1979 Mark V Collector's Series not a Corvette and not a Cadillac

1979 Lincoln Mark Series Description

You are bidding on a very nice driver quality 1979 Lincoln Collector's Series. I say driver quality because there are so many subjective descriptions you see on Ebay. I have been a car enthusiast since high school and love nothing more than simply going to coffee on Saturday morning in a nice old American Car. The paint on the car is exceptionally nice as it wears all original paint with the exception of the top surfaces that were resprayed sometime in the past 37 years. I sell automotive paint so you may not have even noticed...Because the car has been garage kept it's whole life you don't have any, and I mean any...rust where almost all Mark V's trap moisture...around the vinyl roof, moon roof and bottom of trunk lid. If you have a Mark V with no rust you have a true treasure. The car is mechanically sound, no leaks on the garage floor, motor runs strong and quiet. Exhaust is good, tires are good and drives straight and true down the road. All the power windows work, power antennae, cruise control, air conditioning, lights, etc. We all grow weary of the famous cliche..."I would jump in and drive to California tomorrow..." Well, the car could make it but I'm not sure Texans are always like minded with folks from California. I welcome you sending somebody out to test drive it, look it over, etc. I can be reached by phone at 832-578-0460 or by email at: martyheiden@gmail.com
For some reason they only allow 24 pictures. I wanted to show how nice and rust free the car is, the interior is not faded out like so many with the cloth. The headliner is nice, the carpets are nice. The seats have great leather with a little wear on corner of front left seat. Lincoln leather never was as nice as the GM leather but the ride and looks are second to none.
I am struggling to keep my old cars as space has become a concern as we have moved to a retirement area. I have the original owner's manual, window sticker, umbrella, tool kit, etc. I have yet to sell one of my cars where somebody didn't feel like they got more than they expected. It is priced to sell unlike most people on Ebay who ask crazy money for similar quality vehicles. Please let me know if you need any other info on this great old car.
Respectfully,
Marty
If you can do us both a favor. Don't buy it if you don't have the money in hand. I respect impulsiveness...that is how I had my first kid...but in the car buying business we all need to exercise some self-control. I ask that you overnight a deposit for $1000 so we both can rest easier the next day. Thanks again.
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 1979. The Collector'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 1,150 pounds 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 severe—five 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 last Mark V was built on June 8, 1979, ending this chapter in Lincoln's very distinguished history.
The 1979 Collector's Series Mark V was equipped essentially the same as the Diamond Jubilee Edition of 1978; virtually every Lincoln luxury was provided as standard equipment on these cars (a complete list is provided below). Offered in just two colors initially, Midnight Blue Moondust Metallic and White, two additional colors, Light Silver Moondust Metallic and Crystal Blue Moondust Metallic, were offered later in the year. Both of the Blue paint shades featured Midnight Blue Landau vinyl roofs, as did the Silver-painted cars. The White ones were equipped with a White Landau vinyl roof. There are reports that a few White cars were also built with the blue vinyl roof, and perhaps a handful of Collector's Series cars were deliveredwithouta vinyl roof at all!
Midnight Blue Kasman II luxury cloth bucket seats and a console were standard, however Twin Comfort Lounge Seats in the Luxury Group Option sew style were also available in a choice ofMidnight Blue Leather[link opens in new window] orWhite Leather. A price reduction was provided for the leather-equipped cars, which did not include the console. Cars with White leather also did not feature the cloth-covered door or quarter trim panels, package tray or garnish moldings. Nor did they have the switches for the rear seat reading lights. Unique paint stripes on the bodyside and hood, as well as Collector's Series script on the rear roof quarters, gave the Collector's Series unique touches. Unlike other Mark V models, these cars did not include Opera Windows. Gold colored grille bars and a padded contoured decklid accent with matching vinyl insert lock cover ensured distinction from all angles. Exceptions seem to prevail here too, as a few reportedly were built sans the vinyl accent on the decklid kickup and lock cover.
The changing luxury car market—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. The 1979 Mark V Collector's Series is 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.
Collector's Series Standard Equipment
Unique paint stripes on bodyside and hood
Valino grain Landau vinyl roof
Color-keyed Landau roof insert (no Opera Windows)
Landau roof molding with integral Coach Lamps
Special hood ornament
Gold color grille bars
Bright edged fender louvers
Wheel lip/rocker panel moldings
Right-hand remote control mirror
Padded contoured decklid accent with matching
vinyl insert lock cover
Color-keyed bumper guards and bumper rub strips
(Midnight Blue on the blue and silver cars/
Gold on the white cars*)
Color-keyed turbine-style spoke cast aluminum wheels
Appearance protection group
18 ounce carpeting in luggage compartment and on
inner decklid
36 ounce floor carpeting in passenger compartment
Midnight Blue bucket seats in Kasman II luxury
cloth with six-way power seat and passenger
recliner or Twin Comfort Lounge seats with
leather seating surfaces
Power Lumbar driver's seat
Padded leather seat-side shield and back shell
Seat back assist straps and map pockets
Woodtone applique on seat back trim
Padded leather-covered console and rear seat
fold-down center armrest
Umbrella
Tilt steering wheel with unique woodtone insert
and ornament
Leather-wrapped dash pad
Owner's plaque
Unique instrument panel applique
Speed Control
Power lock convenience group
Electronic AM/FM Stereo Search radio with
Quad-8 tape
Automatic Garage Door Opener Control
Digital Miles-To-Empty fuel indicator
Seat belt reminder chimes
Interior light group
Unique door and quarter trim
Bright trim on foot controls
Cloth-wrapped package tray and garnish moldings
Leather-bound owner's manual
Leather-wrapped tool kit
Headlamp Convenience Group
Interval-select wipers
Power vent windows
Illuminated Entry System
Michelin radial tires
*White Collector's Series cars have also been documented with Midnight Blue Turbine Wheels and Black bumper guards and rub strips. It is not known if they were specially ordered in this configuration.