We’ve discovered that ‘70s Lincolns are suddenly very popular, offering reliable performance, unparalleled old school luxury, and very reasonable prices. We try to keep at least one Mark V or Town Car in our inventory all the time because we know enthusiasts love these as road trip cars and they’re now welcome at virtually any car show you’ll attend. The last of the giant personal luxury coupes, the Mark V is perhaps Lincoln’s best design since the 1961 Continental, with angular, gothic styling with a sleek low-profile roofline that makes this 17-foot-long car look almost athletic. Then there’s the big block power under the hood, the incredibly luxurious interiors, and the superlative road manners that just consume pavement better than almost anything else you’ll ever drive, and you can see why people still find these cars appealing after more than 40 years.

This 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V is one of the best we’ve seen. First, it’s black, unquestionably the best color on these cars. It makes the long, chiseled body look elegant and upscale, and dramatically accentuates the chrome that is conservatively used throughout. It looks just fantastic. As far as we can tell, this Mark V is wearing original paint with no signs of rust or accident damage, and it’s extremely well preserved. There’s a fantastic gloss, no cracking or micro blisters, and there’s not even a parking lot ding in either of the doors. This car lived a very easy life. A crisp white pinstripe somehow makes the car seem even longer and out back there’s the familiar Continental spare tire hump in the trunk lid, a styling statement that dates back to 1940. The padded roof is in equally excellent condition with no split seams, no tears, no fading, and no signs of distress underneath. Wherever this car lived, it was warm, dry, and with someone who loved it. Even the beautiful little parking light lenses up front are in excellent shape with only very minor spalling but no cracks, and the folding headlights stay closed for weeks on end, so they’re healthy. We’re really impressed.

The black velour interior is a beautiful complement and remains as plush and comfortable as you remember. Close the doors and the car seals up like a tomb, whisper quiet at highway speeds. There’s a lot of fake burled walnut trim that’s not particularly convincing, but the lovely silver-faced gauges were a Lincoln trademark throughout the ‘70s. This car is loaded with options and features, including power everything, automatic climate control with cold A/C, cruise control, tilt steering column, rear defroster, and a power moonroof overhead. Everything works, which is always a pleasant surprise on any 40-year-old machine and all the soft parts are in excellent condition. No split seams, no thin spots on the carpet, no sagging headliner. Someone has added a pair of aftermarket gauges under the center of the dash, but we don’t believe they’re hooked up, so you could either remove them or get them operational, although they don’t really seem appropriate in a Lincoln. I mean, even the little map lights over the oval opera windows light up when you open the doors. Nice! The trunk is just as plush as the interior with gray cut pile carpet, well, everywhere, and there’s a full-sized spare and jack assembly under their own matching cover.

1977 is a good year for the Mark V because you could still get Ford’s biggest V8: a 460 cubic inch beast that makes this giant car move effortlessly. We believe this engine has been rebuilt, or at least freshened, because it feels considerably stronger than any ‘70s smog motor we’ve experienced. This big car moves like a ‘60s Fairlane GT rather than a ‘70s luxury boat. It starts easily, idles well, and accelerates surprisingly rapidly. The engine bay is nicely detailed and quite clean, with a few dress-up parts that were probably part of the freshening—a chrome air cleaner and a set of finned aluminum valve covers. The rest of the hardware is stock and these cars have proven that they’re bulletproof reliable over the past four decades.

Underneath, it’s original but very clean and there’s just no evidence that this car ever spent time in inclement weather. The C6 3-speed automatic transmission offers suitably smooth shifts and thanks to 2.73 gears in the 9-inch rear end, it’s a highway car with few equals. The suspension is pillowy soft so it ignores most bumps, but Ford saw fit to include 4-wheel disc brakes on the Mark V, so it’s pretty competent without feeling loose. Dual exhaust was also part of the deal with the Mark V and with the fresh mufflers and tailpipes, it has a slightly more aggressive sound that we enjoy and the lack of catalytic converters is probably why it feels so strong. Recent shocks help with the ride and handling and those gorgeous aluminum wheels are wearing correct 235/75/15 whitewall radials.

The car includes an original owner’s manual and some maintenance receipts from the past several years.

We’ve sold quite a few big Lincolns like this and this black one might be the best of all. It’s beautifully finished, excellent to drive, and ready to enjoy. They aren’t going to build cars like this ever again, and if you like these leviathans of the highways, this Mark V will delight you. Call today!

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