For decades, America defined luxury as big, powerful, smooth, and quiet. It was one part conspicuous consumption and one part simply having the ability to spread out without worrying about space constraints. The result was decades of sublime luxury cars with effortless V8 engines, lengthy lists of comfort and convenience options, and a feeling of isolation that nothing but a body-on-frame sedan could deliver. Those days are gone, never to return, but a quick drive in something like this 1989 Lincoln Town Car is a great reminder that this kind of sybaritic luxury still feels pretty special. For so little cash, this car represents the end of an era and a great big portion of old-school luxury.

Having spent its entire life in Florida, this Town Car is extremely clean and straight. Rust is obviously a non-issue, and the light gold paint, which Lincoln called Sandalwood Metallic, still looks handsome and dignified. The light color and cloth interior were smart choices in a warm climate, even with a powerful A/C system working on your behalf. The warm climate obviously treated the car well and it appears that it was not near a coastline where the salt air could work on the chrome, because it sparkles throughout. There are very few signs of age in any of the usual areas and it’s even remarkably devoid of parking lot dings. The padded half-roof is in excellent condition with no signs of rust underneath and no popped seams and even the opera lights work properly. The doors swing shut with a reassuring thunk and we can detect no evidence of previous accident repair. These were also rather well-built cars that served well for decades as limousines and funeral vehicles, so the underpinnings are robust. All that adds up to a car that looks and feels far fresher than its age might suggest.

The tan cloth interior is likewise beautifully preserved and in excellent condition. While you might yearn for leather, the cloth is suitably luxurious and in a warm climate, it’s usually a better choice. You’ll note that both front door armrests have been covered with little lambskin protectors (Velcro tape holding them in place, no drilled holes) so the usual cracking hasn’t taken place. Factory carpets are deep and plush, adding to the hushed interior, and thanks to matching floor mats, everything remains in first-rate condition. Even the leather-wrapped wheel shows very little wear—nice! All the features you’d expect are here: automatic climate control, power windows, locks, seats, and mirrors, a tilt steering column, cruise control, twilight sentinel, automatic headlight dimmer, and a rear defroster. Everything works except the clock and the power antenna, although the recent Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit pulls in stations just fine. The faux wood is actually fairly convincing in this iteration of the Town Car, and thanks to tinted windows all around, there’s zero fading or UV damage, even on the dash pad. The back seat offers spread-out room we haven’t seen in decades and the trunk is obviously massive. The factory mats are unmarked and we believe that’s the original spare tucked up there on its own shelf.

The Town Car was powered by Ford’s indestructible and very torquey 5.0 liter V8—more or less the same engine that lived in the Mustang. Its durability is legendary and in this application, it’s impeccably smooth, loafing along at highway speed without a whisper. The engine bay is as clean as you’d expect, and all the factory systems and hardware are still in place. There’s plenty of torque to get the big sedan off the line, and thanks to the popularity of the aforementioned Mustang, parts are plentiful and inexpensive. It has been properly serviced so it starts easily, idles smoothly, and just goes about its business as a big luxury sedan should, although I always found that the Lincoln felt a little bit more taut than its Cadillac competition. Not sporting, not by a long shot, but at least a bit more maneuverable.

Underneath you can see more evidence of a lifetime in a warm climate—zero rust or other winter weather issues. The floors have been undercoated, but it’s not heavy and doesn’t hide anything and may even be factory-applied simply to help with noise abatement. The AOD 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission offers seamless shifts and a deep overdrive gear that works with the 3.08 gears in the 8.8-inch rear end to make this a superior highway car. Newer shocks and exhaust make it suitably smooth and quiet, and for a 30-year-old car, it’s remarkably devoid of squeaks and rattles. Then again, it’s unlikely that many cars are driven more gently than a Lincoln Town Car owned by an octogenarian in Florida. Handsome “turbine” alloy wheels were optional and show only some minor corrosion around the edge where the clearcoat has been rubbed off by wheel weights, and the 225/75/15 Goodyear whitewall radials look exactly right.

Documentation includes all the original owner’s manuals and booklets in their original case.

If you’re in the Lincoln Continental Owner’s Club and need an old car that will get to meets anywhere on the continent yet will still be welcomed on the show field, a vintage Town Car is an excellent choice. This car would also do well in preservation class competition. Or maybe you just want America’s ultimate luxury car, done the old-fashioned way. Whatever the case, this is one of the nicer Town Cars we’ve seen recently and it will surely make the new owner very happy. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections on any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.