(first posted 1/17/2018) I’m well aware that I may be opening up the floodgate here by bestowing this title, but if I were to name a car that best represents everlasting full-size American luxury, it’s the 1990-1997 Lincoln Town Car.
It’s no secret that Curbside Classic harbors more than a couple fans of the traditional rear-wheel drive, V8-powered American full-size sedan, cars I’d personally describe as “old school”, and vehicles best exemplified in later years by GM’s B-body and Ford’s Panther platform variants. While never a type of vehicle that I’ve viewed in a particularly aspirational light, I’ve spent the better part of my Curbside Classic tenure trying to find it in me the same appreciation and appeal for these cars that so many of our readers do.
Now I should start off by saying that I was born in 1993, which I know to some of you is recent enough to question whether I’ve learned to walk yet, but indeed as of January 2018 I am just a few months shy of a quarter-century old. I remember as a small child waving at President Clinton’s motorcade as it came through Boston, I remember questioning what “Yada, Yada, Yada” meant to my mother when Seinfeld was airing in its original run, and on a more serious note, I remember where I was when I heard that planes had struck each of the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.
Throughout my first decade of life, the automotive landscape was ever changing. But among the most constant forces of comfort, both literally and metaphorically, was the Lincoln Town Car. The most prestigious full-size American luxury sedan in my eyes, challenged only by the short-lived 1993-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood, the Town Car fulfilled a role of ever diminishing importance with the utmost grace and dignity.
I note the year in which I was born to highlight the fact that by this point, full-size, V8-powered, rear-wheel drive American sedans, once the bread-and-butter of The Big Three’s lineups, were on the decline and rapidly becoming a relic of the past. Chrysler had left the segment in 1989 to GM and Ford, and by 1993 only the B-body Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, the D-body Cadillac Fleetwood, and the Panther-body Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car were left. By 1997, GM left the segment entirely to Ford.
Growing up in a predominately liberal, middle- to upper-middle class suburb of Boston, these types of cars weren’t the most common sights, at least among private customers. Adults I knew, whether it be aunts, uncles, neighbors, friends’ parents, family friends, or other people around town didn’t drive big American sedans.
In fact, by and large, they didn’t really drive American cars at all, unless of course it was a minivan or SUV, or the occasional Taurus, which at the time was the best-selling car in America. For the most part, what I saw them driving were Honda and Toyota sedans, occasionally BMWs or Mercedes, but more frequently Saabs and Volvos, the latter two of which were extremely prominent in my hometown of Milton, MA throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
The small group of people who drove full-size American sedans in my area, were exclusively of one demographic: senior citizens. In fact, they looked just like the couple in the ad below. Now there’s nothing wrong with that of course, but soft, leisurely, “old people’s cars” had and still have about as much appeal to me as lose-fitting velour jogging suit and Velcro sneakers — comfortable but hardly anything else.
Truth was that overall, the popularity of the Lincoln Town Car-type cars was waning. This was largely due to its diminished appeal with younger buyers, and by that I mean baby boomers who were sticking with the types of cars they already drove or turning elsewhere as they became of a certain age.
While the Town Car was very successfully updated in 1990, at last bringing its appearance out of the Malaise Era, its underpinnings and very idea of luxury were steadfast in their ways, and relics of an ever bygone era. Thankfully, the “new” Town Car featured modern safety equipment and in its sophomore season, a truly modern engine. The styling was a mix of old and new, and while hardly the style that I find stimulating, I can confidently say that the 1990-1997, particularly the 1995-1997 facelifted models were the best-looking Lincoln Town Cars ever, and truly the last Town Car that would ever warrant a second glance from me. Even today, it has a classic elegance to it that still demands attention.
Once and for all, let me say this: there is nothing immoral with a car or any other material good that appeals to older people. We often deride, or at least come across as deriding “old people cars”, and to a lesser extent, the people who drive them for their pure existence, which is wrong. That’s not what I am trying to come across in this article, nor do I want anyone to interpret that I am doing so.
The cars we classify as “old people’s cars” serve a distinct purpose and have their profitable segment of the new car market. The trickier part with this type of car is that it has to satisfy the needs and appeal of both its current buyers, providing them what they are familiar and comfortable with, as well as entice newer and younger buyers with the modern conveniences they’ve come to expect in a new car.
For most people, whether or not they will publicly admit it, they are constantly in the search of the everlasting fountain of youth. The majority, whether they be man or woman, want to look or feel younger than they are, and this feeling tends do get stronger the older one grows. So as far as the car in which one drives goes, “retiring” to an “old person’s car” is something many people simply do not want, nor ever want.
Therefore, with cars that fall into this camp, product planners must retain a car’s familiar virtues, while making the necessary updates and enhancements to appeal to newer buyers, but not changing the car too drastically as to turn off its traditional buyers. It’s a fine line to walk, that’s for sure, but in more recent years most automakers have pulled it off rather well. Just look at cars such as the current Toyota Avalon and Buick LaCrosse for example.
Unfortunately, cars such as the Lincoln Town Car didn’t so effectively appease all the gods. The Town Car was forever a staunch traditionalist, unwilling to make concessions to contemporary trends, even if it did mean digging its own grave.
Yet while there will always be a dwindling group of loyal buyers who would, with their hand on their hearts swear to keep buying Town Cars forever if Lincoln kept making them forever, their vows unfortunately could not continue fulfillment with the ultimate discontinuation of the Town Car in 2011. And while it is something I’ve overlooked before, letting that fact sink in, I think I have finally found my appreciation for the Lincoln Town Car, something I have been on a mission to find for nearly a lifetime.
The Lincoln Town Car was and is a car that has never, and will never appeal to me as a car I’d want to drive. It’s the size of a barge and handles much like one. It’s not particularly quick off the line, and I’d compare its floaty ride to that of a trampoline. Its interior was never quite up to snuff versus most similarly sized luxury sedans that were available at any given time in the Town Car’s history. So still, regarding the car itself, I’m finding difficulty coming up with very forgiving words, as I simply don’t like it.
Ultimately, I don’t think I will ever fully see what some find so appealing about the Lincoln Town Car. I can, however, at last find appreciation for it in its unwavering preservation of the qualities that its loyal buyers sought, and continued to buy Town Cars for, right up until the very end. So in conclusion, it is the loyalty of the Town Car’s buyers, and in essence the Town Car’s loyalty to its buyers that I can appreciate.
The importance of loyalty is something I feel one grows to appreciate more with age and experience, and maybe that’s why it has taken me so long to find my appreciation for this car. I’ve learned that as you get older, you find who your true friends are. The truest ones are not always the most funny, the most outgoing, the most exciting, or the most flawless. True friends do not try and mold you into something you’re not; they appreciate you for who you are and remain loyal to you until the end.
Photographed: Hingham, Massachusetts – October 2017
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Very eloquently put, Brendan! I loved this piece. “You can sell an old person’s car to a young person…”
These are a timeless design. You make a great point about how the Town Car resisted change. Even the Cadillac DeVille switched to front-wheel-drive, regularly attempted sporting versions, even changed its name eventually. The Town Car, in contrast, was a constant.
I will have to agree with you, too, that these have never truly appealed to me. Eventually, as they get older, they might tempt me as some kind of weekend driver, collectible classic (“A body-on-frame sedan? How retro!”). But these are just too far to one side of the ride/handling spectrum and I’d rather have a luxury sedan with a compliant ride and some steering feel and handling ability. Which, of course, is entirely possible.
At least Lincoln gave these a remarkably elegant look that balanced heritage styling cues with modern aerodynamics, as well as a new engine. It’s like my piece on the ’92 Crown Vic–these were the last fresh Town Car.
I love American brands but I’m just not sure I would’ve touched these if I was a monied new car buyer in the 90s. A Seville or DeVille, perhaps, or more likely – if a Town Car was on my consideration list – a Lexus LS400, even if that would have hurt the wallet a little more.
Perhaps Lexus took a chunk of Lincoln’s well-heeled older buyers, while attracting younger ones. The difference is, Lexus seems to do better at retaining a younger person image even if the median age of a Lexus ES or LS is quite high for the market. With the Town Car gone, today’s older people seem to be gravitating towards the ES.
Thanks Will! I couldn’t agree more with you regarding the possibility of purchasing a Town Car as a weekend driver. If I were shopping American luxury sedans in the 1990s, my pick likely would have been the 1992-1997 Seville STS.
You definitely raise a good point about Lexus. I think Lexus opened up an attractive door for those who wanted something large and luxurious but with greater sophistication and a tad more handling prowess than a Lincoln, but not as aggressive as a BMW. SUVs and then CUVs of course were the other large part of the downfall of cars like this.
“You can sell a young person’s car to an old person….” but they won’t keep it for very long!
As usual, another great write-up, Brendan. For me, there’s actually a lot going on in this one.
Regarding the car, I couldn’t agree more. A Town Car wouldn’t be my first choice, but I really appreciate them for what they are. The Panthers had a particularly robust quality to them and were fairly reliable. As a deputy sheriff, none of the Crown Vics I had (ranging from 1995 to the end of their production run) ever left me stranded. And, honestly, we’ve pulled a few deputies out of some badly mangled ones that managed to keep the alive, and not even seriously injured.
Lastly, I like the blending of your life experiences into this article. Indeed, as we get older we come to appreiate what’s important, especially when it comes to our friends. I couldn’t agree more that our best friends are the ones who are steady, and even sometimes unremarkable. They’re the ones you can not see for several months, and pick up a conversation like you saw them yesterday. There’s something to be said for comfort; be it in a good friend, or a Town Car!
Thanks Chris!
Nice article, i owned 2 of these one had the bill blass white body blue convertible look top and a clean white with tan interior. both were excelent vehicles (both were 97 models)they dont have that heavy feeling that the gm cars have(im used to feeling the heavyness of the car under me) the thing that took the pride of owning one of these,i live in nycis that they became the car of choice for cab drivers. these and the ones that followed were seen(and still are)in all sorts of conditions. so while the car is a definate luxo mobile,,,it was kinda cheapened by being the cab you see on the streets. but they are excelent and reliable vehicles.
Brendan, this is a very good dive into the Town Car itself as well as how your experiences formed your opinion about them. Our early experiences truly do shape who we later are.
In the big scheme of things, the Town Car appealed to those who had a more traditional definition of luxury….having all the latest electronic doodads wasn’t their thing, but having something comfortable, smooth, and reliable was. The Town Car continued the spirit of what had always been an American luxury car in a time when the target was relocating itself. But the Town Car certainly catered to those who didn’t care to strive for the latest in automotive fads.
In a sense, one could think of these as the 1955 Packard of cars – a solid car in which the audience had simply diminished for whatever reason.
The Packard never came to mind, but that’s an excellent comparison!
At least in my parts (DC suburbs), Town Cars are less associated with old folks and more with livery and taxicabs. Limo? Almost always a Town Car, until stretched SUVs took their place. Upscale taxi? Also usually a Town Car, until they stopped making them. More basic taxicabs were Crown Vics, but when they went to the big carpark in the sky Toyota Camrys and even Priuses took over. It seems taxi drivers appreciate reliable cars too, and these FWD unibody 4-cylinder jobs have surprised many with their durability in high-mileage service. I’m expecting the new 52mpg Camry LE hybrid to be the hot taxicab this year.
There really isn’t a good old fashioned old-people’s car in the big, quiet, smooth riding land yacht tradition anymore. Old folks are buying Impalas, LaCrosses, Avalons, Caddy XTSs, Chrysler 300s, and Lincoln Continentals because they come closest to what they want, but none of those offer the soft bench seats, floaty ride, and simple controls of a ’96 Park Avenue (note to Cadillac: geezers can’t figure out how to use CUE. Neither can young people).
In NYC I had the same experience. Not so much old people car as JFK to Brooklyn car and lined up during rush hour at subway stations with their backs sagging. Regardless, I still see quite a few of the final models chugging along. A testitment to the loyalty cab companies have to them
You are absolutely right in that the Town Cars, especially towards the end, were primarily purchased by livery companies. Probably 4 out of every 5 final generation Town Cars I see are black. I was referring specifically to private buyers of the Town Car in the article.
Camry hybrids are already making inroads into the taxi market here (rural Australia).
I loved reading this. You come at it from a time and place very different from mine and gave me a fresh perspective. I had never thought about these in terms of “loyalty” before, but I think you have nailed it.
Few cars generate real loyalty any more, but the Town Car was an exception. Buyers bought these one after another and missed them when they went away. And that loyalty went both ways with a car that stayed true to what its shrinking base of fans really wanted.
FWIW, I am in complete agreement with you. If I were to get any Lincoln built after 1979, this would be it. It is hard to think of any car that does a better job of combining “traditional” American luxury with modern performance and safety.
Thanks James! And on that note, one has to wonder which modern cars have the highest owner loyalty and repeat buyers?
Toyota? If not the highest, I bet it’s right up there. Along with Lexus.
I was behind two different older ES300s yesterday in traffic, both with older folks in them. I can almost guarantee you that they had a string of Toyotas in the past going back to the 70s.
In other parts of the country, buyers came/are coming to Japanese brands later in history, but out here, folks have been buying them since the 60s. And I can guarantee you that once they did, they didn’t switch back to American brands, unless it was for a body type that they needed which wasn’t available.
We had several Hondas in the 70s, but then we bought a Cherokee in ’85 and a Grand Caravan in ’92, both because of specific unique qualities at the time. But then it was back to Japanese brands, especially given the mediocre quality and reliability of them both.
Many Toyota buyers are not car people. They simply buy what they feel is the best value. I know many people who jump between Camry Accord or Civic Corolla. They would very quickly jump ship to Honda or Mazda, maybe even Nissan or Ford if they felt they could get a better deal.
Most Subaru buyers are very loyal. They usually don’t compare an Impreza to a Corolla. Truck buyers are also very brand loyal. F-150 buyers rarely give a second look to a Titan or Tundra.
One exception maybe be Prius buyers. The don’t seem to consider other Hybrids/electric cars. Even though they are more technically advanced cars like the Chevy Volt, Bolt, and the Tesla. Cheaper cars like the Honda Insight, they still stick with the Prius.
Re hybrids, as Toyota/Honda cross-shoppers, we did consider the Insight while it was still offered, and found it wanting compared the Prius; it had lousy rear legroom, markedly inferior MPG, and its handling felt top-heavy. And the Civic Hybrid cost too much for the MPG it got, plus you can’t carry long items inside. Until recently, it was as if Toyota went to juku (cram school) in hybrids, and Honda did not.
While the Prius has no useful steering feedback, it actually handles reasonably and goes where it’s pointed.
Don, Prius owners have been loyal to the Prius “brand” since no other car offered the extremely good mileage (aka low carbon footprint), along with all the benefits of a roomy compact hatchback.
I went electric, first with a Think City and now with a Fiat 500e, for commuting and drives around metro Portland. The Fiat is way more fun to drive, and with our renewable power option from the electric company and our solar panels, it’s zero carbon. We keep the Prius for trips out of town to the Oregon Coast, Seattle or the Bay Area, and for runs to get lumber or Christmas trees.
You’re asking why not combine the two with a long-range pure electric or plug-in hybrid, like a Bolt, Tesla or Volt. Good question. Partly it’s been cost. A new Prius starts at US $23K. Volt and Bolt are $10K+ more and of course the Tesla S and X are way up there. I do like Toyotas too, been driving one for about thirty years now.
The cheap lease I got on the Fiat runs out in 2020, when the Prius will be 10 years old. We’ll be taking a hard look at long-range EVs and plug-in hybrids then. A revised Prius Prime (currently $28K) with 50 mile range and non-monster-movie styling would be just the thing. Or maybe a Tesla Model 3. We’ll see.
Toyota? Good guess. Subaru, Ford, Toyota, GM, and FCA, in order, lead on customer loyalty by manufacturer. (According to Experian). FCA was a surprise until I remembered Jeep and Dodge Ram fall under that umbrella.
On that note, I still attest that Jeep possesses among the highest brand equity of any make, despite it being far from a role model of quality. The “magic” of Jeep is that although the majority of its buyers are not “car people” and could care less about driving experience or refinement (I’m looking at you Wrangler), they are image-conscious and owning a Jeep gives them that empowerment that an SUV from say, Toyota, Ford, or GMC, or especially a sedan from any brand does not give them.
Driving a Wrangler for the image is certainly common, especially I imagine in well-developed places like Massachusetts, but in the West a lot of people buy them to take off road.
A work friend who is very much a car guy just bought a new four-door Wrangler for exploring eastern and southern Oregon, and for heavy towing. It has a trick independent front suspension which can detach its roll bar when in low 4WD gear, so the two front wheels can be at very different heights, like a solid axle. Capable of handling very rough terrain.
He bought it on December 31, surely the perfect day to get a good deal. Not the kind of vehicle I’d ever want for myself, but unlike Jeep-branded SUVs I respect the Wrangler for its capability. It’s a “real Jeep”.
Great piece Brendan! My sole experience behind the wheel of a Town Car was in this 1983. Great car, it could move with some decent acceleration, and gave a cushy, floaty ride otherwise. Had this car for a day’s rental.
I will clue you in that there is a *huge* difference between the subjective feel of the 83 you drove and the versions from the 90s. My son had an 89 Grand Marquis at the time there was a 93 Crown Vic in the family. Going from one car to the other made you wonder how they could have come from the same company, let alone been versions of the same platform.
Agreed. I took many a ride in the back seat of 2006-2010 Town Cars as airport limos. I don’t know if these were based on the Panther platform, but they had a very solid / firm ride, which was noticeable especially in corners. One ride I remember in particular was when my driver was in some kind of hurry as got me home doing 150 km/h (90+ MPH) on the 401. The car hugged the road very nicely.
Awesome vintage picture! I try and make a habit of photographing any rental/loaner cars we get. Being a car lover it’s especially exciting when I find picture of a now older car that was actually taken when the car was new.
Thanks. This was the car I rented for my wife and mine’s wedding day. My Dart is Photobombing the shot. I still have the keys to the Linc, I discovered them in my pocket the next day in Florida.
Thank you, Brendan.
I remember sitting in a brand new grey import 95’Town car at the Moscow International Motor Show. I think it was a canadian market version in dark blue. It was very different to all the domestic and euro cars on the road back in the day, so it left a good impression on me. Its a shame Lincoln never came to sell their cars in Europe.
And yes, I would buy one if it was priced right and was in good condition. In our part of the world it is more Americana, than old peoples car.
Nice piece. I respect your thoughts on this. If everybody liked/owned the same type of car then it would be dull (or we were living in the Eastern Bloc)
The Town Car and its ilk catered to luxury car buyers that would not own a German or Japanese car. This was a big segment even 20 years ago (now most of the folks that fought in WWII are ether dead or in their 80’s or 90’s)
Folks like my paternal grandfather (who was a very liberal Jewish guy from outside Philadelphia PA) who had fought in WWII and helped to liberate one of those death camps. The experience caused him to never entertain even the thought to buying a German made car even though he was pretty affluent.
I am sure there were a lot of folks that thought along those lines as WWII was a very defining experience for that generation.
Others wanted a floaty ride which was not going to happen with a Volvo 240
I’m surprised your grandfather bought a Ford product, given Henry’s notorious anti-Semitism.
It depends on which enemy was bigger.
Or it depends on how much a bad influence Henry Ford left in the Jewish community. But probably a Jewish community in PA felt far less than the ones in Michigan ( especially in Southfield/Oak Park ) , where the papers from Dearborn had a harder time to reach.
Brendan, thanks for this excellent post. You have very eloquently captured the mixed emotions I also feel about this Lincoln.
On the plus side, it’s one of the last Lincolns that actually looks like a Lincoln, and I mean that in a good way. It’s elegant and substantial, a modern interpretation of a classic theme. Had this car appeared in say 1985, just after the “radical” aero-looking Mark VII and before the Taurus/Sable, it would have further burnished Lincoln’s emerging reputation as a design leader, without straying too far from the proven, conservative formula.
But the automotive landscape was changing rapidly during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and this Town Car got caught in that time warp. Lexus actually redefined American luxury in a way that appealed to a broad audience of affluent buyers. The 1990 LS400 combined the best of Mercedes (quality, refinement, precision, handling capability, rational size) with Cadillac/Lincoln (comfort, convenience features, ease of use, ease of service). That car became the new standard, and Ford simply did not have a legitimate challenger to the benefits offered by the luxury Toyota.
I’ve commented here many times before that I wish Lincoln had offered a stretched 4-door version of the RWD MN12 platform (’89 TBird/Cougar). It was a modern platform with a fully independent suspension and good handling/ride combination. While still large, it was more rationally sized in keeping with International standards for a “big” car (think MB S-Class). Imagine the 1990 Town Car styling direction deployed on a more manageably sized platform with world class performance and handling characteristics. That could have been a real contender.
However, one area that would still have needed to be addressed was the interior. One of my big problems with these Town Cars is the “faux luxury” of the interior. Real wood, no fake stitching, high quality plastics and leathers—these became the expected standard in the true luxury market by the start of the 1990s, and Lincoln fell short. As others have noted, many of these Town Cars were used as livery vehicles. I remember riding in a lot of them and thinking how much of a “miss” the interior trim was—hence the use as “luxury taxis” rather than real luxury cars for private buyers.
Your post also brings up the evolving character of brands through the years, and what constitutes an “old person’s” car. I think one of the biggest challenges in the car business is how to evolve a product so that it seems simultaneously new and familiar at the same time. The 1977 GM B- and C-Bodies did that, for example, and were well received by people across the age/income spectrum. But the shelf life for such products is relatively short—what was new and fresh in 1977 felt old, large and stale by the mid-1980s. The products can still sell quite well in some cases, but the owner base subtly changes, and along with it so changes the brand reputation. Lose the reputation for relevant innovation and freshness, and your brand slowly dies, especially for a product in the luxury market.
That for me is this Lincoln Town Car in a nutshell. It is a great relic, but never was something I aspired to own—too big and too old-fashioned. But damn if there aren’t some really nice things about it, including that distinctive Lincoln style and presence, that I really wish were available today.
You raise a really good point about the interiors of these as being something of a letdown. This was a continuing problem going back to at least 1980. I think that Lincoln had spent so many decades trying to catch Cadillac that they lost focus on the bigger picture. Yes, it was a more appealing “luxury car” than a Cadillac. But by the 1990s this wasn’t much of a bragging point.
By 1993 the car had solved most of the problems I had with that platform but then time stood still. The car needed more power, it needed a stiffer structure and it needed a serious interior upgrade. But doing those things would have raised the cost and reduced volume. But they had gotten used to selling over 100K a year. Sales eventually dropped to the 50-60k/yr range anyway, and I suspect that serious upgrades would have probably not reduced that number but would have brought significantly higher prices.
Very good points George! I completely agree with you regarding the Town Car’s interior, and that is a major reason why even as a child, I never saw these as in the same league as most European and Japanese luxury cars.
That’s a very intriguing idea regarding a Lincoln sedan based on the MN12 platform. You’ve really go me daydreaming now about what an international-sized and competitive RWD, V8-powered Lincoln sedan in the late-1980s/early-1990s could have been. Sort of a precursor to the LS.
Ford had seriously looked at using the Falcon platform instead of this era Panther, and it would have been interesting had the competing teams been able to work together instead of having an “over my dead body” face off. The lwb Fairlane/LTD would have been a reasonable starting point for either a Crown Vic or Lincoln. Many things were considered but were not affordable including IRS.
On the subject of loyalty, limousine companies are loyal to these Town Cars, they are still “on the books”.
I’ll echo the comments above: Very good piece, and several interesting things to consider.
I’m at an age where I’m young enough to strongly agree and empathize with a lot of your feelings about the car, yet old enough (and from a part of the country) that I can remember a lot of these around. Indeed, they were typically driven by senior citizens, but there were still some more traditional folks in their 40s and 50s buying these in my area.
Even in the early ’90s, or late ’80s for that matter, Town Cars weren’t cool in my opinion. Fancy and interesting, perhaps, but they seemed out-of-date even when new. I agree that the facelifted 1995-1997 model represents the pinnacle of Town Car styling.
I always saw some level of appeal in these (and see much more now than when new), even if it’s nearly the polar opposite of something I would have ever wanted to own. While the audience to whom this appealed was rapidly dwindling, Lincoln made a car for these traditionalists that they could be proud of.
Even if it’s not a car I would ever want, the more traditional side of me waxes nostalgic for cars like this. In an era of smaller cars, and more ubiquitous crossovers, focused more on tech than comfort or style or individuality, it’s nice to remember traditional cars like this.
In the late 1990s, my wife worked at a state legislature, and she said that the Town Car was by far the most common car among the senators and representatives. It was elegant, had a stately presence, but was not ostentatious — a perfect fit for elected officials of the day. Interestingly, legislators’ affection for Town Cars crossed party lines, ideology and the urban/rural divide. The virtues of the Lincoln Town Car was one thing that had virtually unanimous appeal among lawmakers!
As for me, the only person I knew who owned one was a traveling salesman. In the era before SUVs had much social acceptance in the business world, Town Cars (& Grand Marquis, I suppose) fit the bill here. They were comfy for long distance driving, could hold several full-size passengers, and loads of goods in the trunk. The man I knew worked for a dog food company, and his trunk was always full of dog food bags.
Very true regarding the Town Car as a popular choice among politicians to drive and be driven in. In fact, more than once while writing this I couldn’t help but think of the one in The Birdcage that Gene Hackman’s character (playing a Republican senator) ride in during the film.
I drove a boss’s new Town Car from Miami to Orlando and back in 1993. Though in no way fun or sporty, it was a quiet and pleasant cruiser on the interstates. Playing around with the throttle to watch the instantaneous mileage readout change became something of a game. I also agree that the 1995-1997 models were the best looking if its generation due to the narrow lights and curved grille. The 1998 restyle was awful to my eyes – the Lincoln became a grossly overweight-looking caricature of the Jaguar Mark X.
From someone who grew up in a retiree town, let me tell you that they sold here in spades, along with the Cadillacs, Buicks, and Oldsmobiles of GM, and often to folks who had served in WWII or had family that did. There was a very vocal group who refused to buy German or Japanese vehicles based on enmity left over from that war. This refusal to buy foreign was something that went hand in hand with a multitude of sins by Lincoln and Cadillac, as they could offer anything and it would sell to those folks, regardless of quality. However, for all the possible faults, I have to say that these TCs were actually pretty good cars. They offered a plush, comfy ride, no driving dynamics that would be considered sporty, and were socially acceptable as an aspirational purchase. They appealed to the crowd who wanted a car to take to church, to the store, or for a leisurely Sunday drive with another couple in tow. The fact that it was relatively cheap and easy to maintain and service helped it a lot, and the fact that it was the livery vehicle of choice shows that it was a good choice for longevity, a fact not lost on buyers looking for their last car in retirement. Lincoln and Cadillac (or Ford and GM) were willing to take the risk of not endearing a new generation of buyers because the stock market demands immediate sales success, not okay sales for a long term goal. By selling to the geriatric set, they made a ton of sales, even if it was cutting off their nose to spite their face. It paid off short term, and that was all the market was looking for.
Very well said, and I could not agree more.
The end of an era- and one of my all-time favorite cars. Never owned one though- the Grand Marquis offered me everything I wanted in a large, comfy sedan in a slightly smaller and less-expensive package. Looking at current luxury car sales, it becomes clear that the Town Car’s demise wasn’t because of what the car was (or wasn’t). The entire segment is sinking into obscurity. If you remove the Tesla S from the equation, the entire segment’s generating miniscule volume. The Mercedes S-Class couldn’t even manage 16,000 units last year. To put that into perspective, the Cadillac Escalade (same $$$’s, give or take a monthly payment) outsold it by a margin of over 2:1. So, for that matter, did the #2 seller in that segment, the Mercedes GLS.
The big Mercedes fared better than other models, since it at least could crack the 10,000 unit mark. The Lexus LS barely managed 4,000 deliveries, for example,
A 70 y/o Boomer, born in 1948, is likely to be driving an SUV/CUV these days.
Lincoln Navigator, Nautilus [nee MKX], or MKC [new name coming] are the ‘made it’ cars. #1 selling Lexus is RX, and BMW is nearly half Utility vehicles.
Times have changed.
I have never displayed any great affection for these vehicles but a great read and interesting comments. To the point of times changing, my in-laws, now both 69, currently drive a 2015 MKZ, 2018 Explorer Sport and two 2017 Escapes. Prior to this they had a string of Park Ave’s and Avalon’s. The vehicles we choose to drive are less defined by age than in the past. A change in manufacturers marketing strategies has certainly had an impact along with lifestyles that are far more active.
THIS 63 year old Lincoln Town Car driver refuses to pay Big Bucks for a “luxury SUV” built on the same basic chassis that the plumber’s or grain elevator worker’s pick up truck uses.
I’m just barely old enough to recall when a truck was considered a second class form of transportation and not parked in the driveways of new suburban houses.
You may be looking at a SUV/CUV, but I really wonder if you will buy one or not. Not that 70 is considered old any longer, but I can tell you from personal experience that at a certain point, older women find it impossible to step up and into even a small CUV. I had an elderly Aunt who I offered to take somewhere in my Hyundai Santa Fe, which is not a very lifted vehicle. Aunt Nita could not (and would not) find the strength to hoist her 5 foot tall frame up and into the front seat. We ended up using her Buick Century instead, which easily allowed her into and out of it due to the lower ride height. I also had similar experiences with my brother after a horrible injury from a motorcycle accident left him with leg damage. Had we not had my late father’s Cadillac DeVille to carry him to and from appointments, he would have never got in or out of the CUVs that the family members all owned.
So, manufacturers will be finding that the boomers are aging out of SUV/CUV use due to not being able to access the seats. What will they do? Lower the ride height? Change the one dynamic that was the reason for folks wanting them originally? Or will they start offering lower, larger sedans to cater to the market? I am willing to bet that you will see a rebirth of large sedans, should they figure out what the market will need, not what they want to sell us.
Congratulations. You’ve handled this subject better than I ever could hope to! And I mean that sincerely.
I could probably find similar words if I put myself to task, because they’re the truth. But my deep-seated prejudice tends to get in the way, so I usually can only muster humor or disdain, which gets old after a while. I just haven’t yet been inspired enough to go there. But you have, and in very fine form.
It’s a product of where I lived combined with my personal interests during this car’s whole lifespan. In West LA/Santa Monica, cars like this were strictly old folk’s cars since the mid 70s. So by the mid 90s, these were really old folks’ cars, or livery cars. I couldn’t even remotely imagine the idea of owning one. And frankly, the few times I rode in one, the quality of the materials and design reinforced that strongly.
I think “old folks’ cars” is a dying concept and market segment. Where I live, they drive CUVs typically, if they’re fairly new cars, or of course maybe a Camry or Lexus ES, or Prius. But the easier egress of CUVs is bound to make them ever-more popular. And older folks are more attuned to current style and fashion than was once the case. And many of them lead more active lives than was common 20-40 years ago. The concept of aging has changed, and with good reason: people have realized that staying fir and healthy allows for an extended life.
It was not uncommon back in the 60s and 70s to see a man retire, and get grumpy and age quite quickly and die all-too soon. One needs to have a purpose in life, which is why retirement is being re-defined.
I plan on staying busy and active and un-retired as long as possible. I get antsy on vacations after a couple of weeks. I need to have things to do/build, other than drive to the golf course in a Lincoln. 🙂
Speaking of, I need to get to work….
No disagreements, although I think you need to add pickups to that retiree equation as well. All of which dovetails with your observation that the older folks (I am one) are leading more active lifestyles, and our vehicles reflect that change.
I “retired” over a dozen years ago- and finally found something I could fail at. “Retirement” turned into a career change, but with the benefit that reduced financial pressures meant I could do what I wanted to, as opposed to what I needed to when the kids were being raised. It’s amazing how your perspective on “work” changes when you know you’re there by choice, as opposed to necessity.
“I “retired” over a dozen years ago- and finally found something I could fail at.
Grandpa would have liked that. He used to say that first thing Monday morning he’d look up the dictionary definition of retirement, figure out what he’d done wrong last week, and try to do it better.
Thank you Paul.
You raise some excellent points. Though not quite a progressive as LA, growing up in Boston definitely influenced my opinions and attitudes towards cars from the earliest age, opinions that largely hold true today.
One thing I’ve always liked about writing these types of articles is that it forces me to look at a car with objective eyes, something that can often be difficult to me. I’ll be completely honest when I say that this was the most difficult article I’ve ever written in that respect.
You’re also very right about the idea of those of a certain age are much more acclimated to more active lifestyles and staying on top of the latest trends, specifically technology.
A prime example of this is one of my clients, an 83-year old woman who still works part time in real estate and special ordered her MINI Countryman from me last summer, complete with every tech option you can get. She stopped in the other day to get air in her tires and was telling me how she downloaded music files onto her USB and then loaded them into the car’s hard drive so she can listen to her Beatles album. That’s not something one could’ve imagined a decade ago or so.
As far as cars go, there aren’t very many modern cars that scream “old person’s car” in the way that the Town Car did. A large part of it is that many elderly are driving the same cars the those 40-50 years younger are as well.
And also, it’s refreshing to know I’m not the only one who get’s antsy on vacations if I’m not constantly on the go. I get stressed from relaxing too much 🙂
Relaxation is great, for a few hours, but once I’ve had my fill its time to get busy making something of the day.
My favorite TownCar generation and the one I would own if I was going to own one. I’m the guy that bought a Buick at 25 after a GTI so…
As far as handling goes, these (and all TownCars) aren’t objectively good handlers. However, my brother once got one of the next generations as a rental and we took it from San Francisco down to Los Angeles and back, mainly on US101. While at first it seemed ponderous and wallowy, once you are in the saddle for some (OK, a long) time, you adjust and all of a sudden it actually became a (subjectively) fun car to drive. By the end of the weekend we were having loads of fun on on-and-off-ramps and carrying way higher speeds than we thought the car would be capable of.
“Your” car would be marvelous with the burgundy interior, btw…
I guess you could say I had a similar experience with the Lincoln MKS we took in on trade last year. Though not quite as soft and floaty as the Town Car, the MKS was fun to plow through turns like a barge when I took it out for a quick spin.
Which car are you referring to with the burgundy interior?
I was talking about the TownCar pictured, that exterior color would work well with it but also think it’d apply to your own car as well 🙂 Heck, just burgundy interior every car and I’ll be happy!
Oh gotcha! I was wondering if you had discovered my latest purchase. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing it soon 🙂
But I can only imagine how good a burgundy interior on my Jet Black 228 would look. I’ve told my manager to order a black Clubman with Pure Burgundy because I think the color combination works so well.
So long as the suspension had a pair of decent sway bars on it, these were good handling cars. My 93 Crown Vic LX was an impressive handler. I suppose for someone used to something a lot smaller, the size would take some getting used to. But when your other car is a Ford van, getting into the Vic was like driving a friggin race car!
Brendan,
Wonderfully written article, as many have said. You and I are close in age (I was born in 88), but with my family hailing from Central PA & NJ these were a common sight in the family – Dad being a limo driver, and eventually running his own service, he chose one as his personal transport when most of his contemporaries had moved on to something from Japan. My paternal grandfather always had a Cadillac, as it was family tradition to aspire to own one – even used. The “Standard of the World” still meant something to his generation…even if it wasn’t what it once was by the 80’s & 90’s. My grandmother went from Buick to Oldsmobile to finally a 2007 Grand Marquis, which is the last car she will likely ever own. And she loves it to pieces….and promised me when she gave up driving it would go to me. She is 86, and I can see why these cars are no longer in production – aside from old souls like me, cops, seniors, and coachbuilders…who would want one?
My other grandparents (maternal) are the polar opposite – Granny Scholar drove Volvo’s (now a Nissian Murano), Gramps drove Jeep Cherokee’s, finally switching over to a GMC Terrain before he passed. I chalk that up to them being Boomers vs Greatest Generation…and having bad experiences with domestics in the 70’s (Gramps Dodge Monaco was infamous for repairs).
While I don’t dislike Toyota’s, Lexii, or Hondas…I just like the feel of the Lincoln. It’s no rocket ship, but it never leaves me feeling unsafe (like Paps’ HT4100 Deville…or the 307 Olds 98). I love it for what it is – a big comfy couch that shuttles me around while the JBL sound system pumps out my Motown, Beach Boys, and doo wop tunes. Upgrading the rear suspension with the coilover conversion kit, as well as decent tires, helps the handling a lot – but I still wouldn’t push it to the limit.
I do agree that the 98+ styling was a downgrade – personally I like the 90-94 interior the best…all that fake woodgrain just tickles my Brougham fancy.
Thank you for a wonderful article – always a pleasure to read your work. Here’s my 93 Signature Series Jack Nicklaus Edition.
The environment in which one grows up certainly does influence his or her opinions/attitudes towards certain cars and certain types of cars.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful ’93 Jack Nicklaus Edition! You just need a Lincoln plate to go on the bare front plate bracket!
This was pre plates – NJ has front and rear, so I sadly can’t put that up front. Plus I have the “Mafia Staff Car” plate zip tied to the grill 🙂
I didn’t realize that picture was pre-registration. As long as you have some plate on there, that’s fine. One of my biggest pet peeves is a pre-owned car that already has a plate bracket drilled in but no front plate 🙂
But “Mafia Staff Car”, I love it!
I had a plate frame that read “Mafia Staff Car, Keepa you hands off!!!” on a black 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood. No one ever messed with that car. LOL
Perhaps this one?
Perfect!
I was in grad school when the 1995 restyle came out. Thought they were just drop dead beautiful, and still do.
It’s funny how tastes change as you age. If you didn’t like “old school” before, you will eventually.
True story: I brought home 2001 or so DeVille, in 2003. Really wanted it, badly. My wife said “I am never having a car with a column shifter. That is so old fashioned and tacky. No way. And a Cadillac, yuck, never ever”. Um OK, so no Deville.
Fast forward to 2017. Wife gleefully announces “My friend has a new Escalade! I sure love Cadillacs. And the gear shift is on the column, so you have more room for your drinks and stuff in the console. How cool is that!”
SMH
Speaking of Geritol cars, I’ve concluded the Corvette is one as well, which makes sense since most young bucks can’t afford to buy or insure it.
One of my dad’s friends (well into his ’50s) bought a 280Z; his Prussia-born wife was philosophical, rationalizing it was better than a mistress.
Thank you, Brendan. With this almost-philosophical piece, you’ve helped me understand the raison d’etre of these oft-derided cars. Now if they’d only made them with the ride and handling balance of a Jaguar XJ – that wouldn’t have hurt, would it? The best of both worlds.
PS: Love all the Minis in the background. You were at some work function, I guess.
Thanks Pete! And would you believe that this Town Car was traded in for a new MINI?
In parts of Canada they have a word: “Hosey”. It’s a little difficult to translate, but it pretty much means “that which is tacky but thinks itself classy”.
(What? No! No no no! No, I meant these Town Cars, um, have…lots of hoses under the hood!)
I recall USA Today conducting a poll in the early ‘90s of the most aspirational luxury cars and Town Car was number 1. It was also Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. As the Nineties marched on SUVs became a huge profit center. One of the main reasons GM dumped the B-bodies was so that they could convert the plants to pump out more SUVs. And let’s not forget Jacques Nasser and the Premier Automotive Group (PAG). His leadership and the creation of PAG really built the coffin for which Lincoln is still trying to climb out of today.
“…And let’s not forget Jacques Nasser and the Premier Automotive Group, which really built the coffin for which Lincoln is still trying to climb out of today.”
Ford’s still digging themselves out of the hole Nassar dug for them. The destruction of Ford’s luxury car market share was just one of his many accomplishments.
I also find that generation of Town Car somehow appealing, though I prefer the earlier 1990-1994 tall headlight style over the revised squinty look. Either way, I have thought that it would be a great platform for a modern interpretation of a Hot Rod Lincoln. Fit some 17″ Torque Thrust style wheels from a New Edge Mustang and Flowmaster mufflers, and you are well on your way! If you’re serious, the Modular 4.6L has a nearly endless high performance aftermarket.
Forgive my comment if it’s formatted weird because this is on mobile. But I have to say this is a really well done article Brendan.
I was born in 96, so I’m roughly in the same age as you. But, I’ve had a deep affection for cars that runs deeper and has been earlier than you. I’ve been wondering why I’ve liked these for so long, after all, I’ve never rode much less drove one, I’m not in the car’s demographic, target or otherwise, and if you were to apply age stereotypes, it’s not a car I would be drawn to. So, why do I like these and why would I like it so much I would happily buy one as a daily driver? Well, I’ve really examined it and just beyond an aesthetic level, it really comes down to the fact that I have no negative connotations associated with it. I never paid attention to these much when I was younger and as such, I never bought into any of the “Old person car” tropes that would otherwise be prominent during its run. As such, what was regarded as outdated and archaic when it was being sold, seems fresh and exciting to someone like me. I also tend to lean more conservative/libertarian in my personal beliefs, so I guess that might factor in, but I don’t think that political affiliation plays that big of a part in ones vehicle likes and dislikes.
I guess, the reason I like the big American sedan is just that i find them cool. Growing up around and seeing BMWs, SUVs, Lexus, and that sort of thing an almost never seeing these have given them an almost mystical aura. They’re so fundamentally different from what I’ve seen and what I’m used to that it makes them seem more mystical and intriguing, even if they’re really not. As for the drawbacks, I see those as virtues. I don’t mind the big size, handling prowess isn’t vital to me, and being ultra high grade isn’t a massive deal breaker for me as a luxury car aficionado. (Though I understand I it is for some people)
I guess the only thing I will say about these Town Cars is I don’t care for the interior. I much prefer the 90-94 interior design, as it doesn’t look as decontented or cut down as the 95-97. If there was a way to combine the 1995 exterior refresh with the 1990 style interior, I would call it the perfect Town Car.
I guess it also helps that I’ve seen so much of the ungainly 98+ versions that these second gens are cool to me, along with the box cars from the 80s. These at least look visually distinct whereas the successors look like ugly versions of Crown Vics that been put on a stretcher.
I’ll wrap this up, so I really admire these Town Cars, I mean, I have one as my avatar for crying out loud. I hope one day to own one, if not at the very least drive one. if not a Mercury Grand Marquis of a similar vintage may suit me instead. Anyways, thanks for the great afternoon read.
By growing up in few German luxury cars ( so, obviously it wasn’t in Michigan ) enduring much car sick in various forms, I end up with traditional Lincoln, Cadillac, Buick and Chrysler models at a young age ( teenage years ) Combined with Michigan road, the advantages of German luxury cars in terms of handling became the biggest issue when my neck, back constantly warn me what kind of vehicle my body can handle ( and Audi hurts me the most for two decades, intermediately thankfully ) And I’m barely older than you ( I know it sounds sad ) The only German luxury cars that left me good impression was Mercedes 560SEL, early 00s S-Class since a young boy. But as a vehicle owner, many other things need to be considered.
Lincoln wise, it’s the most faithful choice among American luxury cars in most cases ( when 3.8 Essex, BMW diesel models were excluded ) and the build quality, fit and finish is more trustworthy. I have a lot of foreign visitors and many were impressed by the rich, all blue leather interior from a Cadillac but I miss the better quality, better finish on Lincoln models whenever I drive it. ( And I miss the better quality, better finish on current Lincoln models whenever I drive the corresponding current Cadillac models/Chrysler 300/Pacifica platinum )
Even though I’m very unsatisfied with Cadillac models for fit and finish reasons, I put up with them for the ride quality because it matters the most to me. A Lincoln Town Car Cartier would be better.
I had a kind of weird friend whose older parents had a Lincoln Continental of that era. It needed servicing one day; I followed them, and the loaner was a Town Car. I think I could not kick the front seat if I tried, and the back seat cushion felt like leaning against a cow. It was incredibly smooth in a way I’ve never cared to appreciate, but it was noticeable.
Not everyone wants a “luxury car” with a snarling engine, rough riding suspension, hard to intuitively understand digital dashboard, difficult-to-climb-up/out of “luxury car”.
For such a buyer a low mileage, reliable, inexpensive to repair & maintain, well kept Lincoln Town Car will be a much sought after example of maximum appeal and desirability.
The American luxury models were better off w/ the cloths and velours – it’s what they did best.
The leather in these cars was of dubious quality and the plastic coating especially …. well, plastic. COLD in the winter and scorching HOT in the summer, the plasticky leather made the interiors a real life penalty box.
Agree!
Here is the cloth/velour interior of an older (1983) base model Lincoln Town Car.
To my eyes it is classy & elegant (as well as long lasting); without the “bordello” wretched excess of too many Cadillac models..
It is interesting how in cars such as this, even cheap looking and feeling “leathers” were usually extra-cost or at least positioned higher than any of the best of the high-grade cloth upholsteries that might have been available.
Personally, I prefer leather (or even “leatherette” vinyl) for its feel, ease of clean, and more sanitary capability versus cloth. And while I’ve never been a velour fan, I will say that there are some cloth interiors I really can appreciate.
On that note, it’s fascinating how in some markets, such as Japan, cloth is seen as more prestigious than leather.
I’m another 1993 baby, so yes, I mostly grew up in the world of minivans, SUVs and crossovers. Although we were an unconventional family. Until 2008, my dad’s daily-driver was a 1964 Chevrolet Impala (327 / 2-speed). Having driven smaller European cars, I did try an approximation of the American luxobarge, my 2014 Lincoln MKS. Let’s just say that when it got totaled in December 2017, it was highly inconvenient, but I was relieved. That car was just big for no reason, and handled like a pig. A COAL is forthcoming.
I can’t wait for that COAL Kyree!
I second Brendan, Kyree!
A MKS has long been something I’d consider buying. I’d love to see if your account would dissuade me. (Of course, I know yours was a 3.7 and I’d prefer the EcoBoost)
I know that there is much Panther love out there. I’ve owned an 87 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, an 88 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series, and an 89 Lincoln Town Car. I loved them all…..except for when it snowed. They were like cleaning off an aircraft carrier. The bladed front fenders, which I otherwise loved, made cleaning snow even worse, and the hidden windsheild wipers were always a chore to clean out. At least this generation was a little more conducive to such a task. Clearing that much snow was no luxury.
Great article, Brendan! My aunt gifted me a 1996 Lincoln Town Car Cartier in December 2017. When she gave it to me, it had 17,517 miles on the odometer and as of February 11, 2018, it accumulated 47 more miles. It runs just about perfectly and looks magnificent. From the time she bought it from Glendale Star Lincoln and had it shipped to Guam, I’ve always let her know how much I admired the car. I never thought she would ever give it to me. I assured her that I would take extra-good care of it as long as I’m around.
There aren’t too many Town Cars of this generation on Guam and I so proud and fortunate to have it. By the way, my aunt was our family sponsor when we moved to Guam back in 1970 coming from Jacksonville, Florida. Dad was in the Navy. I was ten years old back then and she had a dark green 1969 Dodge Coronet sedan that I also admired a lot. Today I’m an avid Panther fan and enjoy the great COAL stories.
If not for the sagging rear bumpers, I’d be with you. because of this, the previous generation TC gets my vote. A perfect American luxury sedan.
This generation Town Car (1981 thru 1989) and the very last generation (2003 thru 2011) are my favorites.
The article’s generation never appealed much to me; it looks like putting a push up bra on your Grandma.
88 and 89 signatures are the best in terms of overall driving, mpg, and repair costs. Newer ones not really an improvement. I could do with less Slarf like the bottom trim, vinyl roof, coach lites etc. last gen has a nice look.
Agree!
My ’89 is my overall favorite driver of my 4 car driveway.
Even though it is the least expensive car of my modest car collector fleet; it gets the most comments, smiles, hand waves and horn honks.
Nice. These seem to look best in the darker colors. I have two 88s one dark shadow blue and the other silver blue. I had either Ford or Mercury wagons or sedans, but not Lincolns. I inherited these from my great uncle who passed at 101.
I find those years of Town Cars oddly appealing (and to clarify, I was born in 1973). Maybe just the right combination of sleek lines, classic luxury, and dare I say it, remnants of the muscle car era? My daydreams for these cars include dual Flowmaster/Cherry Bomb/Turbo mufflers, Torq Thrust wheels, and lowered about 2″. A semi-modern interpretation of the Hot Rod Lincoln.
Brendan, I’m not sure where I was when this insightful piece ran originally, but it was a great read. Loved how you tied the car’s context into your original experience of it. I try to do the same. Cheers.
A good piece. I can appreciate that these aren’t for everyone, and I give you credit for handling that with tact.
I fall into that other part of the spectrum, that truly love these things (especially the ’95-’97 iteration). I grew up in the rural Midwest in the ’80s and ’90s (born in ’81), a time in which these and Cadillacs were still *the* luxury cars. My childhood was spent in the back of a 1985 Cavalier Type-10 with only those stupid pop-out windows and no air conditioning. So, when I would tag along with my friend (who lived with his grandparents) and ride in their Town Car, it was magical.
Around 2011, Mr. X’s Neon departed our household, and on a lark we bought, for $900, a 1997 Town Car whose owner was just clever enough to unload something with issues, but not clever enough to figure out they were simple fixes. So, we ended up with a car with no rust, working A/C, and which only needed a mass air sensor cleaned and trans fluid changed to run and drive like a champ.
One of the funnest things was to drive our ’78 Continental for awhile, then hop into the Town Car. By comparison, the Town Car felt like a race car. Much tighter handling, noticeably firmer ride (but didn’t wallow around like the Conti does), and better zip off the line. Actually, that Town Car handled just fine-no wallowing, no funny business. Yeah, it wouldn’t be a good choice for some winding mountain road, but the closest example of that from Metro Detroit is at least two states away.
And road trips? That thing was amazing! Four adults, our luggage, A/C set to 72, cruising at 75 miles per hour, and that thing was like a cat with a saucer of cream. 24 miles per gallon, and you’d get out and not have to spend the next few minutes getting your bones to realign correctly. My husband did over 50,000 miles in 2 years with it. It made numerous trips across multiple states. The only reason we got rid of it at all was because the A/C quit at 236,000 miles.
I was before, and remain, a big fan of these cars. I appreciate they’re not everyone’s cup of proverbial tea, but I think the automotive landscape a poorer one for their absence.
I’ve been busy, and didn’t see the first run of this article, which is a nice, refreshing perspective from the generation after mine. I’m roughly xequar’s age, grew up in the back of un air conditioned domestic and foreign compacts, and had big car owning grandparents in the 80s and 90s…plus have always had a sort of rebellion into orthodoxy thing going against my crunchier Silent/Boomer parents. So always appreciated these.
Well, not at first. At the time these replaced the 80s version, I preferred the old boxy styling and thought these looked rounded and smaller. Which amuses me because almost 30 years later, all I see when I look at one is their decided angularity. At the time my favorite car was the Cadillac Brougham and I was happy GM hadn’t “rounded it out” like these!
Today, I see these as classics, that make me nostalgic for the 90s. More recently, I’ve become an owner. This summer, my parents sold our longtime family home. As some of you know, my sole transportation for several years has been a 1975 Olds 98 Regency 4 door hardtop. But in assisting with the move and relocating my parents, I had to drive 400 miles every weekend. This was not something I wanted to be doing in New England summer weekend traffic a 455 V8 powered classic that gets 15 mpg on a good day and only runs on premium.
Solution? Leave the Olds in its garage and scour Craigslist for Town Cars and Grand Marquis, because nobody wants them. And hey, bingo, here was this black ’97 Signature Series Touring Edition with 90K. A few cosmetic dings and a clean as a whistle carfax. Bought it for $2000 and drove home every weekend of the summer in comfort, putting 8k on the car that the Olds didn’t have to absorb, and on regular gas at 22-23 to the gallon.
I think FoMoCo cheaped on the interior as well, but I will say less so than GM did on the ’93 Fleetwood Brougham I owned in 2014-15. The Lincoln is definitely plusher, has a great JBL sound system that I hooked up my phone to through the cassette deck, and just looks better put together…although it’s definitely less powerful and strangely less fuel efficient than the heavier final curvy Caddy.
I can appreciate these for what they are…a clean looking, dependable, comfortable cruiser targeted at the Silent and Greatest generation buyer. They don’t make me feel important like an old Cadillac, and they don’t generate the enthusiasm from passersby of my baby blue Olds. But they are just what the doctor (especially the chiropractor) ordered for a long drive. Not a class leader for sure, but a fortuitous addition to my stable.
My love affair with the Town Car ended with the 1998 re-design. Up until that point, the car was classy and conservative. The new curvy version just never grew on me. I thought the 1998s all the way until the end were absolutely hideous. I’ve heard them referred to as “cartoon car”. Ford really dipped into the current Taurus/Sable look with that re-design – both having styling cues (too many curves, scooped out lower doors) that I hate. The car lost a lot of its substantial presence in 1998.
My fondest memories are of the 1985-1989 boxy Town Cars. The ’90-’97 was a really good evolutionary freshening of that design and did well to bring the car in to the ’90s.
Counterpoint:
I owned small cars all my life. Foreign cars. Trucks. Always saw full sized cars as throwbacks to grandpa’s age. Then I started working for an international rental car company as an auditor. They gave me Lincolns. I discovered that what grandpa drove, wasn’t what Ford was making by 1990. This generation of Town Car wasn’t a floater. It wasn’t a barge. It wasn’t a parade float. Those were grandpa’s cars, not these. Grandpa’s cars got 7-12 MPG. These Lincolns got 20+. Grandpa’s cars had zero road feel. These Lincolns had road feel.
But they also had more. A quiet ride. Easy visibility. R O O M. You got out of a Lincoln after driving an hour feeling about the same as you did when you got into to it. Quality – the materials used to create the interior isn’t cheap feeling. The leather was above quality, the comfort surpassed what you’d expect, and giggle at that carpet – it was comfortable and appropriate for any car that stays on a pavement.
As a guy who grew up driving grandpa’s full sized cars – these Lincolns have little in common to them except in size.
These are probably my favorite Town Car designs. I’m one of those outliers that has always loved big American luxury cars. My fascination started with mid ’50’s Cadillacs and continues to today. Growing up in Oakland Ca. in the ’60’s and ’70’s, Cads and Lincolns were everywhere. I have to admit that part of the appeal was the “Mack Daddy” influence, not that I admired pimps, but it was just a thing. I guess that “Ballin” would be the term that applies today. I did, and still do, love these big flashy cars, but hey, I’m an American after all!
The appeal of column shifters and bench seats will become apparent after you have to enter your car from the passenger door, and have to climb over the center console when someone parks too close on your left side, and you can’t squeeze inside. This has happened to me several times. It also gives you the option of exiting the car on the curbside.
A smooth, quiet ride with comfy seats is quite relaxing, something that you appreciate as you get older. I’ve had Mustangs and Datsun/Nissan Z cars. I rode motorcycles for over 35 years, and nothing is a more elemental transportation experience than riding a motorcycle. I wanted a little comfort when I drove a car.
Old man’s cars are like the difference of taking an aggressive, high strung, big dog, like a Boxer out for a walk, as opposed to your mellow old Golden Retriever. One will be more relaxing than the other. ( No disrespect to either breed, I don’t know much about dogs, I’m a cat person.)
I can see why the ES 300s are so popular, they combine the best qualities of older luxury cars with a trimmer size. The large size of the traditional car is a valid criticism in my eyes.
Chrysler left the full-size rwd V8 sedan field in 1981 with the demise of the R-body. The later Diplomat/GranFury/5thAves through 1989 were mere pretenders to the throne, glorified Aspen/Volares, and hardly full-size automobiles. We owned an ’80 R-Body NYer 5th Ave and it was a true successor to the “real” 1978 and earlier C-body Mopars, but what came later most assuredly was not.
In 2010, I was looking for work when a Lowe’s flooring installer asked if I wanted to do measurements for him within a 20 mile radius of the home.
Fast forward to that actually turning into driving 1200 miles weekly because the business grew and he couldn’t keep enough people on to measure.
My 2001 Ranger decided it was all done at 238000 miles sending me to find cheap but dependable transportation.
A friend from church worked at the local Chevrolet/Cadillac store and had me come in.
After looking at the back row offerings, he showed me a 1995 Town Car. My budget was just under $3000 and this booked at $4400; he was looking for $4295.
I told him that yes it looked nice, but that it was more that I afford. He put into a test drive and I must say that car was really nice. When I got back to the dealer he sold it to me for $2500 cash!!
Your point is well taken about these cars and their buyers. Having been born in 1963, and living with a dad who liked (couldn’t always afford!) the nicer things, he went from Buicks to Cadillacs then to Lincoln. I was treated poorly at school, and people would ask why he didn’t have a chauffeur hat, or they’d ask if I might be too high and mighty for them. It’s a car people, and it wasn’t one I even bought!!
Today, I drive an 04 Grand Marquis, and an 18 Sierra.
But in my garage sits my 1978 Thunderbird Diamond Jubilee (natch-no crank up windows!) and my 1976 Lincoln Mark IV.
I think I’ll drive that one to my reunion!!!!
As I said elsewhere, I might have liked the Town Car a lot more if FoMoCo had tried harder with the interior materials, or at least had a version that had competitive materials. Instead, it was plastic wood, cheap leather, and ratty headliner material. And it got worse and worse as the car aged. My ex’s 2005 Town Car Signature Limited was particularly egregious, with ultimately no better interior materials than you’d get out of a contemporary fleet-grade Taurus.
About the only benefit to a Town Car, as I can see it, is that anyone can fix them, anywhere. Ours stopped one day because it shot out a spark plug, a typical issue with the 2V Ford Mod engines. On any other car, that would be a show-stopper issue. But we helicoiled it and had it back on the road the next day.
I still have the 1996 Jaguar XJ12, which also hails from this era, and that is a very different car, though also under the FoMoCo umbrella…and indeed much improved *because* of Ford. But it’s a car that tugs my hearstrings much more than any Town Car ever did.
1997 was the last year of the real Town Car. The 1990-1997 re-skin was an excellent evolution of the handsome but very boxy predecessor. When the ’98s came out, I thought they were hideous, cartoonish, with unattractive side panels that scooped inward like the similarly ugly Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus of the time. The nose and rear end looked too narrow and awkward, like an old person trying to be cool by wearing clothes too young for them. The later refresh did nothing to rekindle my affection for this one-time sweetheart. Time has not softened my disdain for ugly Town Cars made since 1998. I can’t figure out why anyone would them attractive, especially when Cadillac was offering much better looking sedans with more ponies.
I liked the bodies in the 60s. The 70s were so so. The 80s were just too boxy for me and I didn’t like any of them. The 90-97 I, once again, liked a lot. From 98 onward is the counter point of the 80s and I don’t like once again. Would I drive a 90-97? Sure I would. I’d drive any vintage car with not a second thought from a Lincoln to a Pacer. Is this not a car site for “car” lovers?
I was always a fan of the 1990-1997 models though elementary school me thought these were old Buicks and not (then) current-day Lincolns. Styling aside, you’d think with as much time as some of us spend in our cars and with how much of that is highway miles, a floaty ride and a focus on luxury wouldn’t have given way so easily to more “European” or “sporty” characteristics which I’m pretty sure just translates to saving money on insulation and getting away with suspension that lets me feel every bump.