1993 Lincoln Town Car

The Lincoln marque has used the 'Town Car' designation on multiple occasions during its existence, at times to represent a body style and others for a model. During the 1920s, it represented limousine coachwork, invoking the horse-drawn carriage that had an open chauffeur compartment and a fixed roof for the passengers. These were known as 'de Ville' which was French for 'town use.' Cadillac would late use the 'Sedan de Ville' designation for its model that rivaled Lincoln's Continental. During the late 1950s, the Town Car designation was applied to the short-lived but very memorable Continental marque. The 'Town Car' name returned in 1970 as a trim package option on the Continental and continued through 1980. In 1981, the Town Car became a model and was offered as a two-door and four-door sedan (the two-door was discontinued a year later). After nearly a decade, the Town Car received an extensive restyling in 1990 which would last through 1997.

Second Generation
Known as the second generation of the Lincoln Town Car, it had a 117.4-inch wheelbase and initially measured 218.9-inches in length, growing slightly in 1995 to 219 inches (approximately the same as the 'first generation (1980 to 1989) which had a 117.3-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 219.2 inches). It styling, however, was more contemporary and more inline with the family theme worn by the Mark VII and the Continental. The engine continued to use the powerplant motivating the '1st Gen' due to development delays of the Modular engine program. A small block 302 CID V8 with 150 horsepower powered the 1990 models while a new Modular SOHC 281 CID V8 powered the 1991 to 1997 models. The optional 210 horsepower dual-exhaust version became standard for the 1994 model year.

Lincoln achieved record total sales in 1990 and the second-generation Town Car became ranked among the best-selling full-size U.S. luxury sedans. This proved to be short-lived, as the luxury car segment began to erode during the 1990s resulting in declining Town Car sales, and by 1995, it dipped below the 100,000 mark for the first time in over a decade.

Among the list of optional equipment were Y-spoke aluminum wheels, JBL audio system, a voice-activated cellular phone, traction assist, and a new handling package. The Jack Nicklaus Town Car Signature Series package had a green exterior with a white top, and a white leather interior with green accents. Another version had a white exterior and a standard roof with similar interior trim of white leather seats and green trim and carpets. They had leather seats, memory seats, and a power lumbar/recliner. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Series was offered from 1992 through 1997.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2022