I agree that the Mark series was my favorite Lincoln. Stylistically, they were impactful and recognizable…something that is lost today (especially in America).
The Mark VIII was such a good looking car, and by that time performance was finally making a comeback as well. It's a shame that was the end of the Mark series. Since fewer Millennials are getting married, and they're starting families later and later, I hold out some hope that 2-door coupes will make a comeback during my lifetime.
I'm a car loving millennial, and every few Saturdays I go to my local car meet where there's usually a beige Mark VIII parked somewhere between the Skylines and the Ferraris. I think the guy who owns it is my age. He says it's a pain in the butt to keep running, but he just has to because it's so beautiful!
I expect cars in general, and coupes with them, will come back in style in another generation or so. Right now, sedans and coupes are "old man/boomer" cars, so everyone is going with the CUVs and SUVs. In a generation, SUVs and CUVs will be old man cars, so the market will shift again. Just my opinion.
Fun fact; the Mark VIII was tested and was close to racing in NASCAR Winston Cup. It was aerodynamically superior to the all other brands. Unfortunately, it never saw competition due lack of support from Ford and NASCAR wanting more aero numbers.
Karen MacKenzie drove a MK VII on Knots Landing. She always drove Ford product whereas Abby and Laura usually drove Mercedes. Val of course had her Porsche later in the series. JR also drove a Mark VII toward the last season of Dallas. Guess it was a throwback to what Jock drove and his Allante ???
new car ads are the worst. I’ll watch the whole commercial and never hear a word about performance or features, just some aspirational BS. You know, it’s just a voiceovers with some word salad like “What is a car? An idea? A feeling? looking forward has never been so important….The 2022 Bullshitmobile……….”.
@@rooseveltbrentwood9654 Behold, the 2022 Bullshitmobile... It has bluetooth and Alexa. It's rated the most reliable car of this year because its still new, and will rapidly depreciate in value the second you drive it off the lot. Shortly after the last note is paid, it will randomly go into an electronic-related-self-destruction mode, costing way too much to fix, forcing you to trade it in for the NEXT Bullshitmobile. Enjoy!
@@trikeonabike4949 exactly. as a matter of fact, I finally paid off my Focus, and now my electric system’s on the fritz and there’s a parasitic drain I can’t find. Might have to give in and take it to a Ford dealer……….
Definitely got to do one on The Lincoln LS, I worked at a Lincoln-Mercury in the early to mid 2000's. Saw a lot of these sold but I rarely see them today. For some reason I actually didn't know The Mark Series wasn't badged as a Lincoln at first, interesting stuff.
Nicely done! Learned some cool new stuff! One thing near the end, with the Mark VIII....the 4.6l 32v v8 is often mistakenly called the "Mustang Cobra engine", when in fact, it was first put in the 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII, making it a Mark VIII engine. Owned a 1995 Mark VIII base and a 1997 Mark VIII LSC, as well as a 1995 Ford Thunderbird LX (with 4.6l v8). Sadly all are no longer with me and I miss all of them. Maybe someday I'll add the Thunderbird back to the fleet....but the Mark VIII had a lot of one off items (HID headlights, air suspension, interior options) that all had issues that were unique to the Mark VIII.
I had a 94 Tbird LX and added a 98 MKVIII base a couple years later, thinking I would sell the tbird. But as it turns out while I drove them both extensively, in town and on trips, I ended up driving the tbird more and sold the MK VIII. Something about the handling of that gen tbird was just perfect, and seat comfort was the best in any car I've ever owned. I drove it until it rusted into the ground, I loved that car.
I had an opportunity to tool around in an extremely low mileage (15k!) pre-facelift Mark VIII a while ago that a family member was flipping. What a strange, unique thing. I've only ever had work trucks, so the get up and go that came from the factory on this cool looking barge really felt great. Definitely exemplary 90s styling as well. Wish I could have afforded the damn thing.
I still remember my first ride in a Mark VIII, it was a 97 LSC. It was the first car I rode in that would catch third gear with enough wheel spin to engage traction control to prevent getting sideways. I'm glad I never bought it, couldn't afford the air suspension issue or the early HID headlight issues. I still miss that car though!
I had two 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC both red. Just sold the last one back in 2020 to save on Maintenance costs. That thing rode like a tank and had a nice JBL sound system even by today's standards. The 96 model year had alot of 1 year only parts which sometimes made it difficult to maintain such as the VMRC and the IMRC pods
The mark III is one of the best looking luxury cars ever. My neighbor had one that never ran, though my friend and I used to play in it a lot. It was a 69. I couldn't believe it had power antenna gas door release trunk release mirrors windows locks cruise and 6 way seats drivers and passenger side. I wonder what ever happened to it.
Figures. The two I always wanted most, are from some of the darkest days in automotive history. The Mark V, and the Mark VII LSC. A neighbor had an LSC when I was a kid (12-15 yo), and I always thought, that done right, that Lincoln would surprise a lot of would-be stoplight heroes.
The redesigned Mark IV, V, VII, and VIII are my favorites. I would love to have a Mark VII LSC with those spoke wheel and body kit.😍😍 And the Mark VIII in a total sleeper. A little bit of tuning, and that car will MOVE. I need to get mine back on the road.😔
Considering how many versions of the Lincoln Continental have been made, a My Old Car episode on the Continental would be epic. Can't wait for that one.
I always love Marks. My 1st brand new was Mark V a 77 with the 460. Then, again in 98 LSC . BEAUTIFUL cars & very comfortable for long distances. On the highway, I felt it had enough power for tight passes. The need to bring those Personal Luxury cars again. Not every 1 wants an SUV,CUV,etc. Empty nesters will be on line to get em.
C’mon I thought for sure you’d have included arguably the best commercial for any car ever in this video, I still remember it from seeing it in my early teens when the Mark VIII was being marketed on TV: Setting: Mark VIII is sitting on a runway lined up next to a fighter jet, preparing to drag race. Voiceover Script: “If man were meant to fly, he’d have been born with a 32 valve, 230 HP, Lincoln. Mark. VIII.” Then they both blast off!!! Gives me chills just thinking about that commercial! Yes I’m a nerd. And I may be misremembering the Valves or HP, but this was the most impression-making car commercial I’ve ever seen! Maybe a close second is that SUV commercial where the competitor has a log strapped to the roof with a boulder attached to the front dangling in front of the SUV and it stops abruptly causing the boulder to pendulum swing forward and then back and crush the front end. Lol but since I don’t even remember what SUV that was for I think the Mark VIII ad is the winner in my book! Love your vids, always watch them as soon as I can when they come out! Cheers!
@@andrewstevens5145 man I did not expect a reply at all, let alone an instant reply lol. And in 1997, the MKviii had 290. Yet the Mustang took until 2005 to push 300hp with the same engine
And actually I'm also wrong, the MKviii made 290 in 1995...a full 10 years before the Mustang hit 300hp. And have you ever driven, or been driven in an MKviii? The solid power, the air ride suspension...plush yet sporty interior...man what a car!
My Grandfather and Grandmother's last proper motor car, was a Lincoln Mark VIII, that is in my Family's possession still. They loved it, and as it was America's Last RWD Luxury/GT Coupe, and its engine led to the Qualv Magusta, MG X-Power, and Koeningsegg's first cars, and has a 5,000 Pound crush-weight on her Monocoupe chassis, I hold it as a landmark of American engineering! That being said, if they made a Lincoln-ized Ford Mustang coupe, to actually go against BMW's buzzards, it would have been able to be the perfect "Halo Car," with any losses more-than made-up by the Mustang. It goes to show how little the Car Industry uses its available tools-at-hand.
The Mark 7 LSC was a radical design. Those hot rod wheels, thick rubber, 302 V8, loud exhaust, and aerodynamic design. 2 vehicles mentioned in this video I'd love to see a video on are the Lincoln LS and Chevy Avalanche.
Recently found this channel and have been thoroughly enjoying the content! Makes me learn a lot about these old cars that I hadn't had a clue about before. The Continental Mark V means a lot to me, my late Grandpa owned a Diamond Jubilee edition (in Blue) and it was such a nice, relaxing car to drive in. Though comically huge now, by today's standards. Would love to see a video on the Pontiac Bonneville. Mother owned a '96 SE and it was something that took up much of my childhood years.
I'm still waiting for an episode on the GM B-Body platform. From 77-90 almost unchanged and the updated 91-96 versions with the LT1 engine. In my opinion it's one of the best platforms of any manufacturer
The Mark VII looked a lot like the Thunderbirds of the time, but if you parked them next to each other, you'd never mistake them. The Mark was big - all over, in every proportion. The wheel wells were in a different time zone. The four point anti-lock breaks were a big deal. Mercedes used three points, in their ABS system. The four point system worked great. The Mark also had an independent rear end. If you were to park it with one wheel over a pothole, it would just drop the wheel in & the rest of the car would remain straight. The car was huge, but it was also pretty fast, for its time - especially the LSC, when it got the fuel injected HO five liter. the handling was great. It was better than many compact FWD cars of the time. However, the tires wore quickly, and the peak performance would decline, as the tires wore. Tires were expensive. The maneuverability was good. It also had an air suspension that lowered the car at higher speeds. However, it would raise the body in town, and that would give it great ground clearance. It was easy to parallel park - even in tight spots. It would be at home, in a crowded college town.
"The Mark VII looked a lot like the Thunderbirds of the time" ... and with good reason. According to _Collectible Automobile_ magazine, Ford stylist Jack Telnak was conducting a focus group for what would be the '83 Thunderbird. The group wasn't enthusiastic about the first batch of designs, so Telnak surreptitiously brought in a model of the Mk VII (then still a work in progress) with the badging removed, and with the trunk bulge hidden from the focus group members. The group loved this new "Thunderbird," which reset the styling direction. So, although the T-Bird came out ahead of the Mk VII, the design of the Mk VII came first.
Good Video on the Lincoln Mark Series and mentioning the Lincoln LS maybe you'll do some other videos on other Lincolns in the Future there's also Lincoln Continental Town Car.
Another awesome video that reminds me of the cars I used to love. The Mark VII came out about the time I graduated from high school and of course I dreamed of having one especially when the LSC model came out. But looking back today I would love to have say a '78 or '79 Mark V that is huge and the front of the car arrives five minutes for the rest of the car does. I wish the personal luxury coupe would make a comeback as I always loved them even the ones made during the Malaise period such as the Mark VII.
When they brought out the MK _ cars I actually pronounced them as Mark _ in my head, until I heard commercials pronounce them as M, K, _. I was so disappointed as a young teen auto enthusiast, I just always assumed that Ford dropped the ball on that issue. Thank you for the video, it redeemed them some in my eyes knowing they at least hoped it would be pronounced correctly. Keep up the great work! I always look forward to your new videos!
I'm really looking forward to your Lincoln LS episode. I remember when it first came out, it was such a huge departure for Lincoln. I remember thinking it was a crazy-interesting car and I loved that there was a manual transmission available for it (with the V6 only, of course). Even today, I think the design is timeless and I really wanted one of those 3-pedal LSs back when they came out.
My grandma had a 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car. It was the longest production car made at 22ft and it was unlike any car I have ever driven. It should have had special training required.
my mom told me that her stepdad had an early 80s version back when they were fairly new, she said that the air suspension failed regularly, knowing him he probably was cheaping out and not properly getting it fixed, rest easy pop pop❤️ 🙌
@@J.Gainez Lol that's funny. Yes, the suspension systems in the Fox body Continentals failed regularly. I know in the late 1980's the suspension system was controlled by a microprocessor that turned out to be very problematic. I think it was a little too ahead of its time, in that it was constantly controlling both the front and rear suspension. The individual suspension assemblies were constantly having to work, and were so fragile that many owners had the systems replaced with standard suspension systems. When they were working, the ride was super nice.
I believe it. In it's day that was a fast luxurious car. The Mark 7 was a big deal & very expensive. Then there was the gorgeous Town Car. The 80s was an awesome time to be alive
mark 7's are amazing cars that did industry leading technology roll outs. This car did it all, luxury with a nice ride, performance(basically a Mustang) and good build quality, for the most part. Harder to find these nowdays in decent condition. Mark 8 was faster then a Mustang GT. The 8, the T-bird and Mercury Cougar were built in Canada. Really good interior quality, and pretty darn good rust resistance on the body. IRS. Weak point was the auto trans, and the air bags on the 8's. The cars had a crazy exhaust system, two cats, one off each manifold, that joined into a third cat like a Y pipe, that went into a resonator. Then the single pipe ran to the back and split to go through two turbo mufflers from Ford racing. Ford could have saved 400 lbs in exhaust components alone hahaha. I always chuckled at the racing division mufflers being used for dual exits after chocking the enitre thing with three cats and a smaller single pipe to get past the passenger cabin. Great cars all, one of Fords best lines. Once the T-bird/Cougar/8 got canceled, the company never really made the same type of vehicles ever again, for any of their products. It was an end of an era. One other note on the 4.6 engines, the tbird and Cougar got SOHC like the Contnental. Lincoln started the SOHC engine in I think 92, and in 94 the Tbird and Cougar got it. The DOHC debuted in the Mark 8. The original SOHC 4.6 made a good bit more torque then the Mustang variant for 96 did. Different intake and head design. Ford's numbers would never show proper accuracy, their market group would never allow a claim that any of the other vehicles were as fast as a Mustang. Lots of missed opportunity for Ford, a DOHC tbird or Cougar Eliminator would have been amazing.
Thank you for this. I’ve always steered clear of most Ford vehicles with few exceptions, this is one of them. I’ve come super close to buying the MKVIII , and at some point in the future will hopefully pull the trigger. I appreciate your videos, have a happy new year, you and the rest of your subscribers 🍻
I’ll still recommend two cars that are rarely seen today and did not last long. That particular theme of your videos is my favorite. Toyota Paseo (I had one for 255K miles until I gave it to a friend in need; it still ran great). Subaru Justy. This was one of the three cylinder cars that manufacturers thought would succeed for econobox cars. It definitely did not succeed in the U.S. Actually, one more for good measure: the Honda Del Sol.
A wonderful job highlighting a very important era in American car history. I’ve enjoyed a couple of Lincoln’s in my years and I’m planning on trying to get a 56 Mark two
Brings back memories. Back in the mid-70s I was working on a 56 Mark II for water entry into the front passenger area. There just happened to be a 49 cosmopolitan in the shop at the same time. One of the lot porters pulled it up into the shop but apparently it didn't have any brakes and crashed into the back of the 56 mark that was in my stall doing heavy damage to the rear bumper. That same lot Porter, just a few days later, also managed to crash a Pantera into the wall which officially ended his employment. I do have to say I still remember that distinct smell from that Old leather upholstery in that 56 mark. As a Lincoln Mercury technician, one car has always been a mystery to me as I had only seen one and only worked on one. It was a two-door sports car car called an Italia. Apparently it was sold through Lincoln Mercury but only for a short time.
Always watch your vids ASAP. At this point I "like" it even before watching cause I KNOW I won't be let down haha.🤣🤷🏻♂️ My best guess for the next episode is the S10/blazer/jimmy? Lots of history there. Keep up the great content !!!
I had a 1985 Nissan Sentra SE 5-speed that I truly loved. If I could get another one new, I would do it. It wasn't really a sporty car, just some sporty paint job with upgraded wheels, but it ran, and ran well. No major issues with any mechanicals. Got over 40 mpg on the highway.
Growing up in the 80s I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandfather who was a Ford Lincoln Mercury fanatic. This easily transfered to me as I'm a big Ford fan. I remembered there were a few of the Marks in the neighborhood and a few were lightning fast.
I was waiting to see if you would show the heavily customized Lincoln Mark III George Barris made for the horror movie 'The Car,' surprisingly you didn't disappoint. I love that film. I can see you're not only a car buff but a film and TV buff like me. I love your videos.
Last year I was in mexico and noticed a lincoln LT truck but I knew right away it was a second gen because it looked like f150 that was the new 2010 version but never came out the usa. The ford ranger also never ended production in mexico and it was the country that got the new model way before the us market had it last year.
Dude, love your SHOWS! Yeah, I remember the Lincoln's, always hated them, > Cadillac's were MY FAVORITE! Well, time passes, and my mom ended up with a Lincoln Town Car, '86, and then it became mine. Fixed it up/ painted, etc, etc. loved it and your show tonight really reminds me of it! Thanks for the Memories!
This brought back a lot of memories of my Great grandpa and his obsession with Lincolns. He loved his Continental and his Town car. When he passed I got his 83 Town Car. Stupid 14 yr old me sold it though when gas prices spiked in the mid 2000s.
My Dad had an Mark VII LSC he had Inherited from his grandpa that was a custom order from the factory. I'm not too sure all that was custom on it but I do know the paint was some special dark red wine color and the wire wheels were bronze. I absolutely loved that thing growing up, it was decently quick too. Only had like 40k miles on it when he traded it in back in 2006 for a V6 Sonata. He says he still regrets that decision to this day haha. The Sonata was nice too tho forsure.
Since because you already talked about 3000GT/Stealth twins, so are you gonna talk about either Chrysler F-body cars, Mitsubishi Starion and Chrysler Conquest triplets or the entire Chrysler New Yorker nameplate (1940 - 1996) for future My Old Car episode?
Here's a video suggestion: the mopar p-body: Dodge Shadow, Plymouth Sundance, and Chrysler ES. Over its life it had some really interesting variants like the turbocharged Shadow Shelby CSX and the 3 liter mivec powered Sundance Duster. They were easy to overlook (people wanted to compare them to mustangs and camaros instead of corollas and civics) but as a practical, inexpensive, and fun vehicle, it was a wonderful last hurrah for the k-car platform Iacocca leveraged to keep Mopar alive through the previous decade. And it was really disappointing when it got replaced by the cutesy neon in 94.
I used to have a 1995 Toyota pickup (the old pre-Tacoma compact pickup platform) that was unbelievably sturdy. I kept it until a wild donkey ran in front of it on a highway in 2013. Unfortunately, that totaled it. It did not require any serious work until then. The body shop guy I talked to about possible repairs bought it and fixed it up because he liked that platform so much. Before that, I would have random people offer to buy it when they saw me getting into it in parking lots. I would love to see a video about those!
Fun historic fact: Lincoln AND Cadillac were founded by the SAME one man!!! Henry M. Leland founded Both brands and sold one to Ford and the other to GM.
Lincoln and Cadillac should’ve always just stuck to giving their vehicles actual names and just let the European and Japanese luxury brands do the alphanumeric designations since those actually mean something on the foreign branded cars unlike the American branded luxury cars, as they only did it to copy their foreign competitors.
Did I miss it or did you forget to mention the 8th and 9th gen Lincoln Continental? I used to own a base 2000 Continental (9th gen) with a front bench seat, no cd changer, no sunroof, and only cruise control on the steering wheel. Pretty much the only option was front heated seats. I even had the 'lesser' faux wood trim. From what I remember, it wasn't really related to the Mark VIII at all, except maybe for the engine. Instead, it seems that it was more like a modified Taurus/Sable, just with a 4.6 32v V8 shoehorned in and FWD instead of RWD. It was a decent car; the seats were plenty comfortable, it had a cool digitally projected gauge cluster, and the air suspension in the back was pretty nice! Other than that, though, it wasn't much to write home about.
I always had a soft spot for the mark VIII in all black with those chrome rims, looked pretty damn good. It didn't live up to the European offerings because they always competed on price and not the actual car, but that is still a cool looking ride
Agreed. I bought a black Mark VIII LSC with black interior brand new in 1998...still have it like new condition. Styling-wise, it doesn't look half its age. In 1998, there was no other car in the world that could match a Mark VIII feature for feature at ANY price (i.e. air-suspension, Xenon headlamps, Neon tail-lamp, etc.).
I have a 13 Mks and would love a video on them eventually. In my opinion its the last breathe of the old land yachts aswell as being the last Lincoln sedan to use (technically) a truck engine.
When I grew up in Midwest Iowa I had a neighbor named Larry who owned about any Lincoln continental generation besides the very early pre 1970’s models He owned about every ford product you could think of
Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/MyOldCar - enter promo code MyOldCar for 83% off and 3 extra months for free!
Happy New Year 🎊
I would donate to your pateron, if you did an Lincoln Ls episode
wow u got a sponsor good job man keep it up
I'm wondering what is the name of the music used in these videos, please let me know.
The ride is unbelievable
I agree that the Mark series was my favorite Lincoln. Stylistically, they were impactful and recognizable…something that is lost today (especially in America).
Yep, same here!
MK8 was rather ghastly imo. But preceding ones were great though.
The Mark VIII was such a good looking car, and by that time performance was finally making a comeback as well. It's a shame that was the end of the Mark series.
Since fewer Millennials are getting married, and they're starting families later and later, I hold out some hope that 2-door coupes will make a comeback during my lifetime.
I'm a car loving millennial, and every few Saturdays I go to my local car meet where there's usually a beige Mark VIII parked somewhere between the Skylines and the Ferraris. I think the guy who owns it is my age. He says it's a pain in the butt to keep running, but he just has to because it's so beautiful!
Oh yea, the Mark VIII was very good looking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I expect cars in general, and coupes with them, will come back in style in another generation or so. Right now, sedans and coupes are "old man/boomer" cars, so everyone is going with the CUVs and SUVs. In a generation, SUVs and CUVs will be old man cars, so the market will shift again. Just my opinion.
@@drg5352 👍
Fun fact; the Mark VIII was tested and was close to racing in NASCAR Winston Cup. It was aerodynamically superior to the all other brands. Unfortunately, it never saw competition due lack of support from Ford and NASCAR wanting more aero numbers.
My aunt has a Pucci, she always had a Lincoln throughout my childhood. She would get a new one every other year and I loved that Pucci.
The Mark 8 was and is still one of the best looking cars ever made 😍
LSC mark 8 is so beautiful,even today
Karen MacKenzie drove a MK VII on Knots Landing. She always drove Ford product whereas Abby and Laura usually drove Mercedes. Val of course had her Porsche later in the series. JR also drove a Mark VII toward the last season of Dallas. Guess it was a throwback to what Jock drove and his Allante ???
The old ads are my favorite part. They just don’t make them corny like they used to. #bestchannel
new car ads are the worst. I’ll watch the whole commercial and never hear a word about performance or features, just some aspirational BS. You know, it’s just a voiceovers with some word salad like “What is a car? An idea? A feeling? looking forward has never been so important….The 2022 Bullshitmobile……….”.
@@rooseveltbrentwood9654 Behold, the 2022 Bullshitmobile... It has bluetooth and Alexa. It's rated the most reliable car of this year because its still new, and will rapidly depreciate in value the second you drive it off the lot. Shortly after the last note is paid, it will randomly go into an electronic-related-self-destruction mode, costing way too much to fix, forcing you to trade it in for the NEXT Bullshitmobile. Enjoy!
@@trikeonabike4949 exactly. as a matter of fact, I finally paid off my Focus, and now my electric system’s on the fritz and there’s a parasitic drain I can’t find. Might have to give in and take it to a Ford dealer……….
Owned a 74 Mark IV pimp ride while in the Navy. Loved that car.
Definitely got to do one on The Lincoln LS, I worked at a Lincoln-Mercury in the early to mid 2000's. Saw a lot of these sold but I rarely see them today. For some reason I actually didn't know The Mark Series wasn't badged as a Lincoln at first, interesting stuff.
You don't see them today because they all got crushed in junk yards. Awesome idea, worst car ever made with a Lincoln badge on it.
@@johngaltline9933 My Dad had an 01, it was a lease car. He never had any problems with it but then again, he only had the car for 2 years.
Nicely done! Learned some cool new stuff! One thing near the end, with the Mark VIII....the 4.6l 32v v8 is often mistakenly called the "Mustang Cobra engine", when in fact, it was first put in the 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII, making it a Mark VIII engine. Owned a 1995 Mark VIII base and a 1997 Mark VIII LSC, as well as a 1995 Ford Thunderbird LX (with 4.6l v8). Sadly all are no longer with me and I miss all of them. Maybe someday I'll add the Thunderbird back to the fleet....but the Mark VIII had a lot of one off items (HID headlights, air suspension, interior options) that all had issues that were unique to the Mark VIII.
Same here. I had two and miss them both. Both 97 Base models: one Evergreen, the other Silver Frost.
I had a 94 Tbird LX and added a 98 MKVIII base a couple years later, thinking I would sell the tbird. But as it turns out while I drove them both extensively, in town and on trips, I ended up driving the tbird more and sold the MK VIII. Something about the handling of that gen tbird was just perfect, and seat comfort was the best in any car I've ever owned. I drove it until it rusted into the ground, I loved that car.
I had an opportunity to tool around in an extremely low mileage (15k!) pre-facelift Mark VIII a while ago that a family member was flipping. What a strange, unique thing. I've only ever had work trucks, so the get up and go that came from the factory on this cool looking barge really felt great. Definitely exemplary 90s styling as well. Wish I could have afforded the damn thing.
I still remember my first ride in a Mark VIII, it was a 97 LSC. It was the first car I rode in that would catch third gear with enough wheel spin to engage traction control to prevent getting sideways. I'm glad I never bought it, couldn't afford the air suspension issue or the early HID headlight issues. I still miss that car though!
Yep, they are cool cars, kind of like a Factory Hot Rod! My Mark VIII would really move!
I had two 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC both red. Just sold the last one back in 2020 to save on Maintenance costs. That thing rode like a tank and had a nice JBL sound system even by today's standards. The 96 model year had alot of 1 year only parts which sometimes made it difficult to maintain such as the VMRC and the IMRC pods
I had a 97 Mark VIII and a friend had 88 Mark VII, great reliable cars.
The mark III is one of the best looking luxury cars ever. My neighbor had one that never ran, though my friend and I used to play in it a lot. It was a 69. I couldn't believe it had power antenna gas door release trunk release mirrors windows locks cruise and 6 way seats drivers and passenger side. I wonder what ever happened to it.
Figures. The two I always wanted most, are from some of the darkest days in automotive history. The Mark V, and the Mark VII LSC. A neighbor had an LSC when I was a kid (12-15 yo), and I always thought, that done right, that Lincoln would surprise a lot of would-be stoplight heroes.
Great video. Remember the 1984 and 85 model years could be had with a BMW diesel engine...
Aww... Sneaky cool putting that clip of "The Car" at the end! That model was the coolest Mark in my opinion!
The redesigned Mark IV, V, VII, and VIII are my favorites. I would love to have a Mark VII LSC with those spoke wheel and body kit.😍😍
And the Mark VIII in a total sleeper. A little bit of tuning, and that car will MOVE. I need to get mine back on the road.😔
Considering how many versions of the Lincoln Continental have been made, a My Old Car episode on the Continental would be epic. Can't wait for that one.
I had a 1979 continental MK-V.
It was really a wonderful car… I paid $300 for it in high school well over 20 years ago in the last millennium.
Glad you included Cannon in the video. Wouldn't be a Mark video without Frank Cannon.
I always love Marks. My 1st brand new was Mark V a 77 with the 460. Then, again in 98 LSC . BEAUTIFUL cars & very comfortable for long distances. On the highway, I felt it had enough power for tight passes. The need to bring those Personal Luxury cars again. Not every 1 wants an SUV,CUV,etc. Empty nesters will be on line to get em.
C’mon I thought for sure you’d have included arguably the best commercial for any car ever in this video, I still remember it from seeing it in my early teens when the Mark VIII was being marketed on TV:
Setting: Mark VIII is sitting on a runway lined up next to a fighter jet, preparing to drag race.
Voiceover Script: “If man were meant to fly, he’d have been born with a 32 valve, 230 HP, Lincoln. Mark. VIII.”
Then they both blast off!!! Gives me chills just thinking about that commercial!
Yes I’m a nerd. And I may be misremembering the Valves or HP, but this was the most impression-making car commercial I’ve ever seen!
Maybe a close second is that SUV commercial where the competitor has a log strapped to the roof with a boulder attached to the front dangling in front of the SUV and it stops abruptly causing the boulder to pendulum swing forward and then back and crush the front end. Lol but since I don’t even remember what SUV that was for I think the Mark VIII ad is the winner in my book!
Love your vids, always watch them as soon as I can when they come out! Cheers!
Love that commercial...but it's 280hp, not 230hp. The stang in those days had 225hp...the MKviii had 280, ate stangs for breakfast as well
@@Whyteeford Dang I knew it was either 230 or 280, I took the low end guess because, well, the 90s :-P
@@andrewstevens5145 man I did not expect a reply at all, let alone an instant reply lol. And in 1997, the MKviii had 290. Yet the Mustang took until 2005 to push 300hp with the same engine
And actually I'm also wrong, the MKviii made 290 in 1995...a full 10 years before the Mustang hit 300hp. And have you ever driven, or been driven in an MKviii? The solid power, the air ride suspension...plush yet sporty interior...man what a car!
My Grandfather and Grandmother's last proper motor car, was a Lincoln Mark VIII, that is in my Family's possession still. They loved it, and as it was America's Last RWD Luxury/GT Coupe, and its engine led to the Qualv Magusta, MG X-Power, and Koeningsegg's first cars, and has a 5,000 Pound crush-weight on her Monocoupe chassis, I hold it as a landmark of American engineering!
That being said, if they made a Lincoln-ized Ford Mustang coupe, to actually go against BMW's buzzards, it would have been able to be the perfect "Halo Car," with any losses more-than made-up by the Mustang. It goes to show how little the Car Industry uses its available tools-at-hand.
The Mark 7 LSC was a radical design. Those hot rod wheels, thick rubber, 302 V8, loud exhaust, and aerodynamic design.
2 vehicles mentioned in this video I'd love to see a video on are the Lincoln LS and Chevy Avalanche.
Recently found this channel and have been thoroughly enjoying the content!
Makes me learn a lot about these old cars that I hadn't had a clue about before.
The Continental Mark V means a lot to me, my late Grandpa owned a Diamond Jubilee edition (in Blue) and it was such a nice, relaxing car to drive in. Though comically huge now, by today's standards.
Would love to see a video on the Pontiac Bonneville. Mother owned a '96 SE and it was something that took up much of my childhood years.
I'm still waiting for an episode on the GM B-Body platform. From 77-90 almost unchanged and the updated 91-96 versions with the LT1 engine. In my opinion it's one of the best platforms of any manufacturer
That would be cool. I just picked up a 94 Roadmaster with 55k on the clock
Great video! Very happy you included Mad Men scenes. That whole part where Sally drives the Lincoln is insane.
thanks for presenting this Mark Series, my absolute favorite of the Lincoln division. you do such a fantastic job. i much enjoyed - Mark VI owner
The Mark VII looked a lot like the Thunderbirds of the time, but if you parked them next to each other, you'd never mistake them. The Mark was big - all over, in every proportion. The wheel wells were in a different time zone. The four point anti-lock breaks were a big deal. Mercedes used three points, in their ABS system. The four point system worked great. The Mark also had an independent rear end. If you were to park it with one wheel over a pothole, it would just drop the wheel in & the rest of the car would remain straight. The car was huge, but it was also pretty fast, for its time - especially the LSC, when it got the fuel injected HO five liter. the handling was great. It was better than many compact FWD cars of the time. However, the tires wore quickly, and the peak performance would decline, as the tires wore. Tires were expensive. The maneuverability was good. It also had an air suspension that lowered the car at higher speeds. However, it would raise the body in town, and that would give it great ground clearance. It was easy to parallel park - even in tight spots. It would be at home, in a crowded college town.
The best car produced in the USA during that entire decade...
"The Mark VII looked a lot like the Thunderbirds of the time" ... and with good reason. According to _Collectible Automobile_ magazine, Ford stylist Jack Telnak was conducting a focus group for what would be the '83 Thunderbird. The group wasn't enthusiastic about the first batch of designs, so Telnak surreptitiously brought in a model of the Mk VII (then still a work in progress) with the badging removed, and with the trunk bulge hidden from the focus group members. The group loved this new "Thunderbird," which reset the styling direction. So, although the T-Bird came out ahead of the Mk VII, the design of the Mk VII came first.
The Mark 7 did not lower itself automatically, the MARK 8 did.
The Mark VII was 2/10ths of an inch longer than the T-Bird.
Where do you get "huge" out of that?
Good Video on the Lincoln Mark Series and mentioning the Lincoln LS maybe you'll do some other videos on other Lincolns in the Future there's also Lincoln Continental Town Car.
I bought a 79 Bill Blass edition a few years ago at an auction. I loved everything about it but the engine.
Another awesome video that reminds me of the cars I used to love.
The Mark VII came out about the time I graduated from high school and of course I dreamed of having one especially when the LSC model came out. But looking back today I would love to have say a '78 or '79 Mark V that is huge and the front of the car arrives five minutes for the rest of the car does.
I wish the personal luxury coupe would make a comeback as I always loved them even the ones made during the Malaise period such as the Mark VII.
Happy new year’s everyone
Lincoln absolutely nailed the Mark VIII...right when the market for big personal luxury coupes vanished completely.
When they brought out the MK _ cars I actually pronounced them as Mark _ in my head, until I heard commercials pronounce them as M, K, _. I was so disappointed as a young teen auto enthusiast, I just always assumed that Ford dropped the ball on that issue. Thank you for the video, it redeemed them some in my eyes knowing they at least hoped it would be pronounced correctly. Keep up the great work! I always look forward to your new videos!
I'm really looking forward to your Lincoln LS episode. I remember when it first came out, it was such a huge departure for Lincoln. I remember thinking it was a crazy-interesting car and I loved that there was a manual transmission available for it (with the V6 only, of course). Even today, I think the design is timeless and I really wanted one of those 3-pedal LSs back when they came out.
The Mark 9 and X are absolutely breathtaking. Too bad they never were produced.
Pretty sure the mark 9 has mountaineer headlights
My grandma had a 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car. It was the longest production car made at 22ft and it was unlike any car I have ever driven. It should have had special training required.
The suspension systems on the late 80’s Continental were super cushy, I loved them.
my mom told me that her stepdad had an early 80s version back when they were fairly new, she said that the air suspension failed regularly, knowing him he probably was cheaping out and not properly getting it fixed, rest easy pop pop❤️ 🙌
@@J.Gainez Lol that's funny. Yes, the suspension systems in the Fox body Continentals failed regularly. I know in the late 1980's the suspension system was controlled by a microprocessor that turned out to be very problematic. I think it was a little too ahead of its time, in that it was constantly controlling both the front and rear suspension. The individual suspension assemblies were constantly having to work, and were so fragile that many owners had the systems replaced with standard suspension systems. When they were working, the ride was super nice.
My 89 MK VII LSC had a very firm ride. The regular line MK VII was much softer.
I cant even BELIEVE they could get Kyle Petty for there ads. Quite a famous nascar driver. Also it’s cool you got a sponsor for the first time!
I think they got Jackie Stewart to do a Ford Tempo ad way back.
Well he DID drive Thunderbirds in Nascar!
I believe it. In it's day that was a fast luxurious car. The Mark 7 was a big deal & very expensive. Then there was the gorgeous Town Car. The 80s was an awesome time to be alive
I don't think there's any connection between race drivers doing car ads and them actually giving the car their seal of approval. It's a paycheck.
@@HanShotFirst100 I just think it’s cool they got a nascar driver to do an advertisement.
mark 7's are amazing cars that did industry leading technology roll outs. This car did it all, luxury with a nice ride, performance(basically a Mustang) and good build quality, for the most part. Harder to find these nowdays in decent condition.
Mark 8 was faster then a Mustang GT. The 8, the T-bird and Mercury Cougar were built in Canada. Really good interior quality, and pretty darn good rust resistance on the body. IRS. Weak point was the auto trans, and the air bags on the 8's. The cars had a crazy exhaust system, two cats, one off each manifold, that joined into a third cat like a Y pipe, that went into a resonator. Then the single pipe ran to the back and split to go through two turbo mufflers from Ford racing. Ford could have saved 400 lbs in exhaust components alone hahaha. I always chuckled at the racing division mufflers being used for dual exits after chocking the enitre thing with three cats and a smaller single pipe to get past the passenger cabin.
Great cars all, one of Fords best lines. Once the T-bird/Cougar/8 got canceled, the company never really made the same type of vehicles ever again, for any of their products. It was an end of an era.
One other note on the 4.6 engines, the tbird and Cougar got SOHC like the Contnental. Lincoln started the SOHC engine in I think 92, and in 94 the Tbird and Cougar got it. The DOHC debuted in the Mark 8. The original SOHC 4.6 made a good bit more torque then the Mustang variant for 96 did. Different intake and head design. Ford's numbers would never show proper accuracy, their market group would never allow a claim that any of the other vehicles were as fast as a Mustang. Lots of missed opportunity for Ford, a DOHC tbird or Cougar Eliminator would have been amazing.
Thank you for this. I’ve always steered clear of most Ford vehicles with few exceptions, this is one of them. I’ve come super close to buying the MKVIII , and at some point in the future will hopefully pull the trigger. I appreciate your videos, have a happy new year, you and the rest of your subscribers 🍻
I highly anticipated every episode of the show
I’ll still recommend two cars that are rarely seen today and did not last long. That particular theme of your videos is my favorite.
Toyota Paseo (I had one for 255K miles until I gave it to a friend in need; it still ran great).
Subaru Justy. This was one of the three cylinder cars that manufacturers thought would succeed for econobox cars. It definitely did not succeed in the U.S.
Actually, one more for good measure: the Honda Del Sol.
Excellent video. You did a great job explaining everything. The footage also worked well with the video as well. Thank you for your efforts.
+1. This channel has become a great source of info for newer "vintage" cars.
A wonderful job highlighting a very important era in American car history. I’ve enjoyed a couple of Lincoln’s in my years and I’m planning on trying to get a 56 Mark two
Brings back memories. Back in the mid-70s I was working on a 56 Mark II for water entry into the front passenger area. There just happened to be a 49 cosmopolitan in the shop at the same time. One of the lot porters pulled it up into the shop but apparently it didn't have any brakes and crashed into the back of the 56 mark that was in my stall doing heavy damage to the rear bumper. That same lot Porter, just a few days later, also managed to crash a Pantera into the wall which officially ended his employment. I do have to say I still remember that distinct smell from that Old leather upholstery in that 56 mark. As a Lincoln Mercury technician, one car has always been a mystery to me as I had only seen one and only worked on one. It was a two-door sports car car called an Italia. Apparently it was sold through Lincoln Mercury but only for a short time.
Cool series on Lincoln. Would loves a series on Ford F Series. Great history behind that truck
How about a episode on the Buick Electra/Park Avenue? I owned a 1989 Buick Electra Limited with the 3.1 V6. Loved it.
Love your content!
This would be a good one.
Always watch your vids ASAP. At this point I "like" it even before watching cause I KNOW I won't be let down haha.🤣🤷🏻♂️
My best guess for the next episode is the S10/blazer/jimmy? Lots of history there. Keep up the great content !!!
Another great job! But just one thing . Are you sure those louvers were functional?
The Lincoln Mark Viii was the most elegant!
The 97-98 Mark8 to this day is timeless and at the same time "ahead of it's time". 1st and only Ford coupe with rear LEDs and front HIDs
Neon brake light across the middle...
@@martinmelucci4383 ur getting Automobiles confused with Night Clubs 😵😵😵.....there is NO such thing as exterior "Neon" lights on a car 🤦
I wanted a Mark VII LSC so bad.
Awesome! I fell in love with the 1979 MK V Bill Blass Edition the moment i saw it. Beautiful automobile!
I had a 1985 Nissan Sentra SE 5-speed that I truly loved. If I could get another one new, I would do it. It wasn't really a sporty car, just some sporty paint job with upgraded wheels, but it ran, and ran well. No major issues with any mechanicals. Got over 40 mpg on the highway.
The Lincoln MK8 was a modern day masterpiece. And the 64 continental is the most beautiful thing ever made on wheels
Love that Fordor T-Bird.
Growing up in the 80s I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandfather who was a Ford Lincoln Mercury fanatic. This easily transfered to me as I'm a big Ford fan. I remembered there were a few of the Marks in the neighborhood and a few were lightning fast.
I was waiting to see if you would show the heavily customized Lincoln Mark III George Barris made for the horror movie 'The Car,' surprisingly you didn't disappoint. I love that film. I can see you're not only a car buff but a film and TV buff like me. I love your videos.
Thank you very much for this episode! I’ve always been fond of the MK VII! Happy new year!
Thanks Pat for the Lincoln Mark history lesson. I didn't know most of that stuff.
Last year I was in mexico and noticed a lincoln LT truck but I knew right away it was a second gen because it looked like f150 that was the new 2010 version but never came out the usa. The ford ranger also never ended production in mexico and it was the country that got the new model way before the us market had it last year.
Awesome!! I've been waiting for this!! Hey suggestions how about the International Scout
i look forward to your videos every saturday around lunch, don’t go anywhere brother
Always respected the Lincoln brand but theirs nothing like a Cadillac
Happy New Year’s Day My Old Car! 🥳
Mk8 is strikingly beautiful
Dude, love your SHOWS! Yeah, I remember the Lincoln's, always hated them, > Cadillac's were MY FAVORITE! Well, time passes, and my mom ended up with a Lincoln Town Car, '86, and then it became mine. Fixed it up/ painted, etc, etc. loved it and your show tonight really reminds me of it! Thanks for the Memories!
This brought back a lot of memories of my Great grandpa and his obsession with Lincolns. He loved his Continental and his Town car. When he passed I got his 83 Town Car. Stupid 14 yr old me sold it though when gas prices spiked in the mid 2000s.
My Dad had an Mark VII LSC he had Inherited from his grandpa that was a custom order from the factory. I'm not too sure all that was custom on it but I do know the paint was some special dark red wine color and the wire wheels were bronze. I absolutely loved that thing growing up, it was decently quick too. Only had like 40k miles on it when he traded it in back in 2006 for a V6 Sonata. He says he still regrets that decision to this day haha. The Sonata was nice too tho forsure.
Since because you already talked about 3000GT/Stealth twins, so are you gonna talk about either Chrysler F-body cars, Mitsubishi Starion and Chrysler Conquest triplets or the entire Chrysler New Yorker nameplate (1940 - 1996) for future My Old Car episode?
The Marks were always classier than the Cadillacs.
Toyota also used the Mark X name on their JDM cars.
Did not mention the 32 valve engine the last Mark got. They were just as fast as a corvette of the time. Way under appreciated
I had a 1988 Honda CRX Si in college. Man that car was peppy and a blast to drive. So light you could pick it up and move it.
Here's a video suggestion: the mopar p-body: Dodge Shadow, Plymouth Sundance, and Chrysler ES. Over its life it had some really interesting variants like the turbocharged Shadow Shelby CSX and the 3 liter mivec powered Sundance Duster. They were easy to overlook (people wanted to compare them to mustangs and camaros instead of corollas and civics) but as a practical, inexpensive, and fun vehicle, it was a wonderful last hurrah for the k-car platform Iacocca leveraged to keep Mopar alive through the previous decade. And it was really disappointing when it got replaced by the cutesy neon in 94.
Boy I can count on you for a good holiday view
The 7 and 8 where classy cars. Always loved them...former TBird guy here.
That 39 prototype is amazing.
I used to have a 1995 Toyota pickup (the old pre-Tacoma compact pickup platform) that was unbelievably sturdy. I kept it until a wild donkey ran in front of it on a highway in 2013. Unfortunately, that totaled it. It did not require any serious work until then. The body shop guy I talked to about possible repairs bought it and fixed it up because he liked that platform so much. Before that, I would have random people offer to buy it when they saw me getting into it in parking lots. I would love to see a video about those!
Getting a sponsor, good job bud! Also, I'd love to see the Jeep Cherokee XJ (1984-2001)
Fun historic fact: Lincoln AND Cadillac were founded by the SAME one man!!! Henry M. Leland founded Both brands and sold one to Ford and the other to GM.
Lincoln and Cadillac should’ve always just stuck to giving their vehicles actual names and just let the European and Japanese luxury brands do the alphanumeric designations since those actually mean something on the foreign branded cars unlike the American branded luxury cars, as they only did it to copy their foreign competitors.
Dude painting car in factory with no mask at 3:10 😮
Did I miss it or did you forget to mention the 8th and 9th gen Lincoln Continental? I used to own a base 2000 Continental (9th gen) with a front bench seat, no cd changer, no sunroof, and only cruise control on the steering wheel. Pretty much the only option was front heated seats. I even had the 'lesser' faux wood trim. From what I remember, it wasn't really related to the Mark VIII at all, except maybe for the engine. Instead, it seems that it was more like a modified Taurus/Sable, just with a 4.6 32v V8 shoehorned in and FWD instead of RWD. It was a decent car; the seats were plenty comfortable, it had a cool digitally projected gauge cluster, and the air suspension in the back was pretty nice! Other than that, though, it wasn't much to write home about.
Thanks for the video. I love Lincoln and some more info on the “new” and last Continental would have been great. Good video though.
Awesome channel. You should do one about the Mazda Millennia. Never saw so much luxury put in an inexpensive car
I always had a soft spot for the mark VIII in all black with those chrome rims, looked pretty damn good. It didn't live up to the European offerings because they always competed on price and not the actual car, but that is still a cool looking ride
Agreed. I bought a black Mark VIII LSC with black interior brand new in 1998...still have it like new condition. Styling-wise, it doesn't look half its age. In 1998, there was no other car in the world that could match a Mark VIII feature for feature at ANY price (i.e. air-suspension, Xenon headlamps, Neon tail-lamp, etc.).
@@murphman76 I love the fact that this car somehow was both entirely 90's and timeless all at once. Still turns my head when I see one in the wild.
What A Luxury Car Should Be! 🚘🚗
The Mark VII is beautiful especially the LSC trim. It's one of the cars I would love to have in my driveway...
He said pimpmobile 😂
He knew it was driven by Khalo Riad
I sure do miss the 90's
I wish they still made these as a 8 Series competitor.
I like that the Car from the movie 77 got a cameo at the end!
I have a 13 Mks and would love a video on them eventually. In my opinion its the last breathe of the old land yachts aswell as being the last Lincoln sedan to use (technically) a truck engine.
When I grew up in Midwest Iowa I had a neighbor named Larry who owned about any Lincoln continental generation besides the very early pre 1970’s models
He owned about every ford product you could think of
congratulations on your first sponsor! only channel i watch ads for.