1980 LINCOLN MARK VI 2 DOOR COUPE RARE 'SIGNATURE EDITION' WITH 9K ORIGINAL MILES!
West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely stunning, exceptional and completely rust and accident free example of this all original top-of-the-line model 1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI 'Signature Edition' 5.0L EFI 302CID V8 engine matched to a 4 speed automatic transmission 2 Door coupe with only 9K original miles in its original "Signature Series' color - 'Silver Metallic' (code 1Y) paint matched to its all original Red velour cloth interior.
This car is the rare top-of-the-line 'Continental Mark VI' model (1980-83), not to be confused with the regular 'Continental' model, which also can boast the even more expensive 'Signature Series' upgrade ($5,485 in 1980!) and fully padded custom half vinyl roof roof with frenched rear window & side quarter windows ($367) and with all it's original factory specifications intact and only some 9K original miles and a virtually flawless all original example with major standard equipment including:
"Twin Comfort" Lounge Seats 'Red' cloth interior with 6 way power seat adjustment
Foldinc center armrests in both front and rear seats
Simulated Rosewood applique on instrument panel, door panels, seat side moldings & steering wheel
18 oz color keyed cut pile carpeing
Visor vanity mirror
Roof rail assist straps
Retractable coat hooks
Electronic instrument panel with message center
Power windows
Power front vent windows
AM/FM stereo with search
Power antenna
Automatic temperature control air conditioning
LH remote control rearview mirror
Tinted glass
Door panel courtesy lights
Power decklid release
Fully lined luggage compartment
Fyll vinyl roof with opera window
Dual custom pinstripe
Non functional fender louvers with bright molding
Cornering lights
Front bumper guards
Luxury wheel covers
Obviously always been pampered since new. Obviously an always garaged car without any paint, rust or accident damage whatsoever! This rare 'Signature Series' only 'Silver Metallic' paint stands out with very striking original factory paint with a matching Padded Half-Vinyl roof and a gorgeous all original 'Red' cloth interior with a matching dashboard and carpeting.
The original 302 CID 5.0L V8 EFI engine with only some 9K original miles is extremely strong and powerful and this particular car drives absolutely magnificently and must be driven to be fully appreciated - drives straight as an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles - all the options are working as they should including the air conditioning - a truly remarkable car that must drive almost exactly as when it left the showroom floor over 45 years ago and which needs nothing but a new proud owner!
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF THE LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MARK VI & ITS INVESTMENT POTENTIAL PLEASE READ ON:
If you were somehow able to travel back in time and purchase a classic automobile brand new, and retain it over the years as an investment, wouldn't you jump at the chance? Lincoln gave everyone the opportunity to do just that in 1980. The top-of-the-line Continental Mark VI Signature's Series was Lincoln's way of bidding farewell to the full size luxury cars it had been building. And in doing so, it provided the opportunity to purchase a future classic.
Somewhat of a dinosaur by 1979, the Mark V was the last personal luxury car built on a full size platform. Cadillac had downsized the Eldorado for 1979, and was enjoying rejuvenated sales on its foot shorter wheelbase, after shedding both poundage and 20 inches in overall length. Cadillac wasted no time in advertising the advantages of its smaller size when compared to the Lincoln. The new car buying public knew this would be the last year for large automobiles, and rushed to purchase one of the last ones, despite the fuel economy (or lack of).
Contributing to the departure of the big Lincoln was the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirement that mandated a 19 mpg minimum average for all cars built by a manufacturer. In California, the Mark V was rated at the bottom of the barrel, at just 10 mpg. Healthy sales of the big Lincolns during the Fall of 1978 were placing Ford perilously close to the 19 mpg minimum. The penalty for failing to meet the average minimum requirement was severefive dollars for each one tenth of a mile per gallon below the requirement for each car produced. Ford responded in December 1978 by raising the prices on Lincolns, while leaving the price of its other cars untouched. This must have been a bitter pill for Lincoln to swallow, having to discourage sales by raising sticker prices in its farewell year as a large car, one might think the final blow would have come in February 1979, when a sudden fuel crisis caused by the Iranian revolution led to a slow market for big cars. But Lincoln was surprisingly resilient. Sales during this period dipped, which helped Ford's CAFE requirement, but overall sales remained quite good. This changed by late Spring, when long lines at gasoline stations virtually halted sales of large heavy cars. Chrysler came very close to not surviving, and Ford and GM were not fairing much better. By late Summer, Lincoln dealers were struggling to sell the last of the large Lincolns before the new smaller, more efficient 1980 models were introduced.
The changing luxury car market was due in part to competition from the imports, the fuel crisis, and Cadillac's downsizing in 1977, all put Lincoln on the defensive in the late seventies. Advertising during this time reflected Lincoln's position. Ultimately, only time will tell the true value of these cars, designed to be collectible from day one with the 1979 Mark V 'Collector's Series' being Lincoln's supreme achievement, the pinnacle of American luxury car design that has its roots buried in the age when bigger was better, style was based on grand visions, and a powerful engine under the hood provided status and became part of the American dream. Automotive styles and visions may change with time, but excellence, quality, and standards don't. With a lineage that goes back to the original 1939 Lincoln Continental, the Mark V Collector's Series was a dream car that was also a reality. The highest expression of luxury. And it always will be.
The Continental Mark VI was manufactured by Ford from 1980 to 1983 and marketed by its Lincoln-Mercury division. As the fifth generation of the legendary Mark series, the Continental Mark VI served as Ford's flagship.
In comparison to the Continental Mark V, the Mark VI is 800 pounds lighter and nearly 14 inches shorter than its predecessor.
The standard engine for the Mark VI was a 302 cubic-inch V8, producing 140 hp. As an option, a 351 cubic-inch (5.8L) V8 was offered; it used an electronically-controlled 2-barrel carburetor but after 1980, the 351 was discontinued on the Mark VI, due to poor sales and the lack of a distinct power advantage over the 5.0L V8.
Both engines were paired to the AOD automatic transmission introduced for 1980, the AOD replaced the commonly used 3-speed configuration with a 4-speed overdrive configuration, significantly lowering engine RPMs (and fuel consumption) at highway speeds.
In line with its flagship model status, the Mark VI had more ornate styling than the Lincoln Town Car, including hidden headlamps, fender vents (non-functional), C-pillar oval opera windows, and forward-sloping taillamps; the Continental spare tire encased in the trunklid returned nearly unchanged from the Mark V.
Alongside the standard Continental Mark VI, two additional trims were offered within the model line, including the Designer Editions? and the flagship Signature Series?.
For 1980, the Signature Series? was available in both coupe and sedan formats. Intended as a successor to the 1979 Collector's Series? option package, the Signature Series? included nearly every available feature as standard equipment. The option was offered with either burgundy or silver exteriors; all vehicles came with a red interior (leather or velour upholstery). When first introduced in September 1979, the listed MSRP for the coupe was $20,940 (equivalent to $90,700 in 2024) and $21,309 USD (equivalent to $92,300 in 2024).
Unique features included a rechargeable glove box flashlight, special seat sew pattern, gold and Macaser Ebony wood treatments and a complete digital instrument cluster with fully electronically controlled EEC III engine with a 4-speed AOD, and a leather-bound tool kit in the trunk.
The Signature Series returned for 1981; Red and Silver exteriors were again offered, with Black and White exterior colors becoming an option near the end of the model year.
As with 1980, all examples were produced with only Red interiors, in leather or velour. For 1982 and 1983, the Mark VI Signature Series underwent a revision, as it became available in any exterior and interior color offered for the Mark VI. The tool kit and glove box flashlight were no longer featured as well.
