Well, look at them- could they be anymore different one from another?
Once again the trusty dash cam captured two more classics. I Should think the Subaru is one of the later models of the E12, born sometime between the mid-to-late 1990s, while the Mark V is almost definitely a 1977 vintage:
The Subaru E12 sold well in Israel in its day, riding on the coat-tails of the Leone, so popular in the country as outlined in this post. Even the IDF purchased more than a few, which no doubt helped the “civilian” sales of this car. Naturally, almost all have vanished by now, except cared-for examples such as the one in this video.
As for the Lincoln- well, recent years have seen an inflation in the numbers of Mark Vs entering Israel as newly imported classics. This makes the Continental one of the most popular classics in Israel that were almost certainly never imported here back when it was new. See more examples of Mark Vs in these photos I took in various classic car meetings, starting with the car you saw in the video:
I’ll finish off with this funny photo- it’s funny because the Continental is parked near a gas pump (NGV, not petrol) at the filling station, and the translation to the Hebrew words above the pump are: “Economical, efficient and clean”. Words that every Mark V lives by!
Look at the 1970s color schemes and those LONG overhangs…they are starting to look cartoonish compared to modern cars.
Yes, thank goodness we’ve come to our senses with our modern cars in their stubby, anonomyous, monotone glory.
Hear, hear!
Amen to THAT 😉 !!!
I prefer most modern cars to the Mark V, which looks just as anonymous amongst other cars of its day, as any Camcord does now.
I’m probably in the minority, but I though these looked tacky in 1979. An attempt to hold on to the 70s, and the buyers who appreciate this kind of car.
While I’m posting, I want to wish a wonderful Canada Day to all Canadians at home and abroad on this, Canada’s 150th Anniversary. Hope everyone has a great one!
Love them Mark V’s. I noticed that the light blue one that is parked in front of the Nokia store has an alarm system. That small round piece of Chrome on the front of the front fender is the keyhole to activate it. Back then you could buy a fake stick on keyhole that was supposed to fool car thieves. I don’t think too many were fooled.
Just a small correction: that is no Nokia store, it’s the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv (http://www.sportpalace.co.il/en/menora-mivtachim/), home to Maccabi Tel Aviv, without a doubt Israel’s best basketball team (it was European champion a few times). It was previously known as Nokia Hall due to an advertising deal with Nokia, but Menora Mivtachim (an insurance provider) took over in 2014. There’s a sort of a regular “cars & coffee” there every week, which explains why the Lincoln was there.
I think the Mark V looks best with a plain painted roof instead of the broughamy vinyl version.
Agreed, and I think they look even better minus the opera window.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a metal-roofed Mark V without the opera window. I know that a couple of the specialty packages had vinyl covering the oval window.
I saw a very untidy 1992 Caprice in Caesarea, around 2011. I was considering Aliyah (immigration) and was into job opportunities (the logical thing to do) and perusing cars – to -be totally unnecesary at the time. I remember telling my best friend, who was driving us all over the country , that I’d get one of those big american cars, and he telling me, “Ok, so you’ll never understand we use fuel -sipping cars “. Keep those Israelí cars coming, Yohai!
Man, a Mark V photo dump in an article? It must be my birthday.
Of course, I got to ask. How much is gas in the state of Israel? I always get a kick out of seeing photos of American barges in foreign countries given their gas prices. But if Israel is closer to the U.S than in Europe, then it would make sense.
I also bet that even with the all the horsepower sapping equipment attached to the engine, that Mark V could still outrun the Subaru van in the first picture.
One more thing, every example barring the Orange one has the turbine style wheels. Nothing wrong with that, the turbines are cool, I just find that interesting.
As a point of clarification, the world is awash in gasoline, which is why the wholesale price is so low. And gasoline is a global commodity, meaning there’s a global market and the market price is essentially the same everywhere. The only thing that distinguishes the different retail prices in different countries are taxes, which vary greatly.
And yes, Israel, being in the Mid-East, is very close to some of the world’s biggest oil producers, so access is not an issue. And I doubt very much American gas ends up in Israel, although it’s theoretically possible.
Gasoline in Israel is not particularly cheap. Oil has been discovered off shore recently (mostly gas) but there are high taxes on diesel and gasoline. 1L gasoline is about $ 1.7, so it’s $ 6.7 per gallon… But people still drive those land yachts. You have to remember a Lincoln like this would be a collector vehicle and hence only taken out during the w/end. Also, Israel is a small place, so at the most you are looking at short distances to get _anywhere_.
http://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Israel/gasoline_prices/
Awesome post and awesome car, Yohai!
As much as I love the Mark IV, I have to admit that the styling of the V is much cleaner and more modern looking. The only thing that puts me off them ( besides their incredible thirst ) is the way that California’s rather draconian “smog” laws regarding engine modification or swapping would make modifying one of these for better performance AND efficiency, as well as actually CLEANER emissions, a daunting task.
Aftermarket EFI? Illegal. Headers? Illegal. Dual catalytic exhaust instead of a single? Illegal. MSD ignition? Maybe illegal. UGH! *tears hair out*.
Also illegal in Israel, but (particularly on US made vehicles) cars do get modified. The average Israeli DOT employee has no clue what he’s looking at anyway, so unless you modify using obvious additions (like turbo- and superchargers) they can’t tell what’s been done.
Another reason to like Ohio 🙂 , any car or truck over 25 years old is smog exempt in the counties that conduct emissions testing 🙂 . I’m free to do what I want to my ’78 Fairmont 🙂 .
I still love the V, along with the III, IV, and VII. They’re stylish, cool and a kick to drive. I’ve a Quebec “smogged” ’73, and its never let me down. I added a solar strip on the dash, and hooked it to the electrical system. This way, I won’t have a dead battery on either cold or hot days, plus I’ve made it fuel efficient, and I use it on weekends and regional trips. It’s also flex-fuel, meaning I can run it on an Ethanol blend which doesn’t age the engine like that disgusting Fossil Fuels do. See? I can be green AND be a big car lover too.
Those Mark Vs are cool!
May I have a dark blue one, please? (460, aftermarket EFI, dual cats preferred 🙂 )
The black Mark V has a Richlands, VA dealer emblem! Who would have thought such a ritzy luxo-barge would start life in the cramped mountain valleys of the Cumberland Plateau and still be roaming the highways of Israel some 40 years later. The stories all these cars must have.
Thanks for sharing. The people of “Ha Eretz” know from Tam.
So many beautiful old Mark Vs running about in Israel, I am in Lincoln heaven reading this!
Up here in Canada we think gas is expensive at around $1.05 per litre, or about $4.00 per US gallon, but that’s really nothing compared to the price in Israel. Interesting to get some perspective.
So with the current exchange rate, gas would be $3.00 for 4 liters or roughly a gallon if I drove across the border.
Good to know 🙂
Just filled my P71 up yesterday here in n.e. Ohio, paid $1.89 for 87 octane 🙂 .
As ever, thanks for your comments. Sorry for not answering the questions that arose here (but I see that Turtle has fulfilled my duties…).
I have posted this before, MK V has some nice design but overall proportion was awful. After some photoshop, it became easier on eyes: top was original, center was modified with moving front axle and A post 4″ towards front bumper. Bottom was further modified with moving the C post back by 3″, creating enough space for a rear suicide door.