1975 Lincoln Continental Mark IV

The grandiose, elegant, and boxy styling of the Lincoln Mark III was a fusion of the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental and the fifth-generation Thunderbird with a Rolls-Royce-inspired grille. Designed specifically to compete with Cadillac's luxurious Eldorado, the Mark III was a resounding success from its initiation in September 1968. The Mark IV that followed in 1972 took an evolutionary design path, embracing a similar profile and incorporating an opera window in the c-pillar. The Mark IV introduced the opera window to the Mark series, and this would become a hallmark of the series through the discontinuation of the Mark VI after 1983. A 5 mph bumper was added to the front in 1973 and to the rear in 1974. With each addition, styling updates were needed to accommodate the larger bumper.

The Lincoln Mark IV two-door coupe was produced from 1972 to 1976 at Wixom, Michigan, sharing the assembly line with its Ford Thunderbird counterpart. Both models shared the same chassis, with the bodywork below the windows differing between the two. The Mark IV received a Continental spare tire trunklid, hidden headlights, a radiator-style grille, pointed (knife-edge) fenders, large fender flares, vinyl roof, opera windows, and 'long-hood, short deck' proportions. The faux 'Continental spare tire' decklid was decorative, with the spare tire actually residing on a ledge in the trunk on top of the gas tank, directly behind the rear seat.

Along with the 120.4-inch wheelbase chassis, the Mark IV and Thunderbird shared several components, helping to keep costs to a minimum. Share components included the doors, inner body panels, and roofline.

The well-equipped Mark IV came standard with cruise controls, wiper-mounted windshield washers, and six-way power Twin Comfort lounge seats with cloth upholstery. The Sure-Track brake system with discs at all four corners was standard and widely regarded as one of the first American cars to be equipped with ant-lock brakes.

The 1975 Lincoln
Lincoln's models for 1975 included the Continental and the Continental Mark IV.

The Continental rested on a 127.2-inch wheelbase and was equipped with a 460 CID V8 engine with 215 (SAE net) hp. The hardtop coupe was priced at $9,215 with 21,185 examples built, and a four-door sedan was priced at $9,660 with 33,513 examples built.

The Continental Mark IV had a 120.4-inch wheelbase, a 220 (SAE net) 460 CID V8 engine, and was offered solely as a two-door, six-passenger hardtop coupe priced at $11,080 (an increase of nearly $1,000 over the previous year) with 47,145 examples constructed.

1976 and Beyond
The Mark IV received 'Designer Series' special-edition option packages in 1976, offering unique appearances, nicer interior appointments, and more exclusivity. This was the final year for the Mark IV, and it was replaced by Mark V in 1977. Throughout the production lifespan of the Mark IV, from 1972 to 1976, a total of 278,599 examples were built. The most popular year was 1973, with 69,437 examples built. 1975 witnessed the fewest sales, with total production reaching 47,145 units.

Production of the Continental Mark V continued through 1979. With an overall length of 230 inches, it was the longest two-door coupe ever sold by Ford Motor Company. During its three years of production, a total of 228,262 examples were built, making it the best-selling generation of the Mark series. The Mark V was replaced by the downsized Continental Mark VI which was built through 1983.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2023