1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III

The first generation of Continentals began with a prototype in 1939. It was a personal project for Ford Motor Company President Edsel Ford with styling by Chief Stylist Eugene T. 'Bob' Gregorie, with the streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr used as starting point. Its popularity was rewarded with it entering the market as a production vehicle, produced from 1942 through 1948 (paused during World War II). The name became dormant for several years until William Clay Ford Sr., Edsel's youngest son, was determined to revive the Continental name. Working with the newly formed Special Products Division to envision the appearance of the new car. Outside proposals were solicited, but ultimately it was an internal design that was selected. The drawings moved to full-scale lay renderings, then prototype, then car. In October of 1955, at the Paris Auto Show, the new Continental Mark II was introduced after an eight-year hiatus.

When Continental ended production of the Mark II in 1957, it was the end of America's most expensive production car. Replacing the Mark II became a monumental task, as it set new standards for restrained elegance. The Continental Mark III that followed was a more versatile car that sold for a more reasonable price. It too set new standards in luxury that was long and low, and like its predecessor, its design was unique and thoroughly modern.

The all-new unibody Continental Mark III was introduced in 1958 and its design would continue through 1960. The 1958 version was sold through the Continental division while the 1959 and 1960 models were sold through the Lincoln-Mercury division.

The Continental Mark III rested on a 131-inch wheelbase platform and initially had an overall length of 229 inches, shrinking slightly in 1959 to 227.1 inches. It had an overall width of 80.1 inches and stood 56.5 inches tall. The 1958 Continentals are the longest-wheelbase sedans ever built by Ford Motor Company. Power was sourced from a 430 cubic-inch (7.0 liter) V8 engine paired with the three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. The 1958 model was rated at 375 horsepower before it was detuned slightly to 350 horsepower for 1959, then to 315 horsepower for 1960.

The four-door sedan with seating for six had a factory base price of $6,000 and 1,283 examples were built. The two-door hardtop coupe was priced at $5,765 and 2,328 were built; the four-door hardtop sedan was $6,000 and $5,891 were built. The most expensive body style on the Continental Mark III was the two-door convertible priced at $6,223 and 3,048 were produced.

Despite the astronomical price of the Continental Mark III (the Lincoln Capri was priced at $4,800 to $4,950 and the Lincoln Premiere was $5,260 to $5,500), a total of 12,550 examples were sold which represented approximately 73 percent of the company's total production.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2022