This is one of the most beautiful cars ever to grace the highway IMO! I remember seeing these as a kid and some neighbors down the street traded their '65 Continental for a '71 MKIII in tobacco brown with the high back seats - even as a 12 year old, I couldn't take my eyes off of it!
As a sailor stationed at Kingsville Naval Air Station Texas, I purchased a 1963 Thunderbird Landau that was in immaculate condition, from an attorney that worked for the King Ranch. He had just purchased a brand new Mark III from the local Ford dealer. He gave me a ride in it. What a gorgeous car but I loved my T-Bird even more.
$6700.00 in 1969 is the equivalent of $60000.00 today. I don't think you can buy an extremely high end luxury automobile for 60k today. I think we're getting screwed.
@@danielcapalbo5293 I used to feel the same way, but then I realized that modern cars have way more equipment than a 1969 car, even a top-of-the-line 1969 car. Modern cars have far more electronics, more safety systems and a far heavier safety cell surrounding the passenger compartment. So it’s not really effective to make a direct comparison using an inflation calculator because you are getting a lot more equipment.
@@davidgold5961 it's always the same old thing. There's too much government burocracy. Government poking its nose where it doesn't belong. New cars have too many electronic gadgets that are unnecessary.
@@danielcapalbo5293 Agreed. This has helped keep the old car hobby alive, and also the sales growth of three-wheelers such as the CanAm Spider and the Canadian-built Campagna - these have pretty much no safety systems whatsoever and are very lightweight. Personally, I am selling my 2017 Nissan Titan, which has all sorts of electronic goodies. I am going back to a 2007 Toyota Tundra, just because it is much simpler.
@@davidgold5961 All the technology and features it had were advanced and expensive at the time, though, so it is fair to compare. Actually, the price of electronic stuff is way cheaper now compared to wages than it was then.
@@blisterbrain Yes, but those parts weighed far less because there were fewer systems and had far less capability. A modern car has anywhere from 20 to 43 separate computers, up to (4) CAN busses and up to 58 electric motors. And the curb weight, believe it or not, was not as heavy as modern cars. Not to mention the extensive safety systems in new cars which add thousands of dollars. If you wanted a fair comparison, you would have to know the profit percentage that Ford Motor Company collected back in the day versus what it collects now, if you can even get that proprietary data. The 1966 Continental weighed 5284 pounds empty versus 5890 for a 2024 Lincoln Navigator, which is the closest thing nowadays to that car in terms of buyer demographics and the use case. I had a chance to restore a 1960 Ford Thunderbird. The heavy weight of these vehicles had nothing to do with safety systems, they were just built heavy and weight savings was not even in the picture back then. If you could build a 1966 Lincoln Continental using modern structural techniques and modern materials, it would probably weigh 800 pounds less than it did when it was built in 1966.
Always considered these magnificent. My favorites of the series are the Mark II, Mark III and Mark V. The interior of the Mark III really seems to be high quality.
The Mark III was also part of 70's pop culture as well. It was featured in two popular films from the 70's. It was the main villain's vehicle in The French Connection, and George Barris heavily modified a Mark III for the cult horror classic, The Car. The Mark III is a beautiful car.
How about a Frank Cannon special with a Phone and gift certificate for Judo lessons and Wine tasting lessons and how to earn your Private investigators license all apart of the Continental Mark 3 Experience Bill Conrad would be proud
@teebird94 There is nothing wrong with settling with a Thunderbird because I'm a Thunderbird fan as well. I would love to have a 66 T-bird convertible like the one in Thelma and Louis. When it comes to the modern Birds, I loved the tenth generation model(1989-97) like my mother's 1995 T-Bird LX with the 4.6L V8.
G'day from Australia 🇦🇺 Huge fan of the Mark III too much hassles to bring one to Australia. Been following the prices on Mecum for years. That blue one in your video was a special build for a executive and Ford, super low mileage, one family, fully document & didn't sell & just barely hit $ 10,000. I would of bought it but now it is extremely hard to import old classic cars into Australia due to asbestos regulations. I prefer the 69 wheel covers. Never seen one with a passenger side mirror was it a option & was centre console in 1971 a option I read somewhere that it was. Cheers Louis Kats from Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺 👍
Beautiful car and great execution on the Thunderbird platform. Loved how the owner tossed the keys to the valet in the first clip. Cool country club move! You have put together a great channel here for us Ford fans, looking forward to future content!
2nd in beauty only to the Mark V. Well, I guess I have to throw in the gorgeous Mark II (1956) and the original entire Continental run from the 1940's. Nuff said.
When these were first introduced, to say it was a head-turner would be an understatement! They were simply the most beautiful cars on the American highway! Back in the mid-seventies, I almost bought a gorgeous, one-owner '71, but I didn't...and I regret it to this day!
I own a 1970 Mark III I bought it in 1985 when I was only 19 years old and still have it. Mine is black, black top, Ginger interior (med brown). Fully loaded, auto highbeam dimmer, Sunroof, reclining passenger seat, rear window deicer, cruise, power locks, etc. In the past 40 years I have amassed a collection of NOS parts in the 100s including wheel covers, all the trim, lenses, emblems, grilles mirrors and on and on. I also have a 1997 Mark VIII LSC Opal Opalescent, lt prairie tan interior also fully loaded. Both are GREAT automobiles. The Mark lll is to me the BEST of any Lincoln Mark in over all excellent build quality, high quality materials both in and out, well assembled etc. The interiors wear like iron too. Even if you find a ratty one the interiors are usually at least decent. It amazes me how many of these still survive with original interiors that STILL look good to excellent and arent restored! Works of Art IMO one of the best looking cars ever made!
A great overview of these fine cars, Tony. I owned a '69 Mark III for a number of years and it was quite a car in most every way. The quality and engineering shown through and through.
My mom fell in love with the Mark III when it was first introduced. She was at the time driving a ‘68 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon, which she hated. One day after school my mom picked me up and said we’re going to go buy a new car and we drove in the station wagon to Pasadena Lincoln Mercury where there was a triple black 1970 Mark III in the showroom. She apparently had looked at the car the day before and spoke to the salesman and said I’m coming back tomorrow to buy it. She left the Chrysler station wagon at the dealer and said I’ll have it picked up later and we drove home in the Mark III. My dad wasn’t thrilled and asked her why she didn’t buy the Eldorado and she said I don’t like the Eldorado and the station wagon is at the dealer if you want to go pick it up. My dad always joked that what your mom wants, she always seems to get, with a laugh. 😂
Thank you for the video. It was quite interesting. The information on how well it sold was quite good. This car had options indeed. I liked the Mark IV, Mark V, Mark VI and Mark VIII. I was not a fan of Mark VII because of its headlight design and it had too much Thunderbird and Cougar into it the styling and themes.. This Mark III was impressive inside and out.
Beautiful car and that big ole 460 making 500 ft/lbs was a beast. A buddy of mine bought one of these as a rusted out throw away car back in the mid eighties. It had only 40k miles and he snagged that 460 to drop in his 1978 Bronco. Turned it into a 4 wheeling monster!
Thank you! Thank you for presenting the car as it was intended, a Continental Mark-III. Nowhere on the car or anywhere is the word Lincoln attached to this car, which is the way Ford intended. I can't stand when someone calls it a Lincoln at the same time trying to educate people about this remarkable car.
I can remember like it was yesterday a grammar school friends mother picking up my classmate with her brand new Mark III. I new i was a car nut I must have walked around the car 10 times what a beautiful car.
My favorite car, particularly the 1970 and 1971. The Mark III was based on the T-Bird chassis, but it was based on the 4 door T- Bird chassis, they forgot to mention that.
Thanks for watching and for your comment. There's no "They" here just me. I didn't forget it based on a 4 door I just didn't see it making that much of a difference for the viewer.
I had a neighbor that just love these cars. He had one that was black and just beautiful. He had other ones that were beautiful as well. People just seem to find him. Because the cars weren't selling for that much in the early nineties. How is solitaire absolutely beautiful cars. There is a private detective that drove one of these and I don't remember the name of the TV show. Maybe it was Canon. I think the original Steve mcgarrett drove something like this maybe a earlier version? But irregardless of that. I love that long Hood. That's why my favorite year of Camaro also have the long Hood through the 70s and part of the 80s.
I have seen only two of them in junkyards in the last 20 years. Even in rusted out condition with water having destroyed the interior, they look stunning. If you stand at the passenger side rear corner and look at the body lines at the top of the door that run the length of the car, there is a beautiful wide body effect. Then look at the dash through the passenger side door window and it looks so elegant. Even the fake leather stitching on the dash pad looks great from that direction. When new, the triple black color combination must have been hauntingly beautiful to look at. So sad how these became worthless and so many were destroyed. They are making a bit of a comeback and are still affordable for a nice one. The original Mark 2 from the 1950s was perhaps the most beautiful car made in the USA of all time but it’s now out of reach of ordinary people.
I agree, it breaks my heart when I see one of these beauties in junk yards or rusting away in the weeds in the middle of nowhere with all the glass busted out - thankfully it seems quite a few have survived in pretty good shape.
That 70 model Mark III is a stunningly beautiful automobile. That would be a great jazz mobile. Put in a modern audio system and then play some Coltrane, Cronic Blues comes to mind. Or Butters Blues by Yusef Lateef and then the definitive 1958 Miles Davis album Kinda Blue. Big Fords and jazz are two of my favorite things.
I had a powder blue 1970 model I bought form the first owner , window sticker said $8891. Had a “traction lock “ rear end you could burn both tires down the street . A beautiful car , wish I had not sold it to the neighbor that junked it . Truly heartbreaking
Cannon drove one on his TV show, the only car big enough to carry William Conrad chasing criminals. That said something especially when it rocked back and forth when he got out.
I love the Eldorado and the TBird but the Mark III had more class than either. It was beautiful, understated and tasteful. There are some affordable ones around today but you need to find a good one or repairs will sink you.
My 1971 one was superb in every way. The fit and finish was perfection and it drove better than a Silver Shadow. At 65mhp, it got 17.5 mpg. I foolishly traded it for a 1973 Eldorado convertible. The fit and finish on that pig was horrible. I still toy with getting another MKIII, but I am a bit too old for that.
If Ford made a Lincoln counterpart of the Mustang, this could make a comeback. They have the right platform, which is RWD with a V8 which is traditionally American.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Well, if most Americans prefer SUVs, automakers can remain profitable by offering many SUV models but only one sedan and coupe model, since only one option immediately fills the void and doesn’t offer too many for the low demand at the same time. In spite of all the controversy of a 4-door Mustang, Ford would have one sedan and one coupe but their main focus would still be on SUVs. In my opinion, there should be at least one model of each vehicle’s kind in production, especially if they’re traditional.
Sure track was an anti-skid braking system for rear wheels. It pulsed rear brakes up to 4 times per second when a skid was detected. It had an analog control box on bottom of the dash(I believe that was made by Texas Instruments), and a manifold vacuum operated Kelsey-Hayes Sure Track servo/valving unit on the right side lower fire wall next to the starter motor.
The Mark III was a class act. So was the Mark IV and Mark V. Way better than any Cadillac. I never owned a Mark III, but I have owned a Mark IV and two Mark Vs.
These cars are some of the best possible recipients of a 460 Ford crate motor ever created. Not that 365 advertised HP is some joke. By the way: needs at least a 3.23 rear axle ratio.
I am the one, who does not like the look of the Continental Mark III and would prefer the Thunderbird of the same year instead. This vehicle looks like it should have a buffer and be on a railway instead of the road. Quite bizzare automobile, should say. * *sips tea* *
Note that both the factory interior photos and restored/survivor cars showed leather. Cadillac had much nicer cloth interiors than Lincoln in this era - rich brocades and colorful plaids giving way to the first of the crushed velours vs Lincoln using the same "panty cloth" as a Ford LTD - but Lincoln used a higher grade of leather and had a higher take rate for it.
I spend the whole day on Labor Day weekends in 1985 reading his book about Crytser Story , it was a great story of his successes, but when he was terminated I hate the US corp when Ford treat his top-notch people. I brought 1964 Ford Mustang in 1980 used for $700.00 thay has 70K and love Mustang the US car back then but OPEC oil embargo had destroyed US car industry.
The Mark III continued where the '56 & '57 Mark II left off. It was more profitable than the Mark II because they sold a lot more. I am surprised in the Mark III weighing more than the '72 Mark IV even though the Mark IV is longer.
Well, Tony, that gen Continental is a very successful and highly profitable car, but it shows everything that went wrong with American 70's PLCs and why both Lincoln and Cadillac lost "young crowd" market.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs I think he means the young up-and-coming yuppie types. After this stage, those personal luxury coupes were no longer an aspiration for that group.
The car of "stars, celebrities and dignitaries? " Who cares? I saw executives and regular people who worked hard at the factory who bought these back in the day.
If Iacocca felt like this was his best, then I take back all the nice things I've said about him. LOL. Slapping a whole lot of UGLY on a T-Bird and stuffing it with stupid options did more to destroy style and design in the 70's than anything. The 60's had so much promise only to morph into some of the worst cars in the auto industry's history, and FORD had much to do with that. I'll never get it I suppose.
If you are a fan of the Mark Series Check out the Lincoln Playlist ua-cam.com/play/PLz2M3b_orpr2nsal9UvmWI7IDvRjRoQDs.html
This is one of the most beautiful cars ever to grace the highway IMO! I remember seeing these as a kid and some neighbors down the street traded their '65 Continental for a '71 MKIII in tobacco brown with the high back seats - even as a 12 year old, I couldn't take my eyes off of it!
@@TomSnyder-gx5ru thanks for sharing!
🤭
I think it's stunning , and the best looking car Iacocca was involved with
As a sailor stationed at Kingsville Naval Air Station Texas, I purchased a 1963 Thunderbird Landau that was in immaculate condition, from an attorney that worked for the King Ranch. He had just purchased a brand new Mark III from the local Ford dealer. He gave me a ride in it. What a gorgeous car but I loved my T-Bird even more.
$6700.00 in 1969 is the equivalent of $60000.00 today. I don't think you can buy an extremely high end luxury automobile for 60k today. I think we're getting screwed.
@@danielcapalbo5293 I used to feel the same way, but then I realized that modern cars have way more equipment than a 1969 car, even a top-of-the-line 1969 car. Modern cars have far more electronics, more safety systems and a far heavier safety cell surrounding the passenger compartment. So it’s not really effective to make a direct comparison using an inflation calculator because you are getting a lot more equipment.
@@davidgold5961 it's always the same old thing. There's too much government burocracy. Government poking its nose where it doesn't belong. New cars have too many electronic gadgets that are unnecessary.
@@danielcapalbo5293 Agreed. This has helped keep the old car hobby alive, and also the sales growth of three-wheelers such as the CanAm Spider and the Canadian-built Campagna - these have pretty much no safety systems whatsoever and are very lightweight. Personally, I am selling my 2017 Nissan Titan, which has all sorts of electronic goodies. I am going back to a 2007 Toyota Tundra, just because it is much simpler.
@@davidgold5961 All the technology and features it had were advanced and expensive at the time, though, so it is fair to compare. Actually, the price of electronic stuff is way cheaper now compared to wages than it was then.
@@blisterbrain Yes, but those parts weighed far less because there were fewer systems and had far less capability. A modern car has anywhere from 20 to 43 separate computers, up to (4) CAN busses and up to 58 electric motors. And the curb weight, believe it or not, was not as heavy as modern cars. Not to mention the extensive safety systems in new cars which add thousands of dollars. If you wanted a fair comparison, you would have to know the profit percentage that Ford Motor Company collected back in the day versus what it collects now, if you can even get that proprietary data. The 1966 Continental weighed 5284 pounds empty versus 5890 for a 2024 Lincoln Navigator, which is the closest thing nowadays to that car in terms of buyer demographics and the use case. I had a chance to restore a 1960 Ford Thunderbird. The heavy weight of these vehicles had nothing to do with safety systems, they were just built heavy and weight savings was not even in the picture back then. If you could build a 1966 Lincoln Continental using modern structural techniques and modern materials, it would probably weigh 800 pounds less than it did when it was built in 1966.
It certainly was one of the iconic cars of the era!
Great video as always. Thanks Tony!
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the kinds words.
Always considered these magnificent. My favorites of the series are the Mark II, Mark III and Mark V. The interior of the Mark III really seems to be high quality.
Couldn't agree more! Thank for watching and for your comment.
The Mark III was also part of 70's pop culture as well. It was featured in two popular films from the 70's. It was the main villain's vehicle in The French Connection, and George Barris heavily modified a Mark III for the cult horror classic, The Car. The Mark III is a beautiful car.
These cars look and drive amazingly well. That tall rear gear makes these things cruise at 70mph effortlessly.
I will never understand the detractors of this car. It is absolutely perfect!!! ❤❤❤
I love my Panthers, but one day I have to own one of these 70's beauties from either of the Ford brands!!! Great video👍👍
Thank you for the kind words!
I'll take the Mark III over the Eldo, any day. Gorgeous car and well made.
The Mark III is my favorite luxury car ever . I've never owned one but when I see one I do stop and stare .
How about a Frank Cannon special with a Phone and gift certificate for Judo lessons and Wine tasting lessons and how to earn your Private investigators license all apart of the Continental Mark 3 Experience Bill Conrad would be proud
My dream car,could never afford one "settled" for Thunderbirds..lol..sarcasm..Thunderbird's are never a settle :P
@teebird94 There is nothing wrong with settling with a Thunderbird because I'm a Thunderbird fan as well. I would love to have a 66 T-bird convertible like the one in Thelma and Louis. When it comes to the modern Birds, I loved the tenth generation model(1989-97) like my mother's 1995 T-Bird LX with the 4.6L V8.
Great video, my friend's father had a '70 back in the day in Green. Truly a beautiful car
@@jacobtonge5386 thank you and thanks for watching!
Beautiful cars ,always wanted my folks to buy one
My favorite is the Mark V with the Mark Vll a runner up. The Mark Vlll was sweet, too.
Those are a good looking car
😂
G'day from Australia 🇦🇺
Huge fan of the Mark III too much hassles to bring one to Australia.
Been following the prices on Mecum for years.
That blue one in your video was a special build for a executive and Ford, super low mileage, one family, fully document & didn't sell & just barely hit $ 10,000.
I would of bought it but now it is extremely hard to import old classic cars into Australia due to asbestos regulations.
I prefer the 69 wheel covers.
Never seen one with a passenger side mirror was it a option & was centre console in 1971 a option I read somewhere that it was.
Cheers
Louis Kats from Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺 👍
Thank you for sharing the information and for watching. It is appreciated!
@@TonysFordsandMustangs 👍👍👍
It would be really big down under.
Beautiful car and great execution on the Thunderbird platform. Loved how the owner tossed the keys to the valet in the first clip. Cool country club move!
You have put together a great channel here for us Ford fans, looking forward to future content!
@@markchiz64 thank you very much for the kind words, for watching, and for your support!
2nd in beauty only to the Mark V. Well, I guess I have to throw in the gorgeous Mark II (1956) and the original entire Continental run from the 1940's. Nuff said.
When these were first introduced, to say it was a head-turner would be an understatement! They were simply the most beautiful cars on the American highway! Back in the mid-seventies, I almost bought a gorgeous, one-owner '71, but I didn't...and I regret it to this day!
Agree - even today, on the rare occasion seeing one - it stops me in my tracks!
The red car at 8:34 looks identical to the car Jim Hutton drove in the John Wayne movie "The Hellfighters".
I own a 1970 Mark III I bought it in 1985 when I was only 19 years old and still have it. Mine is black, black top, Ginger interior (med brown). Fully loaded, auto highbeam dimmer, Sunroof, reclining passenger seat, rear window deicer, cruise, power locks, etc. In the past 40 years I have amassed a collection of NOS parts in the 100s including wheel covers, all the trim, lenses, emblems, grilles mirrors and on and on. I also have a 1997 Mark VIII LSC Opal Opalescent, lt prairie tan interior also fully loaded. Both are GREAT automobiles. The Mark lll is to me the BEST of any Lincoln Mark in over all excellent build quality, high quality materials both in and out, well assembled etc. The interiors wear like iron too. Even if you find a ratty one the interiors are usually at least decent. It amazes me how many of these still survive with original interiors that STILL look good to excellent and arent restored! Works of Art IMO one of the best looking cars ever made!
Thank you for sharing your experience and for your comment.
I'm 61 ive always liked these old classics & the Caddy's and the Imperials too!
So much to enjoy, Ol Lee was a genius wasn't he 😅
@@jamesh7571 thanks for watching and the guy knew how to make money.
A great overview of these fine cars, Tony. I owned a '69 Mark III for a number of years and it was quite a car in most every way. The quality and engineering shown through and through.
Thank you for watching and for the kind words
I've always loved the "continental trunk design". Lee Iacocca also famous for saving Chrysler in the 80's. Great video. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words. It is appreciated.
My mom fell in love with the Mark III when it was first introduced. She was at the time driving a ‘68 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon, which she hated. One day after school my mom picked me up and said we’re going to go buy a new car and we drove in the station wagon to Pasadena Lincoln Mercury where there was a triple black 1970 Mark III in the showroom. She apparently had looked at the car the day before and spoke to the salesman and said I’m coming back tomorrow to buy it. She left the Chrysler station wagon at the dealer and said I’ll have it picked up later and we drove home in the Mark III. My dad wasn’t thrilled and asked her why she didn’t buy the Eldorado and she said I don’t like the Eldorado and the station wagon is at the dealer if you want to go pick it up. My dad always joked that what your mom wants, she always seems to get, with a laugh. 😂
@@Lasuvidaboy-jp4xe Thank you for sharing your story. Those triple black cars were stunning
Mom had GREAT TASTE!!!
I rode with family in 74 from SoCal to Washington to visit EXPO 74 in a Mark lll. Awesomeness.
I have one and I love it.
Thank you for the video. It was quite interesting. The information on how well it sold was quite good. This car had options indeed. I liked the Mark IV, Mark V, Mark VI and Mark VIII. I was not a fan of Mark VII because of its headlight design and it had too much Thunderbird and Cougar into it the styling and themes.. This Mark III was impressive inside and out.
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your comment.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs You are most welcome.
Beautiful car and that big ole 460 making 500 ft/lbs was a beast. A buddy of mine bought one of these as a rusted out throw away car back in the mid eighties. It had only 40k miles and he snagged that 460 to drop in his 1978 Bronco. Turned it into a 4 wheeling monster!
Thank you! Thank you for presenting the car as it was intended, a Continental Mark-III. Nowhere on the car or anywhere is the word Lincoln attached to this car, which is the way Ford intended. I can't stand when someone calls it a Lincoln at the same time trying to educate people about this remarkable car.
@@mmartin2924 thank you for watching. It is appreciated!
I can remember like it was yesterday a grammar school friends mother picking up my classmate with her brand new Mark III. I new i was a car nut I must have walked around the car 10 times what a beautiful car.
My dad had a 69 and later a 78 Mark V , the 69 III was fantastic.; I was 7 and he sold it when I was 9.
This is always been my dream car.I had to settle for a 1969 Tbird 429
What a beautiful car.
I liked when they said, "... the grille can only be copied, not improved upon" about the grille design they copied from Rolls Royce.
Nice video. One slight correction: the mockup shown at :27 is that of a rejected proposal for the Mark IV, which of course came later.
Thank you for watching. Please understand it can be difficult to find mock up photos.
My favorite car, particularly the 1970 and 1971. The Mark III was based on the T-Bird chassis, but it was based on the 4 door T- Bird chassis, they forgot to mention that.
Thanks for watching and for your comment. There's no "They" here just me. I didn't forget it based on a 4 door I just didn't see it making that much of a difference for the viewer.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs The 4 door T-Bird had a longer wheelbase than the 2 door T-Bird and the Mark III was based on that longer wheelbase.
@@trucking604 yes I understand that.
No doubt that was a beautiful automobile, thank you Tony !
Thank you for watching!
The real Star ⭐️ of the 1971 Movie, The French Connection
I had a neighbor that just love these cars. He had one that was black and just beautiful. He had other ones that were beautiful as well. People just seem to find him. Because the cars weren't selling for that much in the early nineties. How is solitaire absolutely beautiful cars. There is a private detective that drove one of these and I don't remember the name of the TV show. Maybe it was Canon. I think the original Steve mcgarrett drove something like this maybe a earlier version? But irregardless of that. I love that long Hood. That's why my favorite year of Camaro also have the long Hood through the 70s and part of the 80s.
I believe it was Canon. He was a bigger guy and that would have been his type of car. Thank for your comment and for watching!
Frank Cannon drove a Mark III in the first season. Then a MarkIV. Steve Mcgarrett drove a 1968 triple black Mercury Park Lane.
@svenskaboi67 it was a Park Lane
I have seen only two of them in junkyards in the last 20 years. Even in rusted out condition with water having destroyed the interior, they look stunning. If you stand at the passenger side rear corner and look at the body lines at the top of the door that run the length of the car, there is a beautiful wide body effect. Then look at the dash through the passenger side door window and it looks so elegant. Even the fake leather stitching on the dash pad looks great from that direction. When new, the triple black color combination must have been hauntingly beautiful to look at. So sad how these became worthless and so many were destroyed. They are making a bit of a comeback and are still affordable for a nice one. The original Mark 2 from the 1950s was perhaps the most beautiful car made in the USA of all time but it’s now out of reach of ordinary people.
Thank you for your comment and for watching.
I agree, it breaks my heart when I see one of these beauties in junk yards or rusting away in the weeds in the middle of nowhere with all the glass busted out - thankfully it seems quite a few have survived in pretty good shape.
That 70 model Mark III is a stunningly beautiful automobile. That would be a great jazz mobile. Put in a modern audio system and then play some Coltrane, Cronic Blues comes to mind. Or Butters Blues by Yusef Lateef and then the definitive 1958 Miles Davis album Kinda Blue. Big Fords and jazz are two of my favorite things.
Yes I can see that! Thanks for sharing.
Iacocca loved his broughams. It was great that Ford had success this the Mark III, IV & V.
I am going to be honest. I prefer the Thunderbird from 1969 over the Mark III.
I had a powder blue 1970 model I bought form the first owner , window sticker said $8891. Had a “traction lock “ rear end you could burn both tires down the street . A beautiful car , wish I had not sold it to the neighbor that junked it . Truly heartbreaking
I did not know that these had A.B.S. Also I did not know about the crankshaft driven power steering pump. Interesting.
Neither did i until I dug into these cars. It's one of the reasons I enjoy making videos as I'm constantly learning. Thanks for watching!
Cannon drove one on his TV show, the only car big enough to carry William Conrad chasing criminals. That said something especially when it rocked back and forth when he got out.
I barely remember but he wasn't a small guy. Thanks for watching
Sharp looking car. I just wish they hadn't tried to turn the T-Bird and the Cougar into the same thing in the 70s.
I’m a Lincoln Mark fan. I have a 73 Mk4, and a 98 Mk8.
Nice collection. Stay tuned there will be more Marks covered in the future. :)
I love the Eldorado and the TBird but the Mark III had more class than either. It was beautiful, understated and tasteful. There are some affordable ones around today but you need to find a good one or repairs will sink you.
My 1971 one was superb in every way. The fit and finish was perfection and it drove better than a Silver Shadow. At 65mhp, it got 17.5 mpg. I foolishly traded it for a 1973 Eldorado convertible. The fit and finish on that pig was horrible. I still toy with getting another MKIII, but I am a bit too old for that.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the Mark III and for watching. I think we all have those car regrets!
Best looking Lincoln and it would haul ass !
the best looking Marks of all IMO... a masculine look that I think got somewhat lost in later models.
If Ford made a Lincoln counterpart of the Mustang, this could make a comeback. They have the right platform, which is RWD with a V8 which is traditionally American.
As much as I would like to believe that I'm not sure if it would. Sadly todays America loves the boxy and boring SUV.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Well, if most Americans prefer SUVs, automakers can remain profitable by offering many SUV models but only one sedan and coupe model, since only one option immediately fills the void and doesn’t offer too many for the low demand at the same time. In spite of all the controversy of a 4-door Mustang, Ford would have one sedan and one coupe but their main focus would still be on SUVs. In my opinion, there should be at least one model of each vehicle’s kind in production, especially if they’re traditional.
My Dad had one same color as shown…
I would like to know how the anti lock braking system worked back then
Sure track was an anti-skid braking system for rear wheels. It pulsed rear brakes up to 4 times per second when a skid was detected. It had an analog control box on bottom of the dash(I believe that was made by Texas Instruments), and a manifold vacuum operated Kelsey-Hayes Sure Track servo/valving unit on the right side lower fire wall next to the starter motor.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Thanks for the explanation !!!
Iacocca saw it as a great success and Volvo saw it as a great car to copy! Hence the 262C! (Bertone Coupe)
This is what made Ford great, JFKs favorite was a 64 T bird, cars then had distinct looks and character, what the hell happened?
The Mark III was a class act. So was the Mark IV and Mark V. Way better than any Cadillac. I never owned a Mark III, but I have owned a Mark IV and two Mark Vs.
These cars are some of the best possible recipients of a 460 Ford crate motor ever created. Not that 365 advertised HP is some joke. By the way: needs at least a 3.23 rear axle ratio.
I am the one, who does not like the look of the Continental Mark III and would prefer the Thunderbird of the same year instead. This vehicle looks like it should have a buffer and be on a railway instead of the road. Quite bizzare automobile, should say. * *sips tea* *
@@mirisch64 they are popular cars but I don’t think you are only one. Thank you for your comment and for watching.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs much appreciation!
Note that both the factory interior photos and restored/survivor cars showed leather. Cadillac had much nicer cloth interiors than Lincoln in this era - rich brocades and colorful plaids giving way to the first of the crushed velours vs Lincoln using the same "panty cloth" as a Ford LTD - but Lincoln used a higher grade of leather and had a higher take rate for it.
An island two of them on Mark 7 also Mark 8
Owned two of them
I spend the whole day on Labor Day weekends in 1985 reading his book about Crytser Story , it was a great story of his successes, but when he was terminated I hate the US corp when Ford treat his top-notch people. I brought 1964 Ford Mustang in 1980 used for $700.00 thay has 70K and love Mustang the US car back then but OPEC oil embargo had destroyed US car industry.
The Mark III continued where the '56 & '57 Mark II left off. It was more profitable than the Mark II because they sold a lot more. I am surprised in the Mark III weighing more than the '72 Mark IV even though the Mark IV is longer.
The Mark II was an awesome car. It was also expensive to design and build and therefore less profitable if at all.
I got 1971 mark tree
Charlie Oscar Oscar Lima sierra 😎
Well, Tony, that gen Continental is a very successful and highly profitable car, but it shows everything that went wrong with American 70's PLCs and why both Lincoln and Cadillac lost "young crowd" market.
@@runoflife87 I’m not sure either ever had the young crowd. They were geared to the country club crowd. Thanks for your comment and for watching
@@TonysFordsandMustangs I think he means the young up-and-coming yuppie types. After this stage, those personal luxury coupes were no longer an aspiration for that group.
mark 3 nice but Eldorado had front drive. I've mark 3's on tv shows.
There is one four-door Continental Mark III in existence.
That's news to me thanks for sharing. I'll have to look it up.
I think the Eldo had the Mark III beat on exterior styling, but not by much. However, the Mark III's interior design was far superior to the Eldo's.
🥝✔️
Loved all the marks except for the mark 5
Iac
The car of "stars, celebrities and dignitaries? " Who cares? I saw executives and regular people who worked hard at the factory who bought these back in the day.
If Iacocca felt like this was his best, then I take back all the nice things I've said about him. LOL. Slapping a whole lot of UGLY on a T-Bird and stuffing it with stupid options did more to destroy style and design in the 70's than anything. The 60's had so much promise only to morph into some of the worst cars in the auto industry's history, and FORD had much to do with that. I'll never get it I suppose.
Mark III was a star in the movie “the French Connection”.
Still looks good today like the original Seville.