Continental Mark VI

Continental
	Continental Mark VI Sedan Signature Series (1980)
Mark VI
Production period:	1980-1983
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Limousine , coupe
Engines:	; Petrol engines : 4.9-5.8 liters ; (96-108 kW)
Length:	5480-5570 mm
Width:	1980 mm
Height:	1400-1410 mm
Wheelbase :	2900-2970 mm
Empty weight :	1765-1914 kg
Previous model	Continental Mark V
successor	Lincoln Continental Mark VII

Vinyl roof and Opera Window: independent design features of the Continental Mark VI

The usual curve in the trunk lid: the rear of the Continental Mark VI

Pop-up headlights as on the previous models: Front section of the Continental Mark VI

With a shorter wheelbase: Continental Mark VI Coupé, here in the "Bill Blass" version (1980)

A special feature of all Mark Series models: The stylized spare wheel cover in the trunk lid

The Continental Mark VI is a luxury vehicle that was produced by the American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company from 1980 to 1983 and sold through the Lincoln-Mercury division. It was the fourth generation of a series of luxury models founded in 1968 with the Continental Mark III , which is called the Mark Series and which was positioned above the Lincoln models. The Mark VI was the only model in the Mark Series that was not only offered as a coupe, but also as a sedan. It was technically closely related to the contemporary Lincoln Continental and differed from it by minor body touch-ups and significantly upgraded equipment.

nomenclature

The Continental Mark VI was manufactured by the Lincoln-Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company. As with its predecessors, the Mark III, Mark IV and Mark V , the Mark VI was officially marketed as the Continental Mark VI . With this model, Ford continued the tradition of the Continental Division , which was an independent subsidiary from 1956 to 1960 and produced high-quality luxury vehicles. The reference to the Continental Division was made for marketing reasons in order to document the exclusivity of the Mark VI.

There is reason for misunderstanding insofar as Ford has also used the term Continental (without the addition “Mark”) since 1961 as a pure model name for the Lincoln model series. These vehicles, which were positioned below the Continental Mark series, were given the brand name Lincoln and were called Lincoln Continental . The Mark VI was the only model from the Continental Mark Series that had similarities with the Lincoln Continental models from a technical point of view.

Model history

As a result of the Second Oil Crisis , the Ford Motor Company, like its competitors, was forced to make their models more economical in the future. H. especially to reduce dimensions and weight. Lincoln's standard models, the Lincoln Continental Sedan and the Lincoln Continental Coupé, took this step as the last models in the "full-size class" at the end of 1979. They were based on the Panther platform introduced by the Ford Group in 1978 , which had previously been used for the downsized models Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis had been used.

When the Mark model was redesigned at the same time - unlike in the previous series - there was no need to resort to the technology of the Ford Thunderbird : The Thunderbird of the Box Bird generation had been redesigned for the 1980 model year and now used the so-called Fox platform of the Ford Fairmont . As a result of this downsizing, the Thunderbird was only 5 meters long and already belonged to the Compact class by American standards . In order to prove that the Mark models belonged to the upper class, larger external dimensions were required, regardless of the downsizing that was also required here. Therefore, the Mark VI, like the contemporary Lincoln Continental, was built on the current Panther platform. This conceptual approach gives the Mark VI a special status in the history of the series; later series did not take up this conceptual approach again. The decision to offer the Mark VI as a coupé and a sedan was also an independent one.

By using the Panther platform, the Mark VI was significantly smaller than its predecessor. Compared to the Mark V, the length has been shortened by 450 mm; at the same time, the new models were up to 400 kg lighter.

In terms of construction, the Mark VI was identical to the Lincoln Continental. Both models not only shared the technology, but also most of the body parts. There was, however, a major difference in the wheelbase of the coupés: While the Mark VI Coupé was based on a wheelbase that was 76 mm shorter than the Mark VI four-door, which corresponded to that of the two-door versions of the Ford LTD, the (only in small numbers sold) Lincoln Continental Coupé on the longer wheelbase of the sedan.

Outwardly, the Mark VI and the Lincoln Continental differed mainly in the design of the front end; There were also other styling differences, mostly in the field of cosmetics. While the Continental used two open double headlights, the round headlights of the Mark VI were hidden behind a metal cover painted in body color when idle. In addition, the grille of the Mark VI was designed slightly differently. Another distinguishing feature of the Mark VI was stylized, i.e. H. inoperative ventilation openings in the front fenders. The roof section of the Mark VI was usually covered with vinyl and designed in the style of a convertible roof; some versions had an oval window called the Opera Window in the C-pillar. Finally, this version of the Mark VI also used a stylized spare wheel cover on the trunk lid.

The Mark VI continued to use V8 engines as the drive source, but the displacement had been significantly reduced compared to the previous models. Initially, eight-cylinder engines with displacements of 4.9 or 5.8 liters were available; the range of services ranged from 131 to 142 hp. From model year 1981 the larger engine was omitted; at the same time, the output of the 4.9 liter engine increased to 147 hp. The power was transmitted by a new four-speed automatic, which was basically a conventional three-speed automatic, to which an extra long fourth gear with a ratio of 0.67: 1 had been added.

With this series too, Lincoln pursued the long-established concept of special and designer editions. In addition to the basic models, there was a Signature Series , which had significantly more extensive standard equipment. The designer editions were used to further customize the vehicles. Exclusive combinations of paintwork and interior fittings were offered here, which, despite the fact that many European designers gave their names for them, were clearly tailored to American tastes. Over the years there have been versions by Cartier , Emilio Pucci , Bill Blass and Hubert de Givenchy . The composition of the color samples changed from year to year.

The Mark VI models were among the most expensive American vehicles. The basic version of the Mark VI Coupe was offered for $ 16,300 in 1980 ($ 3,000 more than the technically identical Continental Coupe). Fitted out as a Signature Series, the car cost $ 21,900; the models of the Designer Series were even more expensive. By comparison, a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Coupe cost $ 15,300 at the same time. The Ford Fairmont, the most successful car of 1980, was offered for about a third of that price.

production

Around 134,000 copies of the Continental Mark VI were produced in four years, including around 69,000 four-door models. In the domestic market, the Mark VI mainly competed with the Cadillac Eldorado , which was introduced in 1979. It was about 30 cm shorter than the Mark VI and had more advanced technology with its front-wheel drive . During the joint production period, the Eldorado was more successful than the Mark VI.

The production is distributed over the individual model years as follows:

Model year	Continental Mark VI			Cadillac Eldorado
	Coupe	Sedan	total
1980			38,891	52,683
1981	18,740	17,958	36,698	60,643
1982	11,532	14,804	26,336	52,018
1983	12,743	18,113	30,856	67,416

literature

Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 . Beekman House, New York 1984. ISBN 0-517-42462-2 .

Web links

Commons : Continental Mark VI - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

Individual evidence

↑ According to current standards, American vehicles were marketed in the 1970s and 1980s on the basis of their wheelbase: a wheelbase of up to 2,814 mm (111 inches) was a so-called compact car, a wheelbase of up to 3,084 mm spoke on the other hand, from an intermediate vehicle. See Bochroch, American Cars of the 1970s, p. 4.

↑ Langworth: American Cars 1930-1980, p. 433.

^ Prices according to Langworth: American Cars 1930-1980, p. 433.

↑ The production figures of the Continental Mark VI were taken from a list on the website www.grandmarq.net , those of the Cadillac Eldorado from the website www.100megsfree4.com (accessed on November 1, 2016).

[1] According to current standards, American vehicles were marketed in the 1970s and 1980s on the basis of their wheelbase: a wheelbase of up to 2,814 mm (111 inches) was a so-called compact car, a wheelbase of up to 3,084 mm spoke on the other hand, from an intermediate vehicle. See Bochroch, American Cars of the 1970s, p. 4.

[2] Langworth: American Cars 1930-1980, p. 433.

[3] Prices according to Langworth: American Cars 1930-1980, p. 433.