One of four fashion icons honored by Lincoln
The base model Lincoln Continental is already famed for being a spacious and comfortable behemoth of an automobile, and the Mark V further expanded on its size and luxury. This particular 1977 Lincoln Continental is the Cartier Edition, named after the famous French luxury goods and jewelry designer. It was one of four designer label collaborations that the Lincoln Mark V honored in its three-year run, including American fashion designer William ‘Bill’ Blass, French luxury fashion and perfume mark Givinchy, and Italian fashion designer and aristocrat Emilio Pucci.
Each designer model featured accessories and styling reminiscent of their namesake, boasting some rare and unique design flair not often found on a Ford product. The Mark V was one of the longest two-door coupes that Ford has ever produced, and for the era, one of its most luxurious to date. Don’t miss your chance to check out this exquisitely well-preserved fusion of art and auto on Exotic Car Trader!
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A yacht on land
The Lincoln Mark V Continental is long and wide, even by American 1970s standards, measuring just over 230 inches (584 cm) long and just shy of 79 inches (200 cm) wide. This Cartier edition comes in a Dove Grey color that is nearly white, with a raised and silver-clad maroon stripe along the sides, as well as a similarly colored vinyl top.
A fairly low hood and engine compartment exaggerate the car’s proportions, with a fairly small waterfall grille flanked by two large hidden headlights and a polished chrome bumper underneath. The rear bumper is similarly arranged, with a “Continental” trunk to make space for the spare tire and two sets of four-stack taillights that flare slightly from the fenders. Rounding out the cool factor are a pair of vents on each front fender for heat management, the signature Lincoln hood ornament, and period-appropriate thin white wall tires.
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A classy and contrasting interior
A two-tone white on burgundy interior leather covers the plush, overstuffed seats and door panels, while the carpeting and dash are pure red, with the latter sporting wooden paneling for the gauges.
The bi-spoke steering wheel is covered in red leather, with a bend down to 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions, and ample wood trim across the center. The gauges are framed by blocky squares and rectangles rather than the more traditional circles you might be used to, with an analog clock prominently featured as a classy accent to an already opulent interior.
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A powerful American engine underpinning it all
The Mark V designer series came in two engine packages: a 400ci (6.6L) V8 or 460ci (7.5L) V8 with all the power and pickup you could want in a ride that’s as smooth as glass. This Cartier Edition boasts the more powerful variant, with power sent to the rear wheels by way of Ford’s 3-speed “Cruise-O-Matic” automatic transmission. All four wheels feature power disc brakes for safe and reliable deceleration, and while the true mileage is unknown, the odometer reads just north of 15,500 miles.
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Final thoughts: An homage to a bygone era
It is not often that carmakers and fashion designers collaborate like Lincoln did in the late 1970s. These more modern examples tend to be one-of-a-kind deals, like the Bugatti by Hermes, or entirely pedestrian as to be almost tacky and uninteresting, like the Volkswagen Golf GTI Adidas Edition or the Fiat 500 Gucci Edition.
It isn’t so much that collaborations like this don’t still happen, but perhaps that it doesn’t feel like they are as inspired or tactfully done. Thankfully, you can still see this surviving example of what a well-executed cross-promotional campaign for a luxury car and a luxury jewelry brand can look like.
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