Lincoln Versailles

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lincoln
Lincoln Versailles, 1980.png
Versailles
Production period: 1977-1980
Class : upper middle class
Body versions : limousine
Engines:
Petrol engines : 5.0-5.8 liters (97-101 kW)
Length: 5098 mm
Width: 1892 mm
Height: 1374 mm
Wheelbase : 2791 mm
Empty weight : 1658-1721 kg
successor Lincoln Continental 1982
First series of the Lincoln Versailles
With a newly designed C-pillar: the second generation of the Versailles
Technical and stylistic basis of Versailles: Mercury Monarch

The Lincoln Versailles was a car model produced by the American automobile manufacturer Ford from 1977 to 1980 and sold under the brand name Lincoln . The Versailles was a reaction by the Ford group to the success of the Cadillac Seville . It was positioned in the same market segment but was far less successful than its General Motors competitor .

background

The first oil crisis in the US in the mid-1970s led to increased interest in smaller but well-equipped vehicles. After initially a few imported vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz “Stroke Eight” , the S-Class or the Volvo 164 had largely served the market alone, the Cadillac Seville was the first local design in this segment from 1975 onwards. According to American understanding, the Seville was a compact vehicle. The first generation of this model, derived from the Chevrolet Nova , was very successful on the market. The rival brand Lincoln, which belongs to the Ford Group, was initially unable to match the Seville. However, the Ford managers recognized the potential of this market niche. At the beginning of 1976 the decision was made to have a brand-owned vehicle compete against the Seville.

Development history

For reasons of time and to keep the financial risk within limits, no completely new vehicle was developed; rather, the Versailles was based on the mid-range model Ford Granada introduced a year and a half earlier or its identical luxury version Mercury Monarch . Unlike the Cadillac Seville, which had a completely independent body, the Lincoln Versailles basically took over the structure of the Ford Granada: the passenger cell, doors and glazing of both models were completely identical. The stylistic deviations only affected the front and rear. The specification for the designers was to make the little Lincoln look like a Continental - at the time the full-size model of the brand. Accordingly, the Versailles offered some typical Lincoln design elements. This was particularly true of the radiator grille and the trunk lid , which contained a simulated spare wheel cover that followed on from a design tradition from the Lincoln Mark Series . At the front of the Versailles there were four angular halogen headlights with units below for indicators and parking lights. Unlike the large Lincoln models, they were not hidden behind flaps when not in use .

Notwithstanding these stylistic changes, the Ford relationship was clearly recognizable. The equipment was correspondingly extensive at the high price of 11,500 USD. Among other things, a lavishly padded vinyl roof , forged alloy wheels, metallic paint, leather-covered dashboard, Cartier clock and a stereo radio were included. A 5.8-liter V8 with double carburettors and a three-speed automatic transmission took over the drive . The chassis was kept rather simple with the rear rigid axle . The factory set great store by extensive measures aimed at ensuring high processing quality.

In 1978 the 5.8-liter V8 gave way to a slightly more economical but significantly weaker 5.0-liter V8 (133 hp ; first US engine with electronic engine management ), plus there were changes to the color palette and, if desired, new spoked wheel caps .

Further changes were made in 1979. A redesigned, 20 cm longer roof with a wider, steeper C-pillar increased the optical distance to Granada. The Versailles was the first car in the USA to receive standard halogen headlights .

A new starter and an improved jack marked the last model year (1980) of the Versailles. There were also five new colors for the body and three new colors for the vinyl roof.

Despite good reviews from the trade press, the Lincoln Versailles was unsuccessful because customers were put off by its all too clear relationship to the American Ford Granada and its sister model, the Mercury Monarch . One point of criticism was that the interior was just as inferior as in the original Ford model.

Production and scope of production

The Lincoln Versailles, like the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch, was manufactured at Ford's Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant in Wayne , Michigan . 50,156 copies were made in four years. The production is distributed as follows:

  • 1977: 15.434
  • 1978: 8.931
  • 1979: 21.007
  • 1980: 4,784

successor

Successor to Versailles: Lincoln Continental

Since the late 1970s, Ford developed a technically independent successor to the Versailles. Some early design concepts had pop-up headlights and conspicuously modeled radiator bezels . These projects were abandoned for financial reasons. Instead, the successor to the Versailles was the Continental presented in the 1982 model year , which - unlike the earlier models of the same name - was not a full-size sedan, but a compact four-door model according to American standards. Although the new Continental was again closely related to a Ford model, it had a completely independent body that followed the fashion of the Hooper rear end at the time .

swell

  • John Ethridge: Lincoln Versailles . Motor Trend, July 1977 issue, p. 12 ff.
  • Michael Jordan: Target: Seville. Ground Zero in Detroit . Presentation of the Lincoln Versailles and its competitors. Car & Driver, May 1977, p. 49 ff.
  • Chuck Koch: Challenging the Seville . Auto Reports, March 1977 issue, p. 20 ff.
  • Angus Laidlaw: We test the new shrunken Lincoln . Mechanix Illustrated, issue April 1977, p. 120 ff.
  • NN: Lincoln Versailles: Road Test . Road Test, September 1977, p. 42 ff.
  • NN: The 1977½ Lincoln Versailles ... or, Detroit takes another whack at Mercedes . Wheels, June 1977 issue, p. 32 ff.
  • NN: 1977–1980 Lincoln Versailles: Meticulously manufactured Monarch . Collectible Automobiles, issue October 1987, p. 75 ff.
  • Don Sherman: Lincoln Versailles. Much, much more than a Mercury Monarch with all the goodies . Car & Driver, issue April 1979, p. 43 ff.

literature

  • Albert R. Bochroch: American Cars of the Seventies . Warne's Transport Library, London 1982. ISBN 0-7232-2870-1 .
  • Flammang, James M./Kowalke, Ron: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 , Krause Publishing, Iola (1999), ISBN 0-87341-755-0 .
  • Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 . New York (Beekman House) 1984. ISBN 0-517-42462-2 .

Web links

Commons : Lincoln Versailles  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Road Test, Issue 9/1977, p. 42.
  2. ↑ Motor Trend, January 1977, p. 16.
  3. ↑ Images in Collectible Automobile, August 2002 issue (see www.lincolnversailles.com ).
Lincoln models timeline from 1970 to present
Type 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 0
Middle class LS Zephyr / MKZ MKZ
upper middle class Versailles Continental VII Continental VIII Continental IX MKS Continental
Upper class Continental V Continental VI / Town Car I. Town Car II Town Car III
Personal Luxury Continental Mark III Continental Mark IV Continental Mark V Continental Mark VI Mark VII Mark VIII
SUV MKC Corsair
MKX MKX / Nautilus
Aviator MKT Aviator
Navigator I Navigator II Navigator III Navigator IV
Pick up Blackwood Mark LT Mark LT