Rare Rides Icons: The Lincoln Mark Series Cars, Feeling Continental (Part XXVI)

We return with more Continental Mark V Designer Series goodness today, in our second of three consecutive installments on said topic. Last time we took a look at the resplendent luxury of the 1977 Designer Series trims in their respective Bill Blass, Cartier, Givenchy, and Pucci colorways. An immediate hit with consumers who were in desperate need of luxury gingerbread, the Designer Series trims were reworked in 1978 in the name of visual differentiation. There was also a very special and expensive Mark V commemorative edition in honor of Ford’s 75th anniversary.

The Bill Blass edition of 1978 was a bit of a one-off, in that it stepped away from the blue and white nautical theming for which the brand was known. Instead, the Blass donned Midnight Cordovan paint - a striking color perhaps more commonly called “dark purple.” The hue was repeated on the interior, which sported a revised look. 

Now finished in two-tone, Bill Blass was newly available with a choice of leather or Ultravelour. In both cases, there were Light Champagne straps and buttons to contrast all the Cordovan. A new vinyl texture for the roof of the Bill Blass arrived in ‘78, “Valino” grain. Customers selected from a Landau or full roof covering, which matched the Light Champagne accents in the interior.

Cartier continued with monochromatic exterior theming in 1978, but in a new color: Light Champagne. As with the prior year, Cartier’s paint finish was not metallic. Inside, there was Champagne upholstery in leather or new “Media” velour. Like the Bill Blass, a two-tone interior was achieved via strap and button detailing on the seats, in this case, completed in Dark Red. The Cartier roof options were the same color and styling as on the Bill Blass, a first.

Givenchy stepped away from the other three designers in 1978 with its new take on personal luxury detailing. The paint on the Givenchy was updated slightly to a darker shade of green called Midnight Jade (previously Dark Jade). Its finish was no longer metallic, as that year sparkling paint was reserved solely for the Pucci. As before, Givenchy was the only edition to offer a front half vinyl roof design, which continued in Chamois color and Lugano vinyl grain. 

Inside, leather upholstery was the only choice for Givenchy in ‘78. But the leather featured a unique seat pattern to the other Designer Series cars: Instead of the straps and buttons, Givenchy had the vertically segmented seat pattern from the Luxury Group cars. It also had an embroidered horizontal strap on the seatback. The design was finished in broad lace material, and embroidered with a repeating Givenchy logo.

As mentioned, the Pucci was the only Designer Series car in 1978 finished in a metallic paint. Now available in Light Silver “Moondust” Metallic, Pucci implemented the Dove Grey leather interior color from the 1977 Cartier. Available only with leather upholstery, the Pucci achieved two-tone via the Dark Red contrast accents of the 1978 Cartier. The Pucci’s roof utilized a Cayman grain vinyl as it had the prior year, finished in basic Black.

Lincoln increased the price of the Designer Series cars for 1978 but also reworked the hierarchy. Bill Blass asked $1,800 ($8,574 adj.) with leather, but velour was now cheaper at $1,533 ($7,302 adj.). Cartier, Givenchy, and Pucci were each $1,800 regardless of interior finish.

But none of the Designer Series cars could hold a candle to the most luxurious special edition of the Mark V, available for a single model year: Diamond Jubilee. It was the 75th anniversary of Ford, and the company that tried so hard two decades prior to differentiate itself as separate from its parent was all-in on celebrating the occasion. Accompanied by a Diamond Jubilee edition of the downsized Ford Thunderbird, the Continental Mark V took monochromatic color theming to its maximum extent. 

Available in Diamond Blue Moondust Metallic or Jubilee Gold Moondust Metallic, all Diamond Jubilee examples wore paint that matched the vinyl roof and the vinyl-covered Continental tire hump. The body trim was finished in the same color, and so was the trim around the standard integrated opera lamps. The slats of the prominent Lincoln grille were color-keyed, too. The bumper guards and all rub strips, the turbine aluminum wheels, and the hood ornament matched the color theme selected.

Inside, the Diamond Jubilee claimed to have the most luxurious interior of any production Lincoln ever made. Matching the exterior paint were bucket seats and a padded center console with a storage bin and an integrated umbrella holder. There was a unique seat pattern reserved for the Diamond Jubilee, with tasteful broad lace inserts. Appropriately, the Diamond Jubilee was only available in velour. 

Elsewhere the interior differentiated itself with grab bars on the back of the front seats, map pockets as standard, and real ebony wood inserts on the dash, doors, console, and back of the front seats. There was wood on the key, too. Even the carpet was different from a standard Mark V with a “Tiffany cut-pile” material. The instrument panel plastic was beveled to look like glass, which matched the beveled edge on the opera windows. Said windows had a special Diamond Jubilee script engraving, and a diamond etched within the glass. 

Nearly everything was included as standard on the Diamond Jubilee Edition of the Mark V, which was appropriate given its price. Ford limited production of the special edition to 5,159 examples, each of which asked $20,529 ($97,787 adj.). That made the Diamond Jubilee the most expensive car Lincoln ever sold. For reference, that was more than two times the cost of the Diamond Jubilee Thunderbird at $10,106 ($48,138 adj.). Technically an “option,” Diamond Jubilee added $8,000 ($38,107 adj.) to the price of a standard Mark V. 

Of the Diamond Jubilee’s total run, 2,602 examples were Diamond Blue, and 1,511 of those buyers sprang for a moonroof. 2,557 were painted Jubilee Gold, making it the rarer of the two color themes. To your author’s eye, the blue version is the much more desirable one.

Even given its immense cost, the Diamond Jubilee had four separate options. They were the larger 460 V8, dual exhaust, the aforementioned power moonroof package, and a CB radio. Upon request, Ford would provide a special cookbook it created to mark its anniversary, the Ford Diamond Jubilee Recipe Collection. 

The following year Ford would send the Mark V into the sunset with its final Designer Series versions and offered a special limited edition that commemorated the end of its full-size halo personal luxury coupe. Big-time downsizing was on the horizon! Until next time.

[Images: Ford, Amazon, dealer]

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