Continental Mark III (1958)
| Continental | |
|---|---|
 Continental Mark III 4-Door Sedan (1958)
|
|
| Mark III | |
| Production period: | 1958 |
| Class : | Upper class |
| Body versions : | Sedan , coupe , convertible |
| Engines: |
Otto engine : 7.0 liters (276 kW) |
| Length: | 5817 mm |
| Width: | 2035 mm |
| Height: | 1435-1445 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 3327 mm |
| Empty weight : | 2370 kg |
| Previous model | Continental Mark II |
| successor | Continental Mark IV |
The Continental Mark III was a luxury vehicle from the automobile manufacturer Continental , which was part of the Ford Motor Company, and was marketed as a model by the Continental Division. The Mark III replaced the Continental Mark II , which was discontinued in 1957 . Like this one, it was an expensive, lavishly equipped car. Unlike its predecessor, the Mark III was closely related to the Lincoln Premiere , which was produced at the same time . The production of the Mark III was limited to the model year 1958. The Mark III is regarded as a member of the so-called Mark Series .
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From 1956 the Ford Motor Company tried to establish a new corporate brand with the Continental Division, which was positioned above the luxury car manufacturer Lincoln. The first model of the new subsidiary, the Continental Mark II, was America's most expensive mass-produced car in 1956. Ford saw the Mark II as a competitor to the most exclusive European luxury imports, such as Rolls-Royce vehicles . Regardless of a purchase price of $ 10,000, the intricately designed and handcrafted Mark II could not be sold at a break even, so Ford lost about $ 1,000 for every sale. In the summer of 1957, the Mark II project was then discontinued. For the new model year, Ford planned a successor - the Mark III; In order to cover costs, however, the concept of an independent construction was abandoned. Technically and externally, the Mark III essentially corresponded to the basic model of the Lincoln brand, but was considerably better equipped.
Model history
The Continental Mark III was based on the 1958 Lincoln Premiere. It had the same 3.33 meter long wheelbase and shared the entire construction with it. The body of the Continental was - unusual for the 1950s - designed to be self-supporting . It was powered by a 7.0 liter (430 cubic inches) eight-cylinder engine, which made 375 SAE -PS and was also used in the contemporary Lincoln models.
The body of the Continental was also identical to the Lincoln. The design was largely due to the Lincoln stylist John Najjar. Both the Lincoln models and the Continental Mark III had long chrome bumpers at the front that merged into a curve in the fenders, offset twin headlights, strongly profiled flanks and pointed tail fins. Only the design of the rear window was independent: while the Lincoln models Capri and Premiere each used a rear panoramic window , the Mark III had an inwardly sloping, flat rear window that could be lowered with an electric motor. This feature, which was found in both the four-door sedan and the two-door coupé, was given the designation “Breezeway Window”.
Like the Lincoln Premiere, the Mark III models were available as a four-door sedan, a Landau hardtop sedan and a two-door coupé. There was also - unlike at the premiere - a convertible version. The cabriolet also adopted the inwardly sloping line of the rear roof end. This design idea required an extremely complex convertible top mechanism. All models were made on the assembly line at Lincoln's new facility in Wixom . Manual work, which was a special feature of the Mark II, no longer existed.
The sales prices of the Mark III had fallen by more than 30 percent compared to the Mark II. They ranged from $ 5,825 for the two-door coupe to $ 6,283 for the convertible. The Lincoln models on which the Mark III was based were about $ 1,000 cheaper; Compared to Cadillac vehicles, the Mark III was about $ 500 more expensive.
In 1958, Ford produced a total of 7,174 four-door sedans (Sedans and Landau), 2,328 coupes and 3,048 convertibles. Twice as many Lincoln Capri and Premiere cars were built in the same model year.
successor
For the 1959 model year, the Mark III was replaced by the Continental Mark IV , which was technically and stylistically essentially identical to the Mark III. In 1969 a new model called the Continental Mark III appeared . It was a personal luxury car that competed with the Cadillac Eldorado as a two-door coupe . In technical terms, the Mark III from 1958 is not related to the vehicle of the same name from 1968.
literature
- Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 . New York (Beekman House) 1984. ISBN 0-517-42462-2 .
