1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III

Priced at $6900

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

A ONCE IN A LIFE TIME OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ONE AMERICANS MOST DISTICTIVE LUXURY CARS. AN ALL ORIGINAL TRIPLE WHITE 1969 LINCOLN MARK III.  THIS ONE OWNER MARK III HAS ONLY TRAVELLED 2,600 MILES PER YEAR WITH 98K ACTUAL MILES.  THIS CAR COMES FROM THE ULTRA EXCLUSIVE TOWN OF HILLSBORUGH, CALIFORNIA.

THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL VINTAGE COLECTOR CAR. THIS IS MORE LIKE A TIME WARP, IT IS VERY RARE TO FIND A 1969 AUTOMOBILE THAT HAS BEEN KEPT OUT OF THE ELEMENTS IN A HEATED GARAGE THAT HAS KEPT THE ORIGINAL WHITE EXTERIOR IN EXCELLENT SHAPE,AS IS THE WHITE ORIGINAL VINYL TOP. THE CHROME ON THIS CAR IS NEAR PERFECT AND SHOWS NO SIGN OF ANY PREVIOUS DAMAGE. THIS CLASSIC WAS BY NO MEANS THE ORIGINAL OWNERS PRIMARY MEANS OF TRANSPORTAION BUT ONE OF MANY VEHICLES KEPT BEHIND THE GATES IN THE MOTOR COURT OF THE MANSION.

THIS IS A RARE ONE OF KIND FIND FOR A LOWLY AUTOMOBILE BROKER LIKE MYSELF IT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THESE LOST GEMS AS MANY THAT HAVE BEEN KEPT OF THE ROAD HAVE DETERIATED FROM LACK OF USE. THIS CAR RUNS AND DRIVES BEUTIFULLY, IT HASNT BEEN USED THAT MUCH BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY WELL LOOKED AFTER AND IT SHOWS.

1969 WAS IN MY OPINION THE ABSOLUTLE PINACLE OF THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY. THE MOST DESIRABLE COLLECTOR CARS OF THIS GENERATION WERE BUILT IN 1969.   IF YOU LOOK AT THE VEHICLES THAT SOLD THIS YEAR AT BARRET JACKSON IN SCOTTSDALE YOU WILL SEE A PATTERN THAT 1969 WAS THE BEST YEAR FOR ALL OF THE BIG THREE IN DETROIT. THE MARK III IS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS. THE VERY BIGGEST BLOCK FORD EVER BUILT, WITH THE STRONGEST TRANSMISSION AND THE STRONGEST REAR END, NO SMOG CONTROL JUST HIGH PERFEORMANCE HIGH COMPRESSION QUALITY. LEE IACCOCA WAS THE MAN BEHIND THIS AND IT WAS A MAJOR SUCCESS FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY.

TO DESCRIBE THIS CAR BY DOING AWALK AROUND LET ME START WITH THE WHITE VINAL TOP WHICH IS NEAR PERFECT. THE WHITE PAINT IS NEAR PERFECT. THE BODY IS IN VERY NICE CONDITION AND WITH A FEW MINOR DINGS IS NEAR PERFECT, IT IS IN UNBELIEVABLE CONDITION CONSIDERING IT IS ORIGINAL AND IT IS 37 YEAR OLD AUTOMOBILE THAT IS UN RESTORED. THE UNDERCARRAIGE IS A S CLEAN UNDERNEATH AS IT IS UN TOP. THE CHROME IS SUPER NICE. THIS CAR STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL MATCHING BLACK LIC PLATES THAT WERE ISSUED ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO. THEY ARE WORTH AS MUCH AS $300. BY THEMSELVES.AS IF YOU HAVE A MATCHING SET THEY CAN BE REISSUED ON YOUR 1960'S COLLECTOR CAR BY THE DMV, MATCHING SETS ARE RARE AS IT IS VERY RARE TO STILL BE ON THE ORIGINAL CAR.

THE MARK III HAS THE HIDE AWAY HEADLAMPS AND CLOSE WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. WHEN THE ENGIND IS OFF SOME TIMES ONE WILL OPEN SOMETIMES BOTH, I THINK THIS IS A VACUUM ISSUE.

THIS IS A LOADED MARK III WITH THE OPTIONAL AUTOMATIC HEADLAMP DIMMER WHICH LOOKS LIKE A JAMES BOND TOOL. IT IS ACTUALY A PHOTOTUBE SENSOR UNIT LOCATED ON THE TOP OF THE LEFT FRONT FENDER.  IT DOES HAVE THE POWER BRAKES WITH THE DISC BRAKE FEATURE.

I WOULD DESCRIBE ALL OF THE GLASS TO BE BE NEAR PERFECT. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS LIKE NEW WITH THE VERY COOL GLASS PACK MUFFLERS. THE INTERIOR DASH PAD IS PERFECT. ALL OF THE GAUGES ARE WORKING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CARTIER CLOCK.  THE CAR HAS AIR CONDITITONING BUT IT DOES NOT BLOW ICE COLD.

THE BIGGEST NEGATIVE ON THE CAR IS A FINGER SIZED SLIT ON THE TOP OF THE REAR LEATHER SEAT. THE HEADLINER IS NEAR PERFECT AS IS THE ORIGINAL CARPET THAT IS STILL IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THE LEATHER SEATS IN FRONT HAVE MANY STRESS CRACKS BUT CONSIDERING IT IS REAL WHITE LEATHER AND IT IS 37 YEARS OLD.

THIS CAR IS NOT RESTORED BUT IS ORIGINAL. THE FRONT POWER WINDOWS WORK GREAT BUT THE REARS DO NOT. THE POWER LOCKS WORK GREAT A RARE OPTION FOR A 1969 AUTOMOBILE IT ALSO HAS A TILT WHEEL. THIS IS A LOADED UP VEHICLE FOR THE TIME. IT ALSO COMES WITH THE ORIGINAL OWNERS MANUAL.

YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A NICER MORE ORIGINAL COLLECTOR CAR CONSIDERING IT IS NOT A RESTORED VEHICLE BUT A CAR THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED AND RESPECTED.  IT'S NOT THAT THIS MARK III IS CLEAN.  IT'S THAT ITS NEVER BEEN DIRTY.

Terms and Conditions of Sale:  The buyer is responsible for all shipping costs if any, however I can help with local delivery if desired.  The vehicle has a clear title to be delivered when the final payment is received.  

Buyers are encouraged to inspect vehicles prior to bidding if they desire to inspect vehicle.  All inspections desired must be completed prior to bid submission. Bidders are once again reminded that all sales are as-is, where is, and once the auction concludes the sale is binding and is not subject to inspection, rescission, or re-negotiation.  Sold as is with no expressed or implied warrantee.

Shipping and Transport:  Buyer will be responsible for paying all shipping and transport costs though I can help with the arrangements if you like.  To give you an idea what shipping costs might be to your area, see: DAS Shipping Link (click here).

Here is a list of some vehicle shippers who advertise on the internet if you want to compare prices:

•   www.dasautoshippers.com

•   www.movecars.com

•   www.transporters-of-automobiles.com

•   www.american-car-transport.com

•   www.national-car-shipping.com

SEE PICTURES BELOW!

The 1969 Lincoln Mark III, introduced in April 1968, was designed to build prestige and owner loyalty for the Lincoln line.

April 5, 1968: Ford Debuts Continental Mark III - On April 5, 1968, Ford Motor Company introduced the all-new Continental Mark III as part of deliberate strategy to build the prestige and owner loyalty of its luxury Lincoln brand. Planners aimed for something "a little controversial," without offending those loyal to the original pre-war Continental and the classic Mark II of 1956-57. Their Mark III combined the long hood, short deck tradition of those classics with such modern touches as concealed dual headlamps, tape deck entertainment systems and leather seating deliberately wrinkled for the desirable look of luxury and comfort. The Mark III was a sensational success with 7,770 sales in 1968, then tripling in 1969 for a two-year total of almost 31,000 new Mark IIIs.

Brief - On April 5, 1968, Ford Motor Company introduced the all-new Continental Mark III as part of deliberate strategy to build the prestige and owner loyalty of its luxury Lincoln brand.  Reviving the personal luxury concept of the original pre-war Continental and the Mark II of 1956-57, the Mark III was available only as a four-passenger, two-door hardtop.  It combined the long hood, short deck tradition of the classics with such modern touches as concealed dual headlamps, air conditioning and tape deck stereo entertainment systems.

Planners of the Mark III risked possible confusion with the Ford Thunderbird, with which it shared a body shell, until Lee Iacocca ordered three distinctive design elements for the Lincoln. They were the Continental-like spare tire look of the trunk lid; the squared-off radiator grille similar to European luxury marques; and a hood six feet long, even longer than the Mark II classic.

Another key styling innovation by lead designer L. David Ash changed the entire appearance of the Mark III. By raising the height of the rear fenders and upper back panel two inches higher than the T-Bird, the Mark III took on the distinct, hunched look of the late ?20s, when window heights were extremely limited.

That went well with the Mark III's intimate personality, which built on Lincoln?s industry leading interior combinations of luxury and comfort with an elaborate selection of air conditioning, entertainment systems and fabrics. The individually adjustable seats were upholstered in leather or a plush new Limoges nylon tricot.in a range of pleated styles. But whichever was chosen, the material was deliberately wrinkled, as interior stylists explained to Ford quality control people, because wrinkles suggest comfort and luxury to buyers.

As a personal luxury car, the Mark III's powertrain was clearly meant to be driven and enjoyed. The 365 horsepower V-8, three-speed Turbo-Drive transmission and 2.8:1 rear axle were capable of exceptional performance, propelling the 4,738-lb. Mark III from zero to 60 mph in a remarkable 8.3 seconds.

The overall package offered performance, comfort, luxury and styling and was remarkably successful for the designers and engineers, who had set out to make the Mark III "a little controversial" without offending anyone.

Introduced as a 1969 model in April, 1968, the Mark III tallied 7,770 sales in 1968. Then Ford Motor Company?s latest reinvention of a classic personal luxury car really took off, tripling sales in 1969 for a 21-month total of nearly 31,000.

The name 'Continental' was inspired by the 1940's Lincoln Continental powered by a large 12-cylinder engine. Bentley had used the name Continental on their model line, adding to the ambiance and prestige. In 1956 the Ford Motor Company formed the Continental Division for the production of the Mark II. Its general manager was William Clay 'Bill' Ford, son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford. Many people associated the Continental as a Lincoln because it featured the trademark Lincoln spare-tire hump in the trunk lid and it was sold and serviced at Lincoln dealerships. Many of the mechanical components were courtesy of Lincoln such as the drivetrain. The Continental Division lasted until 1957 when it was merged with Lincoln and the Continental Mark II was added as Lincoln's flagship model. The name 'Continental' would stay with the Mark line until the introduction of the Mark VII in 1984, later revived in the Mark VIII series available in more recent times.

There never was a model designated as a Lincoln or Continental Mark I.

The Mark II - The Continental Mark II had an understated beauty; it was elegant without the need to be flamboyant. Unlike the flashy American style of the time, it was very tasteful in its design. It did not use chrome, two-tone paint, or sharp styling cues to accentuate its beauty.  At the front was an egg-crate style grille and straight fenders.  The hood was long and curvy, perfect for concealing the 6-liter engine. Mounted on the hood and in the back was the four-pointed star that later became Lincoln's emblem. The Lincoln 368 cubic-inch V8 was matted to a Lincoln three-speed automatic transmission. The back had the signature Lincoln spare-tire hidden in the trunk lid. Though sharing many similarities with the Thunderbird, these were completely different machines.   The Continentals were mostly hand made; the paint was applied multiple times and then sanded, double-lacquered, and polished.

These rolling works of art were very costly. The $10,000 sticker price was equivalent to a Rolls-Royce.  Top-of-the-line American luxury brands, such as Cadillac, were selling for around $5000. Even at these high prices, Ford still lost an estimated $1,000 per car.  At the time Ford was a private company and was willing to incur these losses but when Ford became a public company, losses were not permitted.  A stock Mark II was $10,000 in 1956.  Derham and Hess & Eisenhardt both estimated a convertible conversion to cost $18,000 to custom build. That's why there were so few Mark II convertibles.

The Continental was sold to the rich and famous. Anyone who could afford the cost was welcome. Famous buyers included Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Louie Prima, Dwight Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater, Spike Jones, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry J. Kaiser, Howard Johnson, the Shah of Iran, and many other celebrities owned them. The Continental Mark II was debuted to the public at the Paris Motor Show in 1955. During the close of 1955, around 1300 Mark II's were sold. For the entire 1956 model year, another 1300 were sold. In 1957, around 450 were produced for a total of just over 3000. Around 1500 still exist in modern time. Only three convertibles were created.

The Mark III - The Lincoln Continental Mark III was produced from 1969 through 1971. Actually, in 1958 the Continental Division of Ford tried to produce the Continental Mark III but sales and production never really materialized. The onset of the 1958 recession accelerated the demise of the Continental Division.

The 1969 Mark III was introduced in 1968 as a 1969 Model year. It was positioned to compete with Cadillac's Eldorado. The Mark III was, in many ways, a luxury version of the Ford Thunderbird. The Mark III and Thunderbird shared many mechanical components; their styling was similar and both were built at Ford's Wixom, Michigan plant. The engine was a Ford 429 enlarged to 460 cubic-inches. In the back was the signature spare-tire bulge, though no spare-tire was housed in this enclosure. The design was rectangular and smooth. It was taller, larger, 300 pounds heavier, more powerful and luxurious than the Thunderbird. Power brakes, steering, windows, headlamps and front seats were all standard. Vinyl with cloth inserts was standard with leather being optional. The door trim panels and instrument panels were either rosewood or oak, depending on the interior color chosen. The vinyl roof was popular, even though it was optional. Other options included a variety of radios, 8-track tape players, and air conditioning. Both front seats were power adjustable, but for an additional cost additional power adjustments could be installed. An automatic headlamp dimmer could be ordered, meaning that it would dim automatically for oncoming cars. Anti-lock brakes, cruise control, and a limited slip differential were available for an additional cost.

In its introductory year, nearly 31,000 examples were produced. Though the Eldorado had better slightly stronger sales, this was still a very respectable start for a long and successful series.  In 1970, 21,432 examples were sold. The following year, 27,091 were sold. Even though the best year was in 1968, sales had begun in 1968. Meaning that the sales sold in 1968 and 1969 were counted together.  In 1970 the vinyl roof became standard and the windshield wipers were made recessed. The interior trim was now real wood.  A locking steering column was introduced. Radial tires were standard equipment. 1971 was the final production year for the Mark III. Tinted glass, SureTrak anti-lock brakes, and automatic climate-controlled air-conditioning became standard.

About the Continental Mark III - When people walked into the showroom at their local Lincoln dealer in the Spring of 1968, they might have been a bit confused at what they saw.  A Continental Mark III?  Weren't those built 10 years ago? A 1969 model?  It's only April, 1968!  And they would be correct on both counts. Introducing new cars in April was a Ford tradition by this time. After all, they'd done it before

with the Falcon and the Mustang, both incredibly successful debuts. Next years model available 6 months ahead of everyone else...why fool with a proven concept? And once again, it worked. The 1969 Continental Mark III was an instant success.

Built on the four door Thunderbird platform, the T-Bird and the Mark III shared many of the same components, including windshields and cowls, which allowed Ford Motor Company to spread the development costs across more than one car line, improving their profit margins. Since the four door Thunderbird platform was already in it's second year in 1968, it would have to be carried over for a longer period to allow a three year styling cycle for the Mark III, which impacted the T-Bird's sales somewhat, but was necessary to control costs. No one knows for sure why Lincoln reused the Mark III name again, some speculate it was because Ford was so unhappy with the slow sales of the 1958 Mark III, and they wanted to somehow pretend it never existed, and by reusing the name they were somehow changing history. For whatever reason, all of the Marks from 1958-1960 had their names reused again from 1969-1979. And while the 1958 Mark III might not have thrilled the public, the new Mark III certainly did. What wasn't to love? Up front, Lincoln took a hard look at the Rolls Royce grille, modified it, and made it their own. Concealed headlamps flanked the new grille, with side marker and front turn signals built-in to the leading edges of the front fenders. In back, a deck lid hump reminiscent of the 1956-1957 Continental Mark II appeared, with taillamps integrated into the trailing edges of the rear quarter panels so they could serve as both running/brake lights and side markers.

Lincoln stylists built up the area under the rear window to give the roof of the car a "hunched down" look. Open, flared wheel wells and restrained use of chrome trim gave the Mark III a powerful look, but also let everyone know it was a luxury car. Inside, split bench front seats were standard, along with traditional Lincoln amenities like rear seat reading lamps, power windows, and fold down center armrests front and rear. Lincoln borrowed the overhead roof console concept from the Thunderbird, which placed warning lights above the windshield in the area between the sun visors. There are numerous differences between the Mark IIIs built in the 1968 model year, and the Mark IIIs built during the 1969 model year. Notably, the Cartier Clock didn't appear on the early production cars. A standard timepiece appeared in its place instead. Interestingly, the standard clocks have held up better over the years, and have exhibited fewer problems than the Cartier timepieces. All of the changes between the two production periods are noted on our 1968 vs. 1969

Continental Mark III:  The Differences  - The 1970 Mark III was almost identical in appearance to the 1969 model, except it was updated with the new transmission/steering wheel/ignition key locking system that all Ford cars got for 1970. The vinyl roof and Sure-Track braking system became standard equipment, along with concealed windshield wipers, new wheel covers, a new pattern on the seats and interior side trim panels. A few other changes completed the picture, but at any rate it's difficult to identify the particular year of the various Mark IIIs from a distance.

For 1971, it was more of the same. Automatic Climate Control was added to the list of standard equipment, and the front seats were available with a high back design, which eliminated the necessity of a separate head rest. Sales of the Mark III each year outpaced those of the Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado, which was the Mark's main competitor, but no doubt also impacted the sales of its sister, the Thunderbird, to some degree. The attention to detail was incredible during these years, even going as far as having interior designers demand that seat upholstery be sewn so that wrinkles would appear in the material, giving the car a relaxed, comfortable look inside.

Under the hood, Lincoln's powerful new 365-horsepower 460 V-8 served admirably. These big, heavy cars really had a lot of torque at the rear wheels, a big surprise to many when the light turned green! The styling of the Mark III has held up very well over the years, standing the test of time quite well. They don't look like older cars, they seem very contemporary even today, and can easily and safely be operated in today's congested traffic conditions, something that can't always be said about other cars. The most authoritatively styled, decisively individual motor car of its generation is still highly regarded decades later. And that is thetrue test of a classic.

The Mark III is a car made up from ideas taken from other classic cars.  The engine, chassis and front cowl are from the Ford Thunderbird, the massive upright grille is "inspired" by Rolls Royce, the Continental "hump" on the trunk lid is from the Mark II and the long nose/short deck styling is from a '61 Plymouth.  The name is taken from the 1958 Continental Mark III, which Ford Motor Company had conveniently forgotten.

When you read the previous paragraph you realize what a cobbled-up car this could have been!  But when it's all put together, it works and works well.  It should.  It's the brainchild of Lee Iacocca, the same guy who took a bunch of Ford Falcon parts, assembled them, put a pseudo-Ferrari grille on the front, added fake air scoops on each side and created the Mustang, one of the hottest selling cars of all time.

The 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III was introduced in April of 1968. It was 216 inches long, had a 117 inch wheelbase and was powered by a 460 cubic inch V-8 engine with 365 horsepower.  Although it weighed 4,800 pounds, it could go from a standing start to 60 miles per hour in 8.3 seconds.  It was luxurious and cost $6,585, a right expensive car for it's time.