Posted March 3, 2015 by 99MilesPerHour Classic American Marques

1979 Lincoln Continental Collector’s Series

It’s the quintessential Flagship…

The Lincoln Continental is synonymous with eloquence…they are the luxury cars by which other luxury cars are judged. The Continental Life is a highly bespoke lifestyle…beyond status quo. These people have their own style. The Lincoln Continental is their kind of luxury car. Continentals were always carefully designed to stay in style.

The Lincoln Continental is engineered to be among the finest automobiles America has to offer. They are Ford Motor Company’s finest and most distinguished motorcars. The 1979 model year is the finale for the last full-size luxury sedan built in America. To commemorate this historic event, the Flagship TownCar was offered as a limited edition…The Collector’s Series epitomized the luxury and elegance of America’s last traditional luxury sedan –

Sumptuous six-passenger roominess, legendary comfort & convenience, with a stately presence makes the Lincoln Continental one of America’s premiere luxury cars. These fine automobiles satisfied the most discerning owner. Many Cadillac owners switched to the Lincoln Continental because of its regal stature and long wheelbase. The 1979 Lincoln Continental rides upon a long 127.2” wheelbase. It has the luxury length of 233” and is 79.9” in width. These elegant land yachts drive like big ole’ rollin’ Barco loungers…

The 1979 Continental Collector’s Series came fully equipped. The Continental sedan with this elite option ran around $16,500. The cost of a fully equipped Collector’s Series ran in excess of $18,000. Among the select few options available were the power glass Moon Roof, 40-channel CB radio, “Sure-Track” braking system, and the plush Kasman II luxury cloth trimmed interior. Comfort and convenience features and accessories optional on the Lincoln Continental are standard for The Collector’s Series. This is a very special limited edition.

Exterior colors include Midnight Blue metallic and White. Mid-year introduced Medium Blue (197 built) and Light Silver Metallic with Dark Blue vinyl roof (125 built). The Midnight Blue and White versions came with matching roof colors.

Signature exterior features includes color-keyed Coach Roof, gold-color grille and bumper inserts, right-hand remote-controlled outside rear view mirror, color-keyed premium bodyside moldings, color-keyed turbine-style cast aluminum wheels, Appearance Protection Group (front and rear carpeted floor mats, door edge guards, and rear license plate frame), right and left-side illuminated vanity mirrors, and Interior Light Group. “Collector’s Series” nomenclature is affixed to each rear roof sail panel attesting the fact this is the quintessential luxury sedan –

The Continental Collector’s Series includes as standard equipment: power vent windows, interval wipers, Defroster Group (electric window defroster and heated left-side outside rear view mirror), and Headlamp Convenience Group (automatic headlamp dimmer, and Autolamp on/off delay system). This is a sedan designed for comfort.

The ample dimensions are visually enhanced and balanced by body lines subtly styled in the gracious Lincoln Continental tradition. Elegance…all the luxury you’d expect…and a ride that’s smooth and sure are all attributes of the 1979 Continental Collector’s Series sedan – This car is so comprehensively equipped…it would be easier to tell you what it doesn’t have…

Everything about the interior of the 1979 Continental Collector’s Series has been designed with maximum comfort and convenience in mind. It gives rear seat passengers as much legroom as the front seat passengers. Front and rear steel-frame, energy-absorbing seats are covered with polyurethane and upholstered in either glove-soft leather or luxurious Kasman II luxury cloth. The headlining is trimmed in rich Harvard cloth. The luxury of posh 36 oz. deep pile carpet lines the interior and 16 oz. cut pile carpet lines the trunk.

Presenting the leather trimmed edition

Special thanks to Daniel Schmitt & Co

Presenting the Kasman II luxury cloth edition

Special thanks to Matt Garrett

Special thanks to MJC Classic Cars

The Continental Collector’s Series comes with many owner niceties such as a leather-wrapped tool kit and leather-bound owner’s manual…even an umbrella for inclement weather. Interior garnish moldings, sun visors, and roof panels wrapped in Kasman II luxury cloth adds further distinction to this elite luxury sedan.

The Continental Collector’s Series pampers its occupants with Automatic Temperature Control, Illuminated Entry System, Automatic Garage Door Opener, and an AM/FM Stereo Signal-seeking radio with Quad-8 Track tape deck. Front and rear center folding armrests are traditional Continental accoutrements as well as the convenience of standard Tilt Steering Wheel, Twin Comfort Lounge seats with both sides 6-way power adjustable & passenger recliner, Automatic Speed Control, Power Lock Group (includes trunk release), power windows, Cartier electric digital timepiece, illuminated outside thermometer, power steering, and power brakes.

1960 Continental MK V

The 1979 Lincoln Continental Collector’s Series is powered by the Ford Cleveland 335-Series 6.6 litre 16-valve 400 CID V8 engine. It is equipped with a Motorcraft 2150 2-bbl carburetor. The engine produces 159 hp @ 3,400 rpm with 427 Nm of peak torque @ 1,800 rpm. Longitudinal acceleration is rated as 0-60 mph in 15.6 seconds, 0-100 mph in 76.7 seconds with a top speed of 104 mph without governor. It can do the ¼ mile @ 71 mph in 21 seconds. The engine is mated to Ford’s C-6 Select-Shift 3-speed automatic transmission.

Unfortunately, the 1979 Continental Collector’s Series is all flash and no dash thanks to the EPA federally mandated fuel requirements. The 7.5 litre 460 CID V8 was no longer available. It had a better power-to-weight ratio. An automobile of this magnitude needs a larger V8 engine, not to mention a 4-bbl carburetor. The 1979 Lincolns are grossly under-powered with the little 400 2-banger –

The 1979 Lincoln Continentals has one of the widest stances of any car in the world. Its impressive size, extraordinarily comfortable ride and impeccable road manners makes it a very distinctive luxury car. The Continental Collector’s Series sedan is the last of the real American luxury automobiles. Ford was the only domestic automobile manufacturer that made automobiles this large for the 1979 model year. This is indeed, the end of an illustrious era in motoring…

Lincoln Continental TownCars are the most formal automobiles in the model hierarchy. The gracious appointments for both exterior and interior provide unprecedented luxury and Lincoln Continental superiority in handling characteristics. These Flagships possess a poised dignity that was the hallmark of every Lincoln. The Continental Collector’s Series are still highly sought, now as piece of automotive history.

Once upon a time, America was the purveyor of the luxury automobile. The Lincoln Continental was a perennial favorite among luxury car buyers…it is synonymous with eloquence. It was the luxury car by which other luxury cars were judged. The Continental Life is no more eloquently stated than viewing the world from behind the wheel of the 1979 Continental Collector’s Series.

The 1979 model year was a significant year…the last full-size American luxury sedan rolled off the assembly line. To commemorate this historic event, the Collector’s Series epitomized the luxury and elegance of the American motorcar. At a time when other luxury car manufacturers were down-sizing…Lincoln gave America just what the luxury car buyer wanted…