(first posted 6/18/2013) By the late ’80s, Lincoln and Chrysler were essentially selling caricatures of their ’70s offerings. Hey, I like the square-rigged Panther Town Cars, and the FWD EEK New Yorkers too (well, not the Ultradrive), but let’s face it, the landau-and-opera-lamp look was not going to make it for much longer. A more modern take was needed–sooner rather than later. And thus entered the Aero TC, from stage left.
The newly-arrived Japanese luxury makes were gaining serious market share, and the Germans were also becoming more and more favored–even in the domestic-loving Midwest. SUVs were also gaining credence with the non-forest ranger set. It was adapt or perish! Ford had more or less started the non-boxy look with the ’83 T-Bird and ’86 Taurus. Time to work some magic on the top FoMoCo product.
1990 models were strikingly modern for a Town Car (the Mark VII and Continental had already embraced the FoMoCo “aero” look, in 1984 and 1988, respectively). About the only thing that carried over was the 5.0L V8 and basic chassis. Four wheel disc brakes were standard, as were dual airbags, with ABS optional.
Actually, not all ’90 TCs had a passenger air bag, as supply problems cropped up. Townies with only the driver airbag received a credit on the window sticker for the missing passenger-side module. It must have been a shock to traditional Lincoln customers to not be able to get a TC with factory coach roof and opera lamps!
Yes, the ’70s look was finally gone. Despite that, it still looked like a Town Car, with wide C-pillar, narrow quarter windows, long hood, RR-esque grille and lots and lots of chrome. It may have looked all-new, but the tried-and-true Panther platform still resided beneath–no bad thing.
In 1991, the 302 said sayonara and was replaced with Ford’s new modular 4.6L V8. The new mill produced 190-hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. As much as I love the 1990-92 Cadillac Brougham, I must admit that the Lincoln was the better car.
The 1994 model as shown here was largely the same as the 1993 version, when a busier grille insert, taillamps and taillight garnish panel were added.
1993 was also the first year the lovely turbine-spoke aluminum wheels–first seen in 1977–were no longer available. A shame. It might just be me, but I think these wheels would look great on a new MKZ–then maybe people might actually think it’s some kind of Lincoln. I’d keep the whitewalls, too!
Inside, interiors were predictably lush, with many square feet of leather (or cloth in base Executive Series models), power everything, and a soft, air-cushioned ride.
As with many of the other Lincolns I’ve written about this week, I had a close relationship with one of these cars new. The neighbors two doors down, the Kendalls, were in their late 50s/early 60s at the time, and traded in their Academy Gray 1991 Sedan de Ville for a 1994 Town Car.
image: fordgreenvalley.com
It was ordered in a rare color, Evergreen Frost Metallic, with Evergreen interior (as above, only in leather) and a dark green vinyl coach roof not unlike the factory version seen on 1985-89 Town Cars. I absolutely loved that car, and remember checking it out when Phil brought it home from the dealer. It was a lovely car.
image: picstopin.com
I only saw one other ’94 TC in that color–actually only a few blocks away. The only difference was it had a full carriage roof in dark green instead of the vinyl landau top. Maybe somebody saw Phil’s car and decided it was a good look? At any rate, I do not recall seeing a Town Car in that color in years. A shame, as it was a really sharp color–almost pearlescent–and really stood out among other TCs, that tended to be either white or light metallic blue.
We moved out of the neighborhood in 1995, and a few years later I stopped to visit, having recently gotten my driver’s license. I was interested to hear about their new Lincoln, but was a bit disappointed to hear the lovely green ’94 was traded in. The new ’99 Signature Series was nice, but was not as sharp as the previous one, being Silver Frost Metallic with a black vinyl coach roof and light gray leather. Phil let me take it for a spin, and as we rode around the neighborhood I enjoyed the plush ride and comfy seating, but wish I could have taken the wheel of the ’94 before it departed–and maybe even have bought it!
The truth is, we are all influenced by the cars of our youth. With the Kendalls’ ’94, Bill Yokas’ ’79 Collectors Series, and my grandfather’s five Lincolns owned between 1966 and 1989, I will thus always be a “Lincoln Man,” just as I will always be a “Volvo Man.” I really hope Lincoln gets their act together. We can’t afford to lose another American marque!
I really like this generation of Town Car. From the moment it came out, I liked its look and considered it a huge improvement over what came before. The 1980-89 TC was a car that I came to tolerate, but never loved. I was actively looking for one of these a few years ago, but could not find the right one. Some time later, I had a chance at a 96, but was not in the market at the time and it was not quite nice enough to make me drop what I had and scoop it up. Maybe some day.
One gripe with these. Where the roof panel meets the upper C pillars, Ford used the same design that they used on everything at the time – an open seam filled with a body-colored trim piece. Sorry, but this was a very expensive car. You couldn’t give us a luxury car without exposed seams in the roof? I can see the logic in a Tempo or a TBird or a Crown Vic. But this was a Lincoln Town Car.
My brother in law rented one of these in maybe 1992 or 93. It was a really, really nice car. I always figured that my father would eventually get one of these. After all, they were quite good sellers and nice low mile used ones were plentiful, if saving a buck was an issue. But he never did. I think he saw them as a bit of an old-guy car. He always preferred a car with a bit younger image. A shame, because these were the best Lincolns made in their time.
Lead filling was long gone, partly cuz it was lead solder and killed people, partly cuz it was very time consuming, those fill strips are expansion joints…
In 1993, Chrysler replaced the “peanut moulding” on the roof seams of their cab-forward LH sedans with a process that they called “spray brazing.” They claimed lower labor cost than lead filling, and no toxicity.
But the “peanut moulding” was still cheaper.
These were such a bold and decisive departure from the ’80’s Town Cars; these still look fresh to my eyes. Oddly, I have never ridden in one, unlike the many ’80’s versions I have been in. The closest I came was my grandmother’s older sister who lived in Cut-and-Shoot, Texas, had a ’91 or ’92 Town Car that I sat in and started to hear its 4.6 liter.
Tom, you are giving me Lincoln fever; I’m not sure how I’ll be by the end of the week!
Iam now looking for a clean late (last of this series) model TC. I want one with black exterior and black interior. I like the basket weave wheels but I think I’ll be looking f.set of turbine wheels. At 34 I believe Its time for a bit more room. How do the front thrones stack up to a Volvo S-70 leather heated chair? Another one I’ll be looking out for is a MK VIII, also black on black but without the turbines as they may apear a little.dated on that bubble.
Yeah, I figured I got this wrong – I never guess these.
This is one Lincoln I really liked, along with the Town Car.
Wifey’s uncle bought one of these back then, and it certainly was a real sweet cruiser and comfortable beyond my 1990 Acclaim’s dreams! Truly a car I wished I could own. Unfortunately, I could never afford to own one of these, but what a family hauler it would be!
Oh, yes… I like the color, too.
I’ve loved this body style since it was introduced in 1990, and especially after the styling and interior tweaks made in 1995.
This and the first “Aero” Crown Vics are the only Panthers I have a soft spot for. There is a dark green one around here, clearly well loved by the original owner, that I’m always happy to spot.
Yep, the 6-window Vics looked great, especially the grill-less ’92. Too bad Ma and Pa Kettles down in Peoria didn’t agree.
If you forget that the suicide was introduced in ’61, there was a ten year period between redesigns, ’61, ’70, ’80 and ’90. By breaking this rule in ’98, they put a curse on themselves from the Lincoln God. The ’98 to 2011 version didn’t look nearly as elegant as this generation. To me, the Town Car IS Lincoln, especially after the demise of the MKVIII, which itself was less classy than the MKVII.
To let it wither on the vine and allow it to become a glorified taxi is a crime. I think it could have been updated in the 1990-97 iteration and had the potential to become the American Toyota Century or Rolls-Royce. Volume? We don’t need no stinkin volume, that what Mercury was for. Too late now. And don’t get me started on SUVs and pickup trucks, never mind what else they put the badge on. I’m a car guy and not even I can keep all those alphabet soup model names straight.
I 2nd all that; the final design (alas, what my father has) looks awkward compared to the featured one, the best of the lot which strikes a nice balance between the aero look & Yank Tank formality.
The current Lincoln range does nothing for me; like Cadillac, they’re now just Benz/BMW/Lexus wannabes.
I hate the 98 design. It ended up looking like every other 98 Panther.
That green velour interior really pushes all my buttons!
I had never seen this vintage TC with a cloth interior until I saw that photo.
I laughed at this! You made me think about it, and I realized that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nineties TC w/o leather, either.
It was extremely rare to see a Signature Series of this generation with cloth. The first time I saw one I was working for Mr. Sesi and a lady brought hers in for service. I made a comment about it to the owner, and she told me that her husband special ordered the car, and forgot to check the box for the leather!
Late 90’s Cadillacs with cloth interiors are rare too, I remember seeing a last generation Eldorado with a cloth interior one time.
Beautiful Car! Remember seeing one identical to the feature car on a C4C lot back at that time. I shed a little tear for it, cause I would have loved to have had it, instead of it being destroyed for no good reason. Rented one in 1992 and was amazed how similar it felt to my old 79 Marquis. It seemed to keep all I liked from the 1979, but improved on the things I did not like. Thanks Tom for the great Lincoln Week.
A business neighbor of mine had one of these with 300,000+ miles on it. I would have guessed maybe 40,000 miles. It was silver with a burgundy interior. He was trying to sell it and it eventually disappeared.
He drives a Focus now.
Owned both 85 and 86 models with 302/5.0 engines. Comfortable, strong, and economical. Had just started teaching and pulled a trailer with my tools for my moonlight jobs. Never found it’s limits doing that. Why don’t I have one now? Just getting senile I suppose. Found a 77 Impala Wagon that I liked better because it earned a living more conveniently. Could throw tools inside instead of hooking up a trailer. No regrets but sure did like them.
Can’t think of a design that got more mileage for its producers than the 302. It’s in the same league as the 318 and GM’s 4.3 and 3.8. Don’t know what I think of the 4.6.
Memory, use it or lose it. Thanks Tom.
A nice luxury car, yes…no doubt, I like these Town Cars, I’ve driven a bunch of them, my favorites were the Signature Series and that swanky Cartier, but the best American luxury car of the 1990’s?
I have some doubts about that.
Though the Town Car did get a redesign before the old Brougham did, the 1993-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood is just more car than this, especially the 1994-1996 LT1 engined ones, the solid foot of chrome that covers the whole lower half of the body, possibly the last factory vinyl top car, never mind any of the Northstar Cadillacs from the 90’s(yeah, I know whatever you are going to say about the Northstar already, forget that and look at it in the vacuum of a new car from that time period) A black STS Seville or Eldorado Touring Coupe with the Northstar, that was a machine back then.
I’ll also go ahead and throw a little love towards 2 of the other great American luxury cars from that period, the Buick Park Avenue Ultra and Riviera, and the beautiful first generation Oldsmobile Aurora.
Town Car the best American luxury car of the 1990’s? can’t agree, its probably ONE of the best, but there are too many other good cars that fighting for that title to declare it THE BEST.
Carmine, I usually leap to the defense of the last D-body (especially the 95-96 versions with the aero mirrors and better center arm rest… and the ’95 version wouldn’t be subject to emissions tests here in MA… can you tell I’ve been thinking about these?)
Anyway, while the Cadillacs had a far superior powertrain, I think the TC deserves a lot of credit for its genuinely luxurious interior. The Cartier editions had real wood trim. The Fleetwood just wasn’t a big enough improvement over the Caprice. (The nasty front seatbelt cut-outs in the B-pillar still grate on me.) No steering-wheel radio controls… there are a lot of nits to pick, sadly. It’s still on my shortlist of cars to acquire when we get a bigger garage, but I think only Cadillac aficionados can appreciate it.
On the other hand, I’m totally with you on the 1st-gen Aurora. In 20 years, they will draw a crowd at classic car shows.
I feel that the Fleetwood has so much more presence than the Town Car, the lean of the front end with the big Voyage style grille, the chrome rockers and semi skirted rear wheels, yes the interior is cheaper than the 1992 and down Broughams, you can tell they cut costs, but the rear seat is cavernous and the top of the rear seat almost goes all the way up to the back of your head, even if you’re 6ft tall, plus it was also the last appearance of light monitors for the front and rear head lights.
I have to side with “Carmine” here. I, too, believe the late nineties Fleetwood with the optional Brougham package had a better presence.
I’m sorry but the Whales just look like caricatures of a aerodynamic car and the fact that GM didn’t step up with any improvements to the chassis despite the huge weight gain mean they really were 2nd fiddle to the TC. Yeah they did stick a “Corvette” engine in them but the reality is that really isn’t the reason you buy a car in this class.
Not like the “Mustang” engine in the Town Car…..the only people that call it a Corvette engine are dopes, it’s not a “Corvette” engine, but a nice powerful small block V8, they can tow like 7000lbs with the trailer towing package, I like the Town Car, but I don’t think its the “the best American luxury car of the 90’s”, sorry, it’s in the top 10, but it’s no Fleetwood Brougham.
It was the Mustang that got the “Panther” engine not the other way around. As far as towing anything that heavy with a Whale god help the driver and anyone on the road near them as the chassis has a hard enough time keeping up with the bloated body let alone towing something. Sure it can get it rolling but that is it.
I’m sorry but the 93 fleetwood was where Cadillac made the full crossover into 1990s retirement village machines. I agree with your points about the LT1 and Northstar(though I’d counter Lincoln’s “InTech” DOHC 4.6 is the better engine) but in terms of this supposed presence? That was gone after 1992. The 90-97 TC was the perfect blend of aero and brougham and many people of all age groups liked them, hell I remember as a kid equating these to an S-class. Even in media Mobsters drove Town Cars, while Seinfield’s parents drove a Fleetwood in Del Boca Vista.
The 93 Fleetwood’s presence is lost in it’s Caprice doors and cheap looking handles, the massive slab sided body, which the massive gaudy chrome strip is no doubt trying to break up and slim, and it’s stubby soft-almost reverse slanted fins. The front end is the only good looking part on the whole car, maybe better looking than the TC I’ll grant you, but at best it’s a pretty face on a cow.
I have been watching this debate, and must come down with Matt here. The final Fleetwood was the right size, but was simply ill-proportioned. They plainly started with a different car and massaged around the edges until they could make it look like a Cadillac. It would not surprise me that the car feels heavier, that was always GM’s special gift.
The TC was clean and modern in its era, and very well proportioned. I didn’t like the exposed roof seam that I mentioned earlier, but it was a very nice car. By 96-97 these had probably reached their peak. True, they feel a lot like a normal Panther, but you get an extra 3 inches of wheelbase, a much nicer interior and many more luxury touches. I wonder why these never got the dohc engine? Even without, I would take one of these in a heartbeat over either a fwd Deville or a rwd Fleetwood of the 92-96 era
Well you know what they say about opinions, you have your camp, and I have mine……
My first response to the title was, “Nuh-uh, the Fleetwood is way broughamier.” But then I realized perhaps what made a great luxury car in the ’70s or ’80s didn’t make a great luxury car in the ’90s.
The Cadillac has size and chrome and power and tradition, but the TC was more modern. Rear disc brakes, OHC engine, steering wheel controls. They were still big cars but more manageable than the 225″ Caddy. Of course, there are counter arguments for each point. It all comes down to how you define “best” but in sales terms, Lincoln sold far more TC’s then Caddy did Fleetwoods.
(Full disclosure: I drive a ’94 Fleetwood Brougham upgraded with 9C1 brakes and suspension)
I can’t always put a finger on it but I never was a huge fan of these cars, especially when they switched over to the oil burning 4.6. The doors always open and close with a tinny clunk that reminded me of my 1979 Fairmont. The steering was always too light and jittery. And while the trunks were big, the spare tire and gas tank location killed all the rear space concentrating a deep well that strained the back to remove heavy items. They just didn’t feel as substantial as the 93-96 Fleetwood to me and I nominate any LT1 equipped Fleetwood Brougham over these.
It’s a surprise the doors sound tinny because aircraft style doors are usually better for that. The gap on the roof gave me a Euro vibe, I guess because it reminded me of a Volvo.
The windshield molding tends to discolor and this part of the car doesn’t age as well as on a FWB. Also the shape and material makes the windshield look rather small.
As usual the comments are very interesting and I get the feeling that the Town Car did not drive as nicely as the Caddy. Thanks Tom!
It all depends on what you consider a nice driver. The Caddy was sitting on a frame suspension and brakes designed in the 70’s for a car that weighed about 500lbs less. I find the driving experience a big step backwards from the boxes. The TC on the other hand had substantial improvements to the chassis in 91 and things underneath were only improved along the way. The 00’s did bring some decontenting of the TC despite a new rear suspension in 98 and a new frame and front suspension in 03, which is why some consider the 96-7 the ultimate TCs.
The only point on which I would depart is that I would choose a 1992-95 over a 1996-97 UNLESS the plastic intake manifold (used 1996-2001) has been replaced by a real one. 1991’s are the first year of the modular and were said to have teething problems.
There are likely very few of the intakes with the plastic coolant crossover still on the road and if it made it this far chances are it will keep going a few more years. Even so a replacement is not that expensive and not that hard to replace.
The problems with the 91 4.6 have been exaggerated, yes some of them burn oil at higher miles but no worse than many SBCs with similar miles. The 95’s did get upgraded brakes and some tweaks to the front suspension geometry.
Well, okay then. We’re ALL agreed that even though the nineties TC was nice, the ’93-’96 Fleetwood w/optional Brougham package was better, all around, in every…single…way. Good.
The 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood sedan w/Brougham package: The best American luxury car of this era, hands-down with absolutely no arguments or disagreements at all from anyone on the entire planet. Good.
Carmine – The Cadillac may have been more ‘engined’, but the Caprice/Roadmaster/Fleetwood 91-96 series’ were unmitigatedly hideous. I’m not sure what GM was stretching for style wise (copying Ford’s aero adaptation?), but they missed their mark high and wide.
I still cringe when I see one of those cars. And what a shame to send the Roadmaster and Fleetwood names to their grave in such ugly clothes.
But your opinion may vary 😉
I’ll bet there are a lot more old Town Cars still on the road than any GM opposition, especially Northstar ones. Not saying Ford didn’t make some turkeys in this price class, like the Taurus-Continental. Now there was a true abomination.
I’d take that bet, Roger. There is a very nice one, in baby blue metallic, parked on the street around the corner from my home.
I always really liked these cars. Ford hit the styling just right with these and put a nice interior in it. Not surprisingly, they sold loads of them.
I entertained owning one many times but I was out of the country from 1992-2004 so I missed them in their used heyday. Now they are hard to find. Are they hidden in barns or scrapped? The ones I have seen used are often on their third or fourth owners and have had the bark beat off them by hee-yuckers. A clean one would be a good classic buy.
I understand they all live in Florida. 🙂 Actually, there always seem to be a handful of really nice little-old-grandparent versions here in the midwestern US, though they are getting harder to find these days, and they are often priced too high.
I will thus always be a “Lincoln Man,” just as I will always be a “Volvo Man.”
There can’t be too many people on earth who could make that claim. You are a rare individual, Mr. Klockau.
My experience with ’90s Lincolns was limited to riding in the backseats of airport limos, but from that compromised perspective they seemed pretty nice. Certainly comfortable and well-appointed.
A little too big for me, though; that’s an awful lot of sheet-metal to keep track of. Anything over about 16′ long and I’m too busy worrying about smacking the extremities against concrete pillars, etc, while taking corners in in parking garages, to fully enjoy the driving experience. In extremely large cars, the best seat in the house is often not the one with the steering wheel. This is especially true of stretch limos: fun to be driven around in; not so much fun to be the guy up front wearing the peaked cap.
Note the 1990 came to market on the old chassis complete with drums out back. The new chassis came with new front and rear suspension, stiffer frame, 4 wheel discs, and the 4.6 made their debut for the 1991 model year. It is interesting that the TC didn’t join the Panther chassis until a year after the lesser full size Fords did but then abandoned that body a year before the lesser cars while continuing to ride the old chassis.
I always wondered why Lincoln didn’t bring the car out in 1991 instead. It seems to make more sense to debut the car entirely new rather than how they did it. And it’s not like it would’ve hurt sales either, as if I recall the 89 sold well considering the age of the body style.
I have to wonder if it was due to the people working on the new chassis not being done with it while the styling dept was ready to move forward or if Ford was hedging their bet to see if the new body style would be well enough received to justify the expense of the new chassis.
The Mark VII was ready to go before the aero bird and cat but they held back the Lincoln to see how well the lesser cars styling would be received just like they did with the original shift to the Panther platform so it is strange that just a few short years later they had Lincoln take the lead.
I think they wanted to beat Cadillac by a wide margin with an all new executive class car. Not that it would have mattered–the Lincoln was the hands-down sales champ, even if they had debuted it when Caddy released their all new for 1993 Brougham.
I also really like these TCs. Personally though, I think I’d rather have a brougham than one of these. The brougham is just so old school, and I love that. However, I can easily see how in the early 90s the people would prefer the modern town car. The brougham wasn’t classic in 1990, it was just old and outdated. Every time I see one of these, I give it a second look, as it is a handsome car. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed an alarming amount of them without white walls, which really hurts the look. We need to start a “Save the Whitewalls!” Campaign!
Also, my uncle owns one of these, a ’97. It’s a nice light brown body with a dark brown carriage top. Very classy! I constantly tell him that if he ever wants to sell, to come talk to me first.
As long as they’re narrow stripe whitewalls, ala the classic Michelin X.
You’re right about the Cadillac Brougham just looking old and outdated by 1990-and to think that style lasted 2 more years. The thing that irked me the most about those later Broughams was Cadillac made NO effort to modernize the instrument panel–it was the same basic design that dated back to 1977. The only difference was slight changes to the center portion of the panel.
Take a look at this pic–from a 1992 model, but Suddenly, It’s 1977!
I had a 93 Town Car for a bit a few years ago. I bought it to “flip”. Compared to my many Cadillac’s bought for the same purpose, it just didn’t feel “luxurious” like a Caddy. The TC had a powerful smooth power train that had 150,000 miles ran like new. But really seemed no nicer than a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis.
In my opinion, class/style/elegance goes to the Cadillac. Never ending expense to keep those 20 year old Cadillac’s perfect will break a guy.
Simple old school basics, can’t beat a TC.
Maybe I’m just a contrarian but I just don’t get the love for these cars. For me they are not any appreciably better than their Crown Vic/Grand Marquis cousins; certainly not enough better to justify the additional cost. My late father-in-law had two different Town Cars, one was the “square shouldered” one seen here and the other was the later “swoopy” one. Both were purchased lightly used (less than 10k miles) and were treated by my FIL as something equal to the crown jewels. I thought that neither one rode or drove as well as my uncle’s Grand Marquis, a vehicle with more miles and years than either Town Car. My wife inherited the second Town Car after he died and we would drive it occasionally while she tried to sell it. We took it on a weekend trip to St. Louis (about 3 hours) and I was surprised at the fuel mileage (15 MPG) and the amount of noise that was audible in the cockpit, even with the A/C and radio on. I found it more fatiguing and less enjoyable to drive than any of the Camrys we have owned. As always, YMMV.
+1. You’re not alone – I never liked these cars either. One of my least favorite Lincolns in terms of looks – I find the Crown Vic more attractive. Never rode in or drove one so no opinion on the other qualities. I did rent one of the FWD Continentals of that era – terrible car.
Why does the roof look loose on the green car? A local hotel has a stretchy Lincoln and a Stretchy hummer ludicrous looking things but I guess if thats what you call luxury so be it.
I can tell you these will do exactly 103mph 🙂
During my brief stint with a Birmingham repo company, I got to drive a triple black one of these back to home base down I459. It was a very enjoyable drive and the car had no trouble reaching its nannied top end. I wonder how fast it could have gone had the stupid speed limiter not intervened.
I mean really….what moron is going to drive one of these things over 100mph anyway?
😛
There is a reason I prefer the AOD equipped cars vs the AOD-E models, no speed limiter. I’m also wondering about that 103 as I’ve had them with the speed limiter and on more than one occasion I was 25 clicks of the add 1 mph to the set speed past the 85 mph reading on the speedo the GM had and I’ve seen indicated 110~115 on a CV that didn’t have the speed limiter. Of course those speeds were done in Montana in the days of reasonable and prudent, though never for that long. The standard was to set the cruise just under 100mph so I would match the speed of the state patrol.
We had 80s and 90s Lincolns. I always thought 80s were much more handsome. Both generations were bulletproof. I don’t understand why Ford let the Town Car die on the vine never updating it with safety features like other luxury cars and never introducing new options. It is as if Ford just let these cars slip completely into the livery business and gave up on individual owner market. Because of this kind of mindset Lincoln is an insignificant brand, as is Cadillac.
I hated the 80s Town Car, and the whale one in 1998 didn’t do much for me either. But this early 90s generation, what a beauty! It was the perfect combination of boxy and aero, sporty and stately.
The car was refreshingly narrow for its length and abounded with modern touches like aircraft style doors and flush mount glass. The door handles were super Euro and HUGE like on a Mercedes. The narrower stripe of the whitewall said performance as did the Michelin branding. It was nice to see a full-sizer get alloy wheels and dual exhaust almost 100%.
Wrapped around all this modern goodness were a timeless Lincoln front end, formal roofline and proud trunk. The pièce de résistance for me were the “aero” opera windows.
Never drove one and have my doubts it would handle or ride as well as an 80s Brougham. If anyone is familiar with both please comment.
This generation Town Car took the Cadillac Brougham recipe to a whole new level and deserved the success it had. It was an American Bentley and I’d love to own a low mileage example some day.
Having owned a 97 Town Car and visited the Cadillac Broughams I can say the Cadillac rode better, had more handsome trim, more features, less noise, etc. But the Town Car was by far more reliable.
And having driven some Bentley’s I can say without a doubt, Cadillac and Lincoln never came close unless it was Lincoln in the 1920’s.
These are emphatically not my kind of car, but this was one of the most successful redesigns of its era. Unlike the aero Caprice, the Lincoln-Mercury stylists manage to integrate the aero idiom without making hash of the Town Car’s previous formality, which is a hell of a trick.
Best American luxury car of the ’90s? To steal a line from Clarkson, “That’s like saying chlamydia is the best of the sexually transmitted diseases.”
In all seriousness, I really did like these (along with the DeVilles, Sevilles and Park Avenues of the same vintage). The ’98 restyle was a step backwards, did not age well and the neglect of that product has killed the brand.
Lincoln doesn’t even know what it is anymore. They had a Super Bowl commercial where a ’96ish Town Car drove through a ring of fire and came out as the hideous new MKZ. What a joke. If Ford had the guts to build a car that captured the essence of the ’61 Continental, they could probably do well with it and have a nice niche to themselves. But they won’t and will likely continue pissing away the brand with pointless rebadged Fords.
That was funny.
Many of these cars had second careers with the lowrider crowds the combination of old fashioned chassis with a less antique looks made them ideal for switches and bags. Sort of the “bounce with class” look.
I still think the best looking of this generation is the 96-97. The front end on those is just great. They hit a peak with it, and the 98+ cars just don;t look as good. The last of the Town Cars, the 08(?)-11s look good to me though. The grill is wider, giving the car a more proportioned front end.
That maroon subject car’s a fine looking example, but I have to ask… It’s sitting w/o a license plate, outside of the U Pull A Part lot. Was it trying to break in or out? :))
It was for sale as a complete, running car. I’ve since seen it in traffic, so somebody saved it!
Someone correct me if I am incorrect, but I’m pretty sure this Lincoln was styled by the Ford designers in the UK, not domestically.
This design always struck me as having a restrained “British” look to it which I like.
Looks good as a formal limo
Well, in my view, looking at full size Lincolns over the past 60 years, obviously the 61-69 models come first, but I would have to place this 90-97 version as second in terms of overall design. It just hits all the right buttons, modern, graceful, yet full of presence.
In addition, it was very well built, as were all the Lincolns built at Ford’s Wixom plant – the Wixom workers clearly understood they were making Ford’s premier product.
Having driven several of these and their competing Cadillac models, I found the Lincolns had a much superior ride. Even my friends with Cadillac’s conceded that point.
They also conceded that the Lincoln was better built, as per above, Cadillacs of that era were built in several plants (Detroit and Texas) and quality varied by plant.
But, as my name implies, I’m somewhat biased………
Also, I currently drive a Volvo, so consider me a a member of the august Lincoln/Volvo fan club.
I’ve considered looking for one of these as a more comfortable way to get around LA traffic, although as someone pointed out, that is a lot of car to deal with. There was a Steven Lang piece on some other website (that shall not be named) that floated the idea of these (the ’96 specifically) as the best iteration of the Panther platform. I’ve ridden in enough black livery Aero Town Cars to realize that I don’t want one, but this version, I like, if they’re not neglected. The only drawback, to me, is that from certain angles the rear end looks a little odd, as if the trunk were just grafted onto the back of the car and could be just a little higher, maybe an inch.
Maybe it’s time to start perusing estate sales in Florida…;)
I believe that was Sajeev that touted the 96-7 as the last “fat” Lincoln. You’ll likely have a hard time finding one in LA that doesn’t have 300K or more, at least that hasn’t been lifted and fitted with 26″ wheels or juiced and fitted with 13″ wheels. AZ next door however will likely net quite a few low mile examples, the key is finding one that has been kept garaged.
I agree the 1995-97 was a bit better looking than the 1990-94–at least on the outside. My first choice would be a Jack Nicklaus edition in jade with white leather and green dash/carpet.
Like this (image from carshow-photos.com):
I remember seeing the Jack Nicholas editions when I was a teen and they were brand new. I would like to apologize to the older lady who drove one to our local library for the smudges I left on her windows trying to get the best look I could inside.
The Jack Nicholas and the Cartier editions remain my favorites to this day.
The first time I paid any attention to a TC was after seeing one with it’s gleaming chrome and snow white color in the hot AZ sun. I made up my mind to find one. This was in 1999 and the car I saw was a 93,94, or 95. I researched them and being a chrome lover I knew it had to one of those years as they started with painted exterior mirrors in 96 and the dash board was not as attractive. I found the perfect car…white with dove gray leather interior, it had 24 thousand miles and I jumped at it. I’m still driving Abe and still get compliments on it. The car just now hit 100 thousand miles. I’ve had offers to sell it from young people, go figure huh? It’ll never happen.What a ride, my only complaint is the radio which doesn’t work very well. The leather is still in perfect condition and I still think it’s a beautiful car.
I just bought a 1992 Lincoln T.C. Jack Nicholas with all the papers and 86,100 miles tonight in south Austin TX it’s white with white half top white inside and green carpet I will put pics up in the morning. I love it.
Here are a few
N
Inside
Back seat
That is really, really nice! I love the green/white interior. Sounds like you found a good one.
I am thinking of selling to buy mercury marauder 254-415-5657
That is simply beautiful. I was smitten with mine the moment I saw it. The dealer had a gold 1995 Sedan deVille, same price but lower miles, but when I put it up on the lift at the dealer where I worked, you could see the Caddy leaked every known automotive fluid to man. The Town Car up on the lift? Bone dry! Not a leak to be found. So glad I got the Lincoln. It cemented my love affair with Panthers for life!
Truly a goreous car. Much nicer than what came next.
Iam looking to purchase a used front seat burgundy or morron color for my 1990 lincoln town car if anyone can help me with this please respond
Recently bought a 1996 Tc Anniversary with 104K from a great 90 year old gentleman that had to take himself off the golf course to sign the title over to me. I hope to stay half as sharp & agile as this gentleman! He bought the car in 97 and allways kept it garaged & serviced.. Lovely Cordoba sic (burgundy) with grey interior.
Unfortunately had air suspension swapped out. Ride is still great, loooks awesome, 20+ mpg, I love it. I had a black on black lt1 Broughm, great looking car, but built very poorly, things always falling off & breaking. Had 67k miles & was one owner. Did get first place at small car show for 90s vehicles. Sorry but the Tc is simply a better built car & I love it.
I’m fortunate to own 2 Rolls Royce and I will vehemently defend the 95-97 Town car until I am no longer vertical on this earth. It was hands down the best luxury car of 90’s I still own 3 with low mileage and will always think they are the best American luxury cars. if I had my choice on a long road trip I would take town car over rolls or Bentley any day. They were also one of the most iconic looking car ever:
My second Panther was a 1992 Lincoln Town Car Jack Nicklaus Signature Series–white with white leather and yards of super comfy dark green carpet that went up the doors as well. Beautiful car that rode nice and handled surprisingly well for such a large car and being the pre-Watt’s link generation. I kept it for 4 years and had over 255k when it finally died from low-compression. The car had 120k on it when I bought it, so it had already lived a lifetime before I acquired it. It was blowing blue smoke out the tail pipes from the worn valve guides, but cleared up some with heavier oil. Near the end I had it all the way up to 20W-50 and Lucas oil treatment, but I could tell by the blow-by vapors and sound coming from the PCV when I unhooked it that the funeral wasn’t far off. Even though I love my 2002 CV with an affection normally associated with family pets, I still miss that Lincoln.
This picture is similar to the one I used to own.
I remember when these first arrived. We had to collect all the previous generation cars from all the luxury hotels throughout Chicago, and replace them with the new models. Many hotels were so fond of the 1980s Town Car they just didn’t want to lose them. The square, overstuffed rolling tombs were beloved for being dependable, silent and very luxurious. This meant when this newer generation arrived, it caused more than a few worries from our partners. Not everyone took to the new design.
However, there really was little comparison from the 1980s Lincoln Town Car to the new 1990 aerodynamic design. The new Town Car looked larger both inside and out, was better proportioned, more modern in every way, and better designed. There was no brougham stuffing to cover up any quality issues. These new Town Cars were higher quality, better assembled, and a whole lot better than the old overstuffed ones.
It was amazing how well these cars handled. They didn’t feel as big, as heavy, or as slow and plodding. For such a large car, these cars were light-years ahead in handling over the old Town Car. You no longer sank into the car, as you did in the 1980s square Town Car. You sat on a better driver’s seat and had a better line of vision.
We also had Cadillacs in our fleets. They simply did not have the same tight road feel, the same level of quality, and the same presence. Cadillacs were prettier than the Lincolns, but the Lincolns were more handsome. Ladies like the Cadillacs, men preferred the Lincolns. You sat lower in the Cadillacs, more sunk into them. The Lincolns gave a higher command position. Sadly, the Cadillac’s interior pieces were often shocking and sub-par in comparison. Plastic luxury was found in a Cadillac. Pretty but cheap.
These were outstanding large cars. I wouldn’t hesitate to have more.
the same tight road feel
I haven’t driven a Ford non-truck product since the 80’s. Are you saying they fixed the over-assisted, numb steering? I suppose people got used to that, but as a young driver in the late 70’s, I found it frightening, not feeling how the wheels were turned in the steering wheel. A rental Taurus was better, but still weird.
Gee, what do you say to someone who hasn’t driving a brand in over 40 years? No – Ford stopped making those floaty cars since 1979 when the Panther debuted. They also no longer have 8 track cassettes, carburetors or shag carpeting.
My pick for best U.S. 90s luxury car would be the 1996 Buick Park Avenue Ultra, the last year of that generation and the only year it had the 240hp Series II supercharged 3800. Also new that year was improved steering and a more supportive rear seat. The base Park Avenue with a NA 3800 was quite nice too, and got the Series II a year earlier. These had it all – gorgeous styling inside and out, loads of room, spectacular ergonomics, smooooth ride, very quiet, great outward visibility, loads of convenience features, impressive fuel economy for its size and power, and good reliability. Did I mention the awesome, torquey, buttery-smooth 3800 V6? Yes I did, but I don’t mind mentioning it again.
The next generation, though they were improved in several ways, also had a cheap plasticy interior that was endemic of ’90s GM cars and ergonomics that weren’t as good. I never warmed up to these.
My dad drove a ’95 Park Avenue, and a colleague I often travelled with had a ’92 Town Car (plus I rented some) so I had plenty of time with both cars. The Townie does have a nice substantial feel from its classic V8/RWD/BOF setup, and those exterior door handles seemed to be right off a Mercedes W126 coupe. But it somehow left me cold compared to the Buick.
I LOVE Lincoln’s until the last few years. I’m not disgusted by their lineup, but I m going to say it ended in the final production year for the last model of the Continental. Without any doubt, I feel the best vehicle made was the ’89-’92 Mark VII LSC!! It is a total masterpiece of production 🙌 My father and I bonded a lot over the Mark VII LSC. We had 2! One was a gorgeous burgundy w/camel brown rag top and burgundy leather throughout. The 2nd was a White w/a black rag top and black leather throughout. It was quite elegant! He had the White one flatbed to Florida where he had it transformed in to an ultra rare convertible. It was an immediate classic car. As I said before, I’m not totally turned-off by the current Lincoln lineup, but their latest commercials running on the TV, for example the latest Navigator commercial, has thoroughly changed my mind about getting any Lincoln at all. If that’s the best that Lincoln can produce as a way to keep and/or draw in new prospective customers is a failure in my opinion. I’m not supportive of that, and I will not handover my money for any Lincoln’s so that they can put rubbish like that out there for everyone to see! It’s offensive to the consumers eyes. Same goes for BMW and their commercial for electric vehicles as a Christmas present. Both makers are not ever going to see my money again.