Ooh boy, am I going to get into it for this one! The 1980-83 Continental Mark VI is a car I like, but even some true-blue Panther fans do not, ahem, care for them, to be polite. Even JP Cavanaugh, Indiana’s #1 Panther fan, did not seem exceptionally enthusiastic about this model when writing his ’83 Mark VI Bill Blass CC.
I got into Marks and Lincolns thanks to my paternal grandfather, Bob Klockau. He had a Mark III, Mark IV and Mark V, but when the VI came out, he did not exactly race down to South Park L-M to order one. Indeed, he kept the ’77 midnight-blue Mark all the way to 1987, when it was traded for a new Rose Quartz Continental sedan–last year for the Fox Continental.
So yes, the Mark VI may not have been a huge draw to previous Lincoln and Mark owners–as my own grandfather proved. And even I can admit that the proportions are not the best. It essentially looks like what it is: A Mark V adapted to a smaller and lighter chassis.
But since it shared the same dimensions as the also-shrunken 1980 Continental, all the stylists could really do was change the nose, tail and roofline. The VI coupe also got a shorter wheelbase than the Continental coupe, sedan and Mark VI sedan, resulting in the world’s largest overhang-to-wheelbase ratio.
Despite the compromises of downsizing the Mark, I still like these. And when I spotted this one on eBay, I knew eventually I’d have to share it on CC, as it is the same color as a neighbor’s ’80 Continental when I was a kid.
Phil and Luray lived two doors down from our house. While Luray (Punkee to her friends) drove a 1980-84 navy blue Ninety-Eight Regency sedan, Phil had a Pine Opalescent Continental sedan, with a white coach roof and dark green cloth interior. It also sported the rarely-seen full wheel covers–the ones that would not have looked out of place on a ’30s Cord or Stutz. I rode my Knight Rider Big Wheel past it all the time, and vividly remember the “Electronic Fuel Injection” plaques on the front fenders.
Being a Continental, it was basically the same as this car, save for four doors, a longer wheelbase and hidden headlights. Also, no fake continental spare in the trunk lid. He kept that car for years, until rust got the best of it in about 1995. It was more or less replaced with an Evergreen Frost Town Car Signature Series, though they owned both cars for a year or two (more on that car can be read here).
That was my favorite color on these cars, and Phil’s was the only one I ever saw on a Panther in the metal. And there were plenty of Continentals, Town Cars and Marks in our area. Offered only for 1980-81, apparently it was not a hot seller. But I love this color! And the green leather on this ’81 Mark VI only makes it better.
This is a really pristine example, and loaded with leather, cruise, the Quadrosonic AM/FM stereo with 8-track, turbine alloys, and more. Oh, and plenty of chrome! Remember when cars had chrome trim? The only factory chrome on my Volvo wagon is the badging, grille surround and grille emblem, and the steering wheel emblem. Enough to maybe cover one-fifth of this Mark’s pseudo-Parthenon grille!
The last Mark VIs came off the line in 1983, to be replaced by the oh-so-modern Mark VII. It was as different from the Mark VI as you could get and still have a two-door luxury coupe, but the Mark was so much more capable. The Mark VI cruised; the VII went! It handled! And lasted over twice as long as the VI, to 1992.
But while a Mark VII LSC will run rings around the Mark VI, I still have a soft spot for them. It was the last “old guard” Mark, before the Yuppies and forward-thinkers thoroughly remade Ford into perhaps the most successful of the Big Three in the 1980s. And for those who mourned the loss of the old-style VI, they could console themselves in a new Town Car.
All in all, a real beauty. Best of all, pretty much everyone but me and Eric Van Buren loath these cars, so if I ever decide to get one, it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. I mean, come on! What’s wrong with getting 3/4ths of a Mark V, and with double the MPG of the 1977-1979 model? Nothing, I say.
The original listing for this car is long gone, but more Mark VIs can be seen here on eBay.
I gotta admit I’m one of those Panther lovers that isn’t a fan of these. Just too ungainly looking for my taste. I will admit tho that that’s one damn nice specimen. Actually like the color.
Quite appreciate the color matching on this car, inside and out.
Somehow I don’t like the proportion as much, the wheelbase seem small from the perspective of overall length. The front overhang was way too much and the overall length made the car looked narrow.
Perhaps the designers were told by the marketing folks to keep the 6ft hood? thus waste 12″ of overall length?
In general I’m not a fan of green cars but I kind of like this one. It is an incredibly well preserved specimen.
As a former Panther owner, I can attest that I appreciate most of them. But, the Mark VI was a pretty tough one to love.
Making an 8/10ths Mark V and turning it into a SEDAN in the process seemed lazy, timid and reeked of cost cutting. Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile totally revamped their top two door cars to great success. Producing a 4 door version took even more out of what made a Mark special. Ford’s handling of 5 mph bumpers was never stellar, and was worse on these cars than their predecessors.
Ford had so much success and equity in the Mark line going back to ’69, it was just amazing that the product planners went the route of making the Mark into what amounted to a trim variation of the Continental Town Car. While 1980 was a terrible year to introduce a new car, it was pretty obvious that Ford blew this one badly.
I agree with the others, I do like the color, and the specimen is quite nice as these go.
I think one factor was that in 1978-79, Ford was in worse shape than many understood. There had been a significant talent drain over to Chrysler after Iacocca hired on there, and the resources that they had were compromised between market needs and HFII’s biases, real or perceived.
I love it! Everything about it – the color combination, dash, wheels – I’d love to own it!
OK, Tom – you have found the first Mark VI that I could like. At least a little. Maybe enough time has passed, maybe it is my new frame of reference about this being the only Panther that has hidden headlights and looks even mildly decent as a two door. I don’t know, but this one isn’t bad, isn’t bad . . . for a Mark VI, anyway.
I agree the passage of time has an affect. When I see this car in pictures, sometimes I think I’m looking at a Mark V – and the proportions don’t seem as wrong. I’m not nearly as hostile to this car now as when it came out. Now it’s an old car from another era.
In 1980 this car seemed to me an Alternate Universe Mark V with bad proportions, unfortunate door window frames, a cheaper look to materials, and gaudier demeanor with all the lower body chrome that left those unfortunate gaps at the bumper fillers. The four door was a factory pimp mobile. That was the general problem – in 1980 the public’s eye saw a crappy version of a dated look that had been around since the fall of 1976 – and went Eldorado, Riviera and Toronado shopping. All three GM entries were quite strong at the same time, which was unusual as the Riv and Toro had had some occasional off years.
What a lovely color combination. Green leather insides and the Quadrasonic. Color usually makes it or breaks it with me. This car makes it big time. All it needs is those cheesy exhaust extensions chiseled off.
I’ll have to say…if there’s one redeeming quality about these “Specialty (ripoff?) car “dealerships”, it’s those great pictures they take which get copied to my hard drive.
Generally not a fan of these at all, but must admit this is a really nice specimen.
I too was not all that fond of the VI, but I’ll agree that this is a lovely example, and the green just totally works on it!
A 1995 Town Car Signature Series in Medium Willow Green with Willow Green leather would be a bit of a dream car for me…
Gag!
They look like a MKV with your screen resolution set wonky.
It really did when you saw one for the first time in the fall of ’79. My reaction was WTH?
I was kinda’ digging the digital dash (the pic with the time and date showing) but got to wondering… is that thing Y2K compliant? 😉
I’m kind of partial to the color combo myself. I just happen to have a car in those exact colors
Beautiful colour and condition, not my favourite Panther though… Seeing the antenna switch in this and the other evil bay-lincoln tonight, I wonder if ford was the last company to make power antennas automic? Ford’s system seems strange, it has automatic climate control, yet you still have to lower your own mast at the car wash haha. IIRC GM had theirs automatic by the 70’s.
As I recall they were automatic–when you turned the radio on or off. The button lowered the antenna with the radio on.
GM B C cars were automatic. Made me crazy, burned out my ’82 88. My ’87 Mercury GM LS had a dash switch. I believe that there is antenna switch to the left of the climate control panel on the subject car.
My 92 CVs power antenna is fully manual it did not go down when the radio was turned off or you switched to tape when it had a factory stereo.
I might be remembering it wrong. I think as long as the radio was on, it would go up or down by itself when you started/turned off the car. My 1991 Volvo 940SE was the same way–only car I owned with an antenna switch on the dash.
when they came out they looked hilarious, like the Beetles with the Rolls grilles…but that was because you always saw the longer and lower earlier ones…now they don’t look that bad. something to keep in mind when viewing panthers today as humongous dinosaurs is that they are the length of a 65 Impala and have a shorter wheelbase than a 70s midsize…
these cars also introduced an industry first- lights on top of the headlight covers that cover the actual headlights
note that it is a signature series too
The Mark VI sedan was quite Superfly. But, I believe that this abomination was after market. At least I hope so!
It was factory, they were called Touring Lamps.
definately factory…….in 1982-1983 they had a really ugly roof option as well….ill try find a pic for you as they are kinda rare
here it is the roof option…..the opera light was lit up like the GM cars- electroluminscent??
I remember that roof from my ’83 Lincoln brochure. It didn’t look bad on the car in the brochure, but on this car in the wild it looks aftermarket–and not in a good way!
She’s a beauty. That green hue goes a long way to minimizing some of the Mark VI’s awkward proportions. Oh, and great write-up, Tom.
During college, I had the opportunity to acquire a one-owner 1981 Mark VI sedan in white over tan velour upholstery. It belonged to the mother of an elderly neighbor who had ceased to drive. If I recall, the mileage was in the 80,000s.
My fondest memory of my inspection of that car was pulling out the owner’s manual and reading “The Mark of Distinction” on its cover. I ultimately decided that such an honorific title was more applicable to a Mark IV or V, and perhaps one day I will give in to that desire.
Anyway, I kept my Volvo 740, though the next series of repairs ($$$) made me daydream about the Mark quite a bit. I was, however, enrolled at a rather “granola” little liberal arts college, and the Mark might have been torched by anarchists in the dormitory parking lot.
In re panther automatic power antennas, Mother had a 1986 Cartier Town Car, same instrument panel (of course) and antenna switch. Hers was not automatic; rather, height adjustment of the power antenna mast was achieved only via the dash switch. I recall that it was my duty as passenger to lower the antenna prior to parking (the car was kept covered).
I remember feeling that when Mom and Dad bought that Town Car, we’d arrived. As a boy, I recall being admonished for sitting backwards in the rear seat, my back to the driver’s backrest, as if in a limousine. Ok…enough embarrassing childhood admissions. Suffice it to say, I had a little broughamance with that Cartier Town Car and was seriously pissed when Mother joined the ranks of all the other housewives insistent on operating buses (it was replaced with a Suburban).
I drove one of these things during my buddy’s wedding, circa 1992, shuttling people around mostly. The one I had was in nice shape and had reasonably low kms on it but it was still one of the worst cars I have ever driven. The 302 was gutless and the AOD decrepit. When it went it third gear direct drive it felt like it would stall. The suspension was so soft it porpoised on everything except smooth, straight roads. The fuel economy was nothing to write home about. My Accord I had at the time was an infinitely better car. The car was a dog and the sales figures prove it.
Only other car I ever remember seeing in a hue like this was a ’58 Edsel at a car show, I think. Even though they’re Mark V Mini-Mes, I actually think these are attractive cars in coupe form except for the teething issues which plagued the ’79-’85 Panther engines and the transmission issues that seemed to plague them forever. Not that this was terribly unusual in the 80s…given the HT4100, the temperamental eQjets on the 307s, and the THM200.
There was a turquoise VI around town when I was growing up (and driving my ’87 Crown Vic). Inevitable comparisons with the bigger Mark V ensue when these come up. As I’ve recounted, the VI was the first Mark I saw (much like the G-Body Pontiac Bonneville). Later V (and B-Body Bonneville) sightings at a distance would mess with my head, because this was before google searches and Wikipedia and you couldn’t just look this stuff up that easily. It was only when I saw a Mark V close up that I realized my eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on me and that the VI (and Bonnie G vs. Bonnie B) were miniatures.
I think that I too, like these as the last “old school” Marks, even if they were also symbolic of huge compromises being made and led inevitably to new and different directions.
One very handsome Mark VI. The color shows its lines to great advantage. Truly one of the last of the big personal luxury cars which Lincoln did so much better than Cadillac in the same era. A unique color that will stand the test of time and its rarity will be shown when the car goes up on the block in the future. Just beautiful.