1979 Lincoln Continental

This fifth generation Continental is a Collector’s Series model. The fifth-gen Continental was the first Lincoln to have body-on-frame construction since 1957. In order to save on development and engineering costs, the Continental rode on an extended wheelbase version of the Mercury Marquis chassis. The car was fitted with front disc and rear drum brakes, with 4-wheel disc brakes becoming an option in 1975. The car sports a 400 cubic inch, 6.6L V8 mated to a Ford C6 3-speed automatic transmission. To commemorate the end of production of the fifth-gen Lincoln Continental while denoting them as the final “traditional” full-size American luxury car, Lincoln offered a limited production ‘Collector’s Series.’ Only four options were available: a power moonroof, 40-channel CB radio, “Sure Track” anti-lock brakes, and a Kashmir velour interior.

The metallic blue exterior of this Continental is fairly clean. The housing for the front driver’s side turn signal and the enamel in the hood ornament both appear to have cracked slightly. Some of the paint has chipped between the front of the car and the chrome bumper, and there is another chip near the passenger taillight as well. There are also some cracks in the paint between the body and the hood of the car and there also seems to be a small dent in the passenger door. The yellow tinted moonroof is in good condition. The pinstriping is scuffed in a very small area on the passenger rear quarter panel. The vinyl top is in good shape, and with the exception of the dent in the passenger door, the paint looks clean. The hubcaps show no flaws, the tires don’t have any cracks, and tread looks decent. The gold grille is free of imperfections.

We are happy to report that this Continental comes equipped with the Collector’s Series blue Kashmir velour interior. The seats look unfathomably comfortable. The driver’s door panel looks clean although the armrest appears slightly weathered. The passenger door panel is clean. The carpets up front don’t appear to have any holes or tears, but they would benefit greatly from a deep cleaning. The “wooden” dashboard is in excellent shape, showing no cracks whatsoever. However, the same cannot be said for the steering wheel. The wood is failing in the center, and most of the trim around the rim of the wheel is gone. The Cartier clock in the dashboard is in excellent condition. The leather center storage compartment is fairly weathered with several small but noticeable tears. The seller reports that the AM/FM/8-track radio is in working order as well. Overall, the interior is in good shape, and could easily move up to great shape with some attention to detail.

Based on the condition of this vehicle, it would be safe to assume that this vehicle has a clean undercarriage with some surface corrosion present. The engine bay would benefit immensely from a power washing, but everything looks to be in order under the hood.

History on this Collector’s Edition Continental is brief. In roughly 40 years, the car has only accrued 49,581 miles. The seller tells us that the A/C blows cold, and also informed us that both the half-top and wheel cover are new.

This Lincoln Continental is awesome. From the gold grille down to the Cartier clock, this car oozes style at every corner. The exterior is in great shape barring a few imperfections and the interior is ready to go. A deep cleaning on the inside and some loving attention on the outside will absolutely take this car from a background piece to a certified showstopper. This car would make an excellent weekend cruiser, and it is certainly one for any luxury car fans to keep an eye on.

The Market by Bonhams is excited to offer this Lincoln Continental Collector’s Series for online auction at no reserve with an estimate of $5,000-10,000.