1978 Lincoln Town Coupé: Gilded Pullman Coach

Once upon a time in America, there were luxury coupes. The two greatest were the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Lincoln Continental. But while the CdV sold like crazy (over 117,000 in 1978 alone), the Continental two-door and its snazzier Town Coupé version sold less than a fifth of that figure—20,977.

The primary reason for this was the Continental Mark V, and its earlier versions. One interesting fact about the Lincoln Continental is that it went through half of the Sixties with no coupes or two-doors at all. In 1960, the last of the Pagoda-style 1958-60 Lincolns appeared, including two-door hardtops.

But come 1961, the revolutionary and timeless 1961 Continental appeared—only in four-door sedan and four-door convertible versions, with suicide (or center-opening, if you prefer) doors.

But finally, in 1966, a Continental coupe rejoined the line, and it was suitably classy. Then in mid-1968, the Continental Mark III appeared, and it seemed that everyone who wanted a coupe went for the Mark instead of the standard Continental coupe. The sales tell the story: In 1969 9,032 Continental coupes were built, compared to 30,858 Mark IIIs.

That the Mark III was only sold for a portion of that year makes the numbers even more striking. The trend continued, though: 1970 figures were 3,073 Continental coupes and 21,432 Mark IIIs.

Meanwhile, Coupe de Ville buyers seemed to be distinctly different from Eldorado buyers, as both models seemed to do fine sales-wise, without cannibalizing sales from each other. 65,755 Coupe de Villes were sold in 1969, compared to 23,333 Eldorados. Perhaps because the Eldorado was front-wheel drive? And then a decade later, as previously mentioned, by the ’78 model year about 21K Continental coupes were produced compared to about 117K Coupe de Villes.

By 1978 there were six basic Lincoln models, the Continental coupe and sedan, with corresponding plusher Town Car and Town Coupé versions, and the personal-lux Continental Mark V. Of course, there were several different luxury groups, plus the Williamsburg Town Car (with two-tone paint) and the various Designer Edition Marks: Bill Blass, Pucci, Givenchy, and Cartier. And of course, the compact-luxury Versailles.

The Continentals had been redesigned with a much more formal, squared-off theme in 1975, and the ’78s were much the same, except for a new tall, narrow Mark V-style grille (which appeared in 1977), smaller rear fender skirts, many lightened components (resulting in the use of what was essentially the Mercury Marquis instrument panel, but with silver gauges and more simulated wood trim), and other minor updates.

The Continental coupe weighed in at 4,659 pounds, cost $9,974—about $48,800 today—before options (the Town Coupé package was extra).

The sedan had a curb weight of 4,660 pounds, cost $10,166 ($49,700) and 67,110 were made. The standard engine was the 400-cubic inch V-8 with 4.00 x 4.00 bore and stroke, and 166 hp. The 460 V-8 was optional, with 4.36 x 3.85 bore and stroke, and 210 hp. And while that may sound quite low to modern ears, these cars were pretty torquey, especially the 460. Come 1979, you could get any engine you wanted as long as it was the 400. While smooth, acceleration would best be considered leisurely.

As the 1978 brochure informed prospective buyers: “Ford Motor Company is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary this year, and in it, Lincoln Continental carries forward its heritage of luxury.

“Whether it’s for roominess, comfort, styling, overall quality, or value, Lincoln Continental owners have their own reasons for owning Lincoln Continental; they’ve got their standards.”

And yes, these were big cars, with a 127.2-inch wheelbase and 233-inch overall length. Many colors were on offer to the discerning buyer: Midnight Blue, Midnight Jade, Crystal Apricot, Cinnamon Gold, Cordovan Metallic and Champagne Metallic were just a few of the choices.

Town Car/Town Coupé extras included power vent windows, Twin Comfort Lounge Seats in either Media velour cloth or optional leather, a full vinyl roof (coach roof was extra), Town Car/Coupé badging on the exterior and instrument panel, coach lamps, and a carpeted luggage compartment. Clearcoat paint was standard on all ’78 Lincolns with metallic paint finishes.

This particular Town Coupé, gorgeous in black with dark red Media velour, was spotted by your author at the annual car show at Sunset Park in Rock Island back in September 2022. I loved the colors, combined with the optional turbine aluminum wheels. It was for sale at the time, and during my attendance at the same show just this past Sunday, it was not among the show entrants, so I guess it has a happy new home now!