pure profit! Thanks Adam for another episode chock full of great content.
I don't see front and rear overhang as distracting at all from the beauty of this car. I have an 04 Marquis, and changing my own oil, it's a long reach to crawl under the car to get to the oil filter. A much easier reach on my Cougar wagons, which I don't have to jack up to change the oil. It's a must on the Marquis; there's no room to crawl under the car, just too low to the ground.
Also...
Mat that 460...
She'll grunt and go.
That V8 didn't forget her pickup roots.
I've always liked both the MK IV and MK V and they were very popular in my neck of the woods. I know they say that every body panel on the MK IV is different than on the MK V, but I remember when the MK V came out I literally thought it was still the MK IV with just a midcycle "refresh" because it looked so similar. Look how drastically different the MK IV looked from the MK III it replaced, so I was expecting that big a difference between the IV and V so was kind of disappointed - I'd still love to have either though!
I read the Mark V was someone simply took a T square to the Mark IV.
I have owned both. The Mark IV was a much more luxurious and quieter car. Ford started trimming weight from their full size cars in 1977. Much of that weight was cut from insulation and glass thickness. My '76 Mark IV Bill Blass weighed 5320 lbs and my '78 Diamond Jubilee MK V was 49 and change. The 1979 models were lightened up even more and you could tell the difference blind-folded if you rode in one.
The Lincoln models significantly out selling the competing GM' offering most likely was directly attributable to the Eldorado having the FRONT wheel drive. While the styling was on par with the Mark a lot of buyers most likely believed the front wheel drive build in an incredibly large coupe was a deterrent. BTW - even today in cable reruns we get a big laugh from television P.I. Frank Cannon (ie; Robert Conrad) beating the living sh*t out of his blue Mark IV in chase scenes. Most definitely was Ford's idea of "product placement" in a popular series during the early to late seventies. Many Thanks Yo ! 🤜💥🤛
He also had a radiowave Car Telephone that honked the horn when he had incoming call. Cannon was the best.
Per ‘rare classic’ recommendation…
I watched the VGG V8-6-4 vid…
What a wonderful car!
My favorite car!!
The funny thing is although Lincoln is famous for the Designer Series that srarted for 1976, it was actuality AMC who explored this idea beforehand.
Think the Gucci Sportabout Hornet wagon, the Piere Cardin Javelin, the Oleg Cassini Matador coupe , and to a lesser extant ( but more famous ) Levis Gremlin & Hornet
I love my T Birds and Lincolns, most people don't know the Lincoln sat on the Thunderbird chassis.
I like the big bumpers. They give the car better proportions and more presence.
James Gardner use to do the "Rockford Turn" in one of these.