I'm not usually a huge fan of the non-Mark Lincolns from the first half of the '70s (though I do like the '74 a lot), but this one is beautiful...the Coupe really looks a lot better without the vinyl roof, and in black it really works so well...it's the nicest looking one I've ever seen.
This series is so fun to watch. Two different approaches from Ford. And a glorious result. That we would never see again. Well, until now. So so cool !
Hi from Sydney , Australia , having an aussie spec' RHD 1973 Conti' mk4 I have collected many period articles and books on these cars . RE the bonnet/hood pressing the engineering dept of Lincoln Division won a coveted national metallurgical award for for the dies and pressing tools for punching out the hoods due to the complex shapes on this hood plus also the width and length factors as well. In the day it was seen as an extraordinary achievement .
Very nice. The metal stamping process is really interesting, quite the science. All of the engineers, die makers, etc. did an amazing job with some difficult panels there. The panel quality on these is just top notch.
As a brit we never had such wonderful beasts cruising our highways. The american cars of yesteryear are works of art. And i thank you adam for bringing them too my attention.
I like the information given about the headlight covers why I always see Continental Mark 3-4 and 5 with the light cover open after the car been parked for years.
I really appreciate you being able to bring industry icons, experts and specialists to discuss the planning, construction and design features of these and other vehicles. Your resources, interview style and editing make a compelling series that keeps the viewer engaged. Keep it up and thanks for educating us on the background and details of these iconic and sometimes overlooked Detroit icons.
These cars often added to the athmosphere of many movie scenes. Even if just parked in the background, eyes shut. Many times it may have been product placement, but surely used by directors and production designers to great effect. The angular front with hidden lamps had a sinister aire to it. In the movie Harold and Maude, a Marquis and a yellow 71 Continental were parked side by side in a scene that made for an almost otherworldly an impression. And in Herbie rides again, 3 Continentals literally "face" the Beetles friendly lines with their almost sinister look.
What a great 3-part series!! I loved it!! Thanks for this!! I had a 77 Town Coupe and a 76 Mark IV and loved them, but I rarely drove them. I finally sold them. I also had a 1986 and 1989 Town Cars. I also had a 98 Town Car. I now daily drive a 2013 MKS and love the tech in it.
The discussion about Lincolns having long front overhangs brought back memories from my time at Chrysler in the early '80s. Much of the design mgmt there had recently come over from Ford and I remember us being asked to add extra front overhang even to the most compact cars. We always felt this made the cars look awkward but were powerless to change it.
Very nice. I was never too bothered by the lack of finishing once the concealed headlight covers are opened. Makes it easier to access for serving and it’s dark when you generally use them (and you are sitting behind the wheel). My 1981 Imperial does have the nice chrome behind the covers (I think that was cheapened in the 1982 and 83 models). The Chrysler actuators are electric but they also can strip the plastic gears. The happened on my 68 Chrysler 300 4 door hardtop.
Your town car coupe is awesome.I asked your advice about buying a car and am very glad i did i bought a 04 bonneville even with 233,000 still a great car.keep up the good work!I enjoy all your videos
Thanks again for the detailed look at these two cars! FYI, the only Ford cars which I can think of that had finished headlamp door openings are the '67'-'69 Thunderbirds and '67-'68 Cougars.
Back in the '60's My granduncle won a lottery and bought a new burgundy '68 cougar with a black leather interior . He took me out for ice cream and I vomited all over the interior . My aunt warned him but he didn't listen . Lol .
@@rdhudon7469 when someone riding in your car tells you they are getting sick, take their word for it and pull over. Don't even try to talk them out of it 😂
The long overhang almost makes these cars (including Mark III and V, and the other 70's Lincoln's) seem less massive in the sense of how they keep the designs flowing and streamlined them, where they do not look chunky or heavy in appearance, unlike many other very large cars. It's all of a piece with the rooflines (even with the more upright looking 1975-79 non-Marks), etc, that is so well executed.
Light duty trucks took over from these cruisers with all the big luxury now available and the crew cab wheelbase is right up their with the Lincoln and Caddies. These cars left us but we never left these cars. So instead of a Lincoln you have a Limited. Caddy is a Denali etc.
GM Saginaw 'canned ham' PS pump, also found in trucks and vans. My '68 Cougar had 'bezel plates' which covered the cavity and all of its springs and adjuster screws, when the headlight doors were open. For '69 and '70, the Cougar also went to a single actuator/servo. My '68 Cougar had no springs in the servo, so the doors stayed closed indefinitely. There were supposed to be springs for the doors, but I didn't have them. Mine had only vacuum holding the doors open, with gravity assisting the weaker top seals in keeping the doors closed/down.
Interesting point about the headlight doors. I believe GM, especially in my long-ago neighbor’s Camaro RS, used vacuum to keep the doors closed, so a vacuum failure would leave them open, and operational.
As far as the P/S pump, Ford’s usual pump tended to be higher pressure, for that fingertip ease of use, but needed an auxiliary fluid cooler. GM’s didn’t.
Adam, great presentation w/ Marc. Your varied knowledge together is easy to listen to. I love both of these vehicles. Love the grille on the Mark IV. but I'd have to go w/ the Continental Coupe. So clean, wide, elegant, non vinyl, and so uniquely rare. Love the Coupe's IP as well. Thanks for the recent night drives showing headlights, tail lights, signals - IPs, startups on other cars too. I had a Parker Brother's game called "Dealer's Choice" (1974) as an 11 year old - my fav car to "buy" in that game was the Continental Coupe. I've watched every video Adam - thank you for enjoyable presentations.
The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado caused a sensation, but so did the 1967 Mercury Cougar. The Cougar was a revelation! No trace of Mustang is evident in the Cougar's design, it looked more like a small Thunderbird. So, if the Mustang can give rise to the Cougar, what would happen if the same technique was applied to a Ford Torino/Mercury Montego? Ford engineering recognized the similarity of a mid-sized coupe, versus a personal luxury car. The Mark IV is a design and engineering triumph, the advantage of lessons learned well.
Marc mentions numerous times in this series how the Mk IV was based off the Torino. While they no doubt share a number of individual Ford components I do not think that assertion is correct. The Mk IV and the Thunderbird are platform mates, sharing the same wheelbase, frame, unique “bent” A-pillars and door internals. None of those are used by the Torino as it was a smaller vehicle.
Yes. The Tbird and Mark IV of this gen share many Torino components and were based off of it, much like the 76 Seville was based off of a stretched Chevy Nova.
I see neither car has the Helholz resonator (looks kind of like an oil filter) on the air cleaner. Maybe it came later. I used to think that only high end 460 cars like Lincolns got them but now I wonder if they were just installed sporadically . My parent's '76 Elite 460 didn't have one, but I have seen a '74 460 Cougar that did. I have seen big Mercurys with and without them too.
Only thing that’s not correct is where Mark says he will start it cause there is not enough juice to open them. In I believe 69 Ford added the default spring to the headlight actuators so once vacuum is depleted the headlight doors will open. If closed they will ALWAYS open, but if you don’t have vacuum then once you open the doors they might not close! Your Continental perfectly demonstrated what I’m referring to ! The doors were closed, they opened up just fine without engine running, but they didn’t have enough vacuum to pull them back down without the car running. Without starting the Mark IV the covers would have opened but may or may not have closed depending on what supply was left in the vac reservoir. I’ve had My Mark lll and 67 Tbird since 85 and 89 respectively and know well how they work. The 67-8 Bird headlight doors stay closed forever even if vac is depleted as there is no fail safe “open” spring. Just an FYI That I’m sure you guys know but viewers may not!
Perhaps the lower Mk IV horsepower is caused by the lower hood. The FWD transaxle of the Eldorado caused the air filter housing to be flatter and lowered, which I believe reduced engine power a bit.
To my mind, the Mark IV was the best looking of the series. Still don't understand Ford's decision to use vacuum for the headlight doors. It seems so much more complex and less reliable than a simple electric motor.
It’s quieter. And reliable. My MkV is for 45 years old and they work well. If you do have to replace a valve that holds the line pressure so the doors remained closed, it’s not expensive.
The electric ones could and did have trouble with the linkages and motors, notably the '67-'69 Camaro RS, and another commenter above stated that he had a Chrysler 300 which had linkage problems, so they weren't immune to problems either. I think all Chargers are electric from '66 on, so I don't know if MOPAR ever used vacuum. The '63-'67 Corvettes used electric motors, with Chevrolet switching to vacuum actuation for the C3. Maybe GM felt safe using electric on the RS because the doors were side-hinged?
Did these cars have level control inflating rear shocks as on some Cadillacs of the era? I'm wondering how well the Mark IV tows anything of weight with the soft springs.
I hope there is no part 3 to this where Adam mistakingly puts it in reverse and hits the gas instead of the brake. lol Looks like it is a long way down. If I had to pick one it would be Marc's. The side profile reminds me of my grampa's then dad's 71' Galaxie 500.
I'm an old man of 74, but I would like to own your 72 Mark IV. I use to own the last large 1979 Mercury Cougar XRT, and it had similar body style as your 72 Mark IV. That long hood made it a real luxury driver. What State are you from, and what price would you let the Mark IV go?
I think the Mark IV would look great if the front turn signals were in the bumper and the leading edge of the front were finished off like the 67 Eldorado, just thinking.....
I love stock everything no complaints there. However that Hot Rod Lincoln Continental would do nice with a period supercharger and maybe some period rally wheels.
We saw a straight black Mark III at a car show many years ago... totally stock, but with a blown 460 poking through the hood. There was something magical about that.
It's funny when you watch an old t v show and and they use the sound of a Chrysler starter when a Lincoln or a Chevrolet starts up obviously not car guys like Us
Opera windows say more about American taste than anything connected with automotive design. And the engineers must have asked the designers how are we going to fill an engine bay that big?.''.I dunno guys '' ''..space it out I guess.''
If you stand back and look at the MkIV front end objectively, that ersatz radiator anachronism is laughable. It's because those twin beacons of poor "throwback" design- Rolls Royce and Mercedes- ruled the "status" of luxury, and both featured grilles abandoned by the rest of the automotive world in the thirties.
can't get over how beautiful the '72 Continental coupe is.........
Agree! Especially in all black without the vinyl top. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one without.
I'm not usually a huge fan of the non-Mark Lincolns from the first half of the '70s (though I do like the '74 a lot), but this one is beautiful...the Coupe really looks a lot better without the vinyl roof, and in black it really works so well...it's the nicest looking one I've ever seen.
This series is so fun to watch. Two different approaches from Ford. And a glorious result. That we would never see again. Well, until now. So so cool !
Hi from Sydney , Australia , having an aussie spec' RHD 1973 Conti' mk4 I have collected many period articles and books on these cars . RE the bonnet/hood pressing the engineering dept of Lincoln Division won a coveted national metallurgical award for for the dies and pressing tools for punching out the hoods due to the complex shapes on this hood plus also the width and length factors as well. In the day it was seen as an extraordinary achievement .
Always loved the sound of the door latches on those old Ford cars.
Это не форд
Imho two of some of the most handsome American cars ever produced.
Both of these Continentals are gorgeous!!!! Thanks guys for sharing these beautiful machines!!! 👍👍🙂
The lack of vinyl top on the Town Coupe is just stunning. Buttery smooth look.
i was never really interested in full sized cars but you make them interesting.
Very nice. The metal stamping process is really interesting, quite the science. All of the engineers, die makers, etc. did an amazing job with some difficult panels there. The panel quality on these is just top notch.
As a huge 460 fan, what a great line Mark had... " lets start up the 460's". Love it as if one big 460 wasnt enough. Absolutely classic.
As a brit we never had such wonderful beasts cruising our highways. The american cars of yesteryear are works of art. And i thank you adam for bringing them too my attention.
I like the information given about the headlight covers why I always see Continental Mark 3-4 and 5 with the light cover open after the car been parked for years.
Thank you Mark and Adam, a most informative series ..
Thank you both for a great series on these 2 beautiful American automobiles. 🇺🇸❤️
Love this series! Love Lincolns too!
I really appreciate you being able to bring industry icons, experts and specialists to discuss the planning, construction and design features of these and other vehicles. Your resources, interview style and editing make a compelling series that keeps the viewer engaged. Keep it up and thanks for educating us on the background and details of these iconic and sometimes overlooked Detroit icons.
These cars often added to the athmosphere of many movie scenes. Even if just parked in the background, eyes shut. Many times it may have been product placement, but surely used by directors and production designers to great effect. The angular front with hidden lamps had a sinister aire to it. In the movie Harold and Maude, a Marquis and a yellow 71 Continental were parked side by side in a scene that made for an almost otherworldly an impression. And in Herbie rides again, 3 Continentals literally "face" the Beetles friendly lines with their almost sinister look.
What a great 3-part series!! I loved it!! Thanks for this!! I had a 77 Town Coupe and a 76 Mark IV and loved them, but I rarely drove them. I finally sold them. I also had a 1986 and 1989 Town Cars. I also had a 98 Town Car. I now daily drive a 2013 MKS and love the tech in it.
I knew GM’s fit and finish wasn’t great in these years, but I didn’t know that Lincoln’s was so good.
Mark IV is up there with the best looking cars of all time
These cars look so great!!!
What a treat to see this series of videos. Thank you!!
There are so many things about each car that I like better than the other. But they are both great looking.
The discussion about Lincolns having long front overhangs brought back memories from my time at Chrysler in the early '80s. Much of the design mgmt there had recently come over from Ford and I remember us being asked to add extra front overhang even to the most compact cars. We always felt this made the cars look awkward but were powerless to change it.
Interesting. Which cars got that look at Chrysler?
Many styling proposals never shown to the public. Some of this influence can be seen on the K-car based New Yorker and Dynasty.
Very nice. I was never too bothered by the lack of finishing once the concealed headlight covers are opened. Makes it easier to access for serving and it’s dark when you generally use them (and you are sitting behind the wheel). My 1981 Imperial does have the nice chrome behind the covers (I think that was cheapened in the 1982 and 83 models). The Chrysler actuators are electric but they also can strip the plastic gears. The happened on my 68 Chrysler 300 4 door hardtop.
Adam, thanks for having Mark on to discuss design. As far as I'm concerned he does come back by POPULAR demand. A wealth of knowledge.
Hats off to both of you for putting together an informative and enjoyable series. Hope we get another!
Quietly exciting video showing comparisons within the same year. Gives me the feeling I was at a dealership show room.
Your town car coupe is awesome.I asked your advice about buying a car and am very glad i did i bought a 04 bonneville even with 233,000 still a great car.keep up the good work!I enjoy all your videos
Thanks again for the detailed look at these two cars! FYI, the only Ford cars which I can think of that had finished headlamp door openings are the '67'-'69 Thunderbirds and '67-'68 Cougars.
An easily rationalized thing for Adam's predecessors to have cut out of the program...
Back in the '60's My granduncle won a lottery and bought a new burgundy '68 cougar with a black leather interior . He took me out for ice cream and I vomited all over the interior . My aunt warned him but he didn't listen . Lol .
@@rdhudon7469 when someone riding in your car tells you they are getting sick, take their word for it and pull over. Don't even try to talk them out of it 😂
‘72 is really the ideal year for both cars. Late Mid-Century perfection.
The long overhang almost makes these cars (including Mark III and V, and the other 70's Lincoln's) seem less massive in the sense of how they keep the designs flowing and streamlined them, where they do not look chunky or heavy in appearance, unlike many other very large cars. It's all of a piece with the rooflines (even with the more upright looking 1975-79 non-Marks), etc, that is so well executed.
Light duty trucks took over from these cruisers with all the big luxury now available and the crew cab wheelbase is right up their with the Lincoln and Caddies. These cars left us but we never left these cars. So instead of a Lincoln you have a Limited. Caddy is a Denali etc.
True, but the trucks just don’t have the class of the older cars….
GM Saginaw 'canned ham' PS pump, also found in trucks and vans.
My '68 Cougar had 'bezel plates' which covered the cavity and all of its springs and adjuster screws, when the headlight doors were open.
For '69 and '70, the Cougar also went to a single actuator/servo. My '68 Cougar had no springs in the servo, so the doors stayed closed indefinitely. There were supposed to be springs for the doors, but I didn't have them. Mine had only vacuum holding the doors open, with gravity assisting the weaker top seals in keeping the doors closed/down.
Interesting point about the headlight doors. I believe GM, especially in my long-ago neighbor’s Camaro RS, used vacuum to keep the doors closed, so a vacuum failure would leave them open, and operational.
As far as the P/S pump, Ford’s usual pump tended to be higher pressure, for that fingertip ease of use, but needed an auxiliary fluid cooler. GM’s didn’t.
Adam, great presentation w/ Marc. Your varied knowledge together is easy to listen to. I love both of these vehicles. Love the grille on the Mark IV. but I'd have to go w/ the Continental Coupe. So clean, wide, elegant, non vinyl, and so uniquely rare. Love the Coupe's IP as well. Thanks for the recent night drives showing headlights, tail lights, signals - IPs, startups on other cars too. I had a Parker Brother's game called "Dealer's Choice" (1974) as an 11 year old - my fav car to "buy" in that game was the Continental Coupe. I've watched every video Adam - thank you for enjoyable presentations.
Two American beauties! Total presence driving up in one of these!
Such Well-Built Cars, Marc and Adam.😊👏
What's cool is that these were made at the Wixom plant, a place that produced many models for decades.
I chuckle too as I work on my 75 Continental as it too has the GM ac compressor and GM power steering pump
Mutch needed & very appreciated video series. Thank you. It was excellent
Marks last line was the perfect ending.
I love the Lincoln Marks, (and in this case, Marc's Lincoln)😁, but there is something about that Lincoln coupe that just draws me in! 🤘
I love these comparison videos. It would be very interesting to see one of competing models, such as this Continental and your Imperial coupe...
I hope that you two will present more. Great job!
The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado caused a sensation, but so did the 1967 Mercury Cougar. The Cougar was a revelation! No trace of Mustang is evident in the Cougar's design, it looked more like a small Thunderbird. So, if the Mustang can give rise to the Cougar, what would happen if the same technique was applied to a Ford Torino/Mercury Montego? Ford engineering recognized the similarity of a mid-sized coupe, versus a personal luxury car. The Mark IV is a design and engineering triumph, the advantage of lessons learned well.
Marc mentions numerous times in this series how the Mk IV was based off the Torino. While they no doubt share a number of individual Ford components I do not think that assertion is correct. The Mk IV and the Thunderbird are platform mates, sharing the same wheelbase, frame, unique “bent” A-pillars and door internals. None of those are used by the Torino as it was a smaller vehicle.
Yes. The Tbird and Mark IV of this gen share many Torino components and were based off of it, much like the 76 Seville was based off of a stretched Chevy Nova.
Thank you Adam and Mark!
Enjoyed watching! Beautiful cars.
I love this, guys. Thank you!
Two very nice cars. 🏆
Beautiful examples
Adam, I have to say Marc's Mark IV is probably the nicest Torino I have ever seen. 😁
Indeed!
@@RareClassicCars Since it was part of the Lincoln Mercury family, should we consider it to be a high end Montego?
The super long hood of the Lincolns ensured that you arrived at your destination quicker than the Cadillac with it's relatively shorter hood. LOL
I see neither car has the Helholz resonator (looks kind of like an oil filter) on the air cleaner. Maybe it came later. I used to think that only high end 460 cars like Lincolns got them but now I wonder if they were just installed sporadically .
My parent's '76 Elite 460 didn't have one, but I have seen a '74 460 Cougar that did.
I have seen big Mercurys with and without them too.
It came later
Beautiful vehicles
Only thing that’s not correct is where Mark says he will start it cause there is not enough juice to open them. In I believe 69 Ford added the default spring to the headlight actuators so once vacuum is depleted the headlight doors will open. If closed they will ALWAYS open, but if you don’t have vacuum then once you open the doors they might not close! Your Continental perfectly demonstrated what I’m referring to ! The doors were closed, they opened up just fine without engine running, but they didn’t have enough vacuum to pull them back down without the car running. Without starting the Mark IV the covers would have opened but may or may not have closed depending on what supply was left in the vac reservoir. I’ve had My Mark lll and 67 Tbird since 85 and 89 respectively and know well how they work. The 67-8 Bird headlight doors stay closed forever even if vac is depleted as there is no fail safe “open” spring. Just an FYI That I’m sure you guys know but viewers may not!
'you dont see a -massive- two door car anymore'
Perhaps the lower Mk IV horsepower is caused by the lower hood. The FWD transaxle of the Eldorado caused the air filter housing to be flatter and lowered, which I believe reduced engine power a bit.
I think it’s due to the exhaust
Between these two I prefer the stealth appearance of the Continental Coupe 👍
the 72 most attractive of all the marks😮😊
Nice
To my mind, the Mark IV was the best looking of the series. Still don't understand Ford's decision to use vacuum for the headlight doors. It seems so much more complex and less reliable than a simple electric motor.
It’s quieter. And reliable. My MkV is for 45 years old and they work well. If you do have to replace a valve that holds the line pressure so the doors remained closed, it’s not expensive.
The electric ones could and did have trouble with the linkages and motors, notably the '67-'69 Camaro RS, and another commenter above stated that he had a Chrysler 300 which had linkage problems, so they weren't immune to problems either. I think all Chargers are electric from '66 on, so I don't know if MOPAR ever used vacuum.
The '63-'67 Corvettes used electric motors, with Chevrolet switching to vacuum actuation for the C3. Maybe GM felt safe using electric on the RS because the doors were side-hinged?
Your car’s are great
When did Lincoln begin using the ‘Town’ moniker on the larger models? And was this when the standard Lincoln lost its‘Continental’ status?
Did these cars have level control inflating rear shocks as on some Cadillacs of the era? I'm wondering how well the Mark IV tows anything of weight with the soft springs.
My 1977 2-door Town Car that was triple black only got seven miles to the gallon.
How much is that under hood light really doing on a dark and lonely road when the 4300 goes out?
I really like Marc's Mark IV
I hope there is no part 3 to this where Adam mistakingly puts it in reverse and hits the gas instead of the brake. lol
Looks like it is a long way down. If I had to pick one it would be Marc's. The side profile reminds me of my grampa's then dad's 71' Galaxie 500.
I'm an old man of 74, but I would like to own your 72 Mark IV. I use to own the last large 1979 Mercury Cougar XRT, and it had similar body style as your 72 Mark IV. That long hood made it a real luxury driver. What State are you from, and what price would you let the Mark IV go?
Somewhere out there is a deer dying to make an acquaintance of those two cars (no pun intended).
Buying a 1975 continental mark iv next month. I absolutely love it. Any advise?
Make sure the climate control works and clean your window switches
@@RareClassicCars alright thank you, I'll keep that in mind.
Before handing over your money, are you going to have a mechanic look it over?
@@robertdragoff6909 No im not sadly. It will be imported, but I have reviewed it myself in person.
It's like from Cannon episode, I can imagine him chasing some ceo turned murderer driving Continental Coupe in his Mark IV.
nice ...
I think the Mark IV would look great if the front turn signals were in the bumper and the leading edge of the front were finished off like the 67 Eldorado, just thinking.....
Which year are you saying is prone to detonation?
Are this cars for sale?
I didn't see your headlights come on HMM.
10:02 classic ford startup
Mkiv has front proportions like a Aston Martin Lagonda.
-''Look at that coupe!''
-''Which one?''
-''Both!''
I’m sure Hank the Deuce was chapped to have GM parts in his cars.
I love stock everything no complaints there. However that Hot Rod Lincoln Continental would do nice with a period supercharger and maybe some period rally wheels.
We saw a straight black Mark III at a car show many years ago... totally stock, but with a blown 460 poking through the hood. There was something magical about that.
Chrysler used that Saginaw steering pump a lot also. Without rhyme or reason as to when.
I don't care much for the long front overhang. The very short front overhang on my '65 Bel Airs was one of the things that made them attractive to me.
It's funny when you watch an old t v show and and they use the sound of a Chrysler starter when a Lincoln or a Chevrolet starts up obviously not car guys like Us
It's not even close.
The Lincoln Coupe by a mile.
The HUGE front overhang on these Lincolns just kills it for me. I think it looks ugly.
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Opera windows say more about American taste than anything connected with
automotive design.
And the engineers must have asked the designers how are we going to fill an engine
bay that big?.''.I dunno guys '' ''..space it out I guess.''
Never realized the fenders were made from two pieces. Marc, please remove the silly trailer hitch from your Mark!
I️ guess I’m first.
*Stranger, “What kinda mileage does that get?” *Me, 8… *stranger, “wow only 8mpg?” *me, No…: just 8…. 🤣
Ford back when America was great! What happened?
Every time I see that MK4 it reminds of the Lincoln that was used in the 70s movie The Car, if you have not seen it do so
I believe that was a MkIII.
If you stand back and look at the MkIV front end objectively, that ersatz radiator anachronism is laughable. It's because those twin beacons of poor "throwback" design- Rolls Royce and Mercedes- ruled the "status" of luxury, and both featured grilles abandoned by the rest of the automotive world in the thirties.