Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Lincoln Continental shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Lincoln Continental offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Lincoln Continental at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Lincoln Continental? Wrong! If the Lincoln Continental is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Lincoln Continental then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Lincoln Continental? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Lincoln Continental and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Lincoln Continental wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Lincoln Continental then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Lincoln Continental site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Lincoln Continental, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Lincoln Continental, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Automobile|image=|name=Lincoln Continental|manufacturer=Ford Motor Company [luxury car (1939-1981)
Mid-size luxury car (1982-2002)] (For Full-size version)
Lincoln LS (For mid-size version)] Series.-->

The Lincoln Continental, an automobile produced by the Lincoln (automobile) division of Ford Motor Company, began for the 1939 model year. Over the next 63 years, despite these cars sharing under-pinnings with less expensive Ford automobiles, Continental was usually a distinguishly-styled, highly-equipped luxury car. In the Lincoln line, the Continental nameplate was commonly reserved for its flagship model. At the close of the 2002 model year, the Continental ended production, replaced by the Lincoln LS.

1939 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =First generation| production =1939–1948| body_style =2-door sedan-->The first Lincoln Continental was developed as [Edsel Ford's one-off personal vehicle, though it is believed he planned all along to put the model into production if successful. In 1938, he commissioned a custom design from the chief stylist, Bob Gregorie, ready for Edsel's March 1939 vacation. The design, allegedly sketched out in an hour by Gregorie working from the Lincoln-Zephyr blueprints and making changes, was an elegant convertible with a long hood covering the Lincoln V12 and long front fenders, and a short trunk with what became the Continental series' trademark, the externally-mounted covered spare tire.

The car could be considered a channeled and sectioned Zephyr that did not even have the bulge that in the Zephyr (and in some other cars) replaced the running-board at the bottom of the doors. This decrease in height meant that the height of the hood was much closer to that of the fenders. There was hardly any trim on it at all, making its lines superb. This car is often rated as one of the most beautiful in the world.

The custom car for the boss was duly produced on time, and Edsel had it delivered to Florida for his spring vacation. Interest from well-off friends was high, and Edsel sent a telegram back that he could sell a thousand of them. Lincoln craftsmen immediately began production on the Continental convertible, and even a rare few hardtop models. They were extensively hand-built; the two dozen 1939 models and 400 1940-built examples even had hand-hammered body panels, since dies for machine-pressing were not constructed until 1941.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Continental production was suspended, to be re-started in 1946 to 1948. Like the other post-war Lincolns, however, the Continental had similar bits of trim added to make it look improved. The 1939–1948 Continental is recognized as a "Full Classic" by the Classic Car Club of America, one of the last-built cars to be so recognized.

The 1939 Continental is commonly called a '1940 Continental.'

1956 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Second generation| production =1956–1957| body_style =2-door sedan| engine =368 in³ [Lincoln Y-block V8 engine V8-->

The Continental name was revived in 1955 as a separate Ford brand, with its sole model being the Continental Mark II. This version was a unique design with the highest quality control ever seen in the automobile industry. High-class luxury abound in the new Continental - and with very limited availability, it appeared even more exclusive than the original.

Continental for '56 was one of the most expensive cars in the world -- with a cost of $10,000, it rivaled Rolls-Royce. But despite its astronomical price tag, Ford Motor Company actually lost money on each one sold. As a side note, Cadillac suffered a similar financial loss with its own Continental rival, the four-door Eldorado Brougham. Vehicles such as these are image builders for the make, as well as a test bed for new ideas and concepts. The Continental Mark II was sold for just two model years, with about 3,000 total units built. Between the tales of dealers turning potential buyers away because they were not deemed to be the right kind of people to own Continental, and its sticker price found affordable by only the world's wealthiest, the Continental became almost mythical. The celebrity-riddled owner's list for the original Continental read like a who's-who - including Elvis Presley, the Shah of Iran, Nelson Rockefeller and Henry Kissinger among others.

1958–60 Mark III, IV, and V The Continental division was dissolved after 1957, but in an attempt to retain some of the cachet of the Mark II, Lincoln named its top-of-the-line 1958 model the Continental Mark III. This differed from the lower-model full-size Lincolns only in trim level and in its roof treatment, featuring a reverse-angle power rear "breezeway" window that retracted down behind the back seat. That year's full-size Lincoln sold poorly in all models; 1958 was a recession year in the United States. The new Lincoln was one of the largest cars ever made, larger than that year's Cadillac, and had styling considered by many to be excessive even in that decade of styling excess. 1959's range contained a Continental Mark IV model, and the 1960 range had a Continental Mark V, with more restrained styling than the 1958.

1961 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Third generation| production =1961–1969| assembly =Wixom, Michigan| body_style =4-door [convertible
4-door pillared sedan
2-door hardtop coupe [V8
460 in³ Ford 385 engine V8
462 in³ Ford MEL engine#462 V8. For the first time, the names Lincoln and Continental would be paired on a car other than one in the Mark series. The design was originally intended to be the new 1961 [Ford Thunderbird, but the concept was enlarged and slightly altered before being switched to the Lincoln line by Robert McNamara. One of the most striking features of the new Continental was its size. It was two feet shorter than its predecessor. So much smaller was this car, that advertising executives at Ford photographed a woman parallel parking a sedan for a magazine spread. The new Continental's most recognized trademark, front opening rear doors, was a purely practical decision. The new Continental was a unibody design, and there simply was not the structural strength to front-hang the heavy rear doors in the convertible model. To simplify production (in the beginning, anyway), all cars were to be four-door models, and only two body styles were offered, sedan or convertible. Therefore, the rear doors were hung from the rear and opened from the front. This "suicide door" style was to become the best-known feature of 1960s Lincolns. The 1961 model was the first car manufactured in United States to be sold with a or 2-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. Harold W. Johnson was head of Lincoln Continental division at the time. Efforts to find a new longer-life tire were conducted by Jacques Bajer at his asking.

The 1961 Lincoln Continental was really Engel's design masterpiece. Even the dashboard was his design. This may have been the last time a single individual was responsible for the complete design of a production car. The 1961 Lincoln's striking, understated elegance immediately won a major design award and was widely copied by other manufacturers -- note the similarity of the 1963 Cadillac and the 1963 Buick Electra.

Kennedy Limousine SS-100-X For the Kennedy White House, the Secret Service purchased a convertible parade limousine custom built by Hess & Eisenhart of Cincinnati, Ohio from a 1961 Lincoln 4-door convertible. Code named the SS-100-X, it was in this car that JFK assassination in 1963. By that time, the front of the car had been updated with the grille/headlight/bumper assembly from the 1962 model. After the assassination, the limousine was returned to Hess & Eisenhart, where it was repaired and retrofitted with full armor and a fixed roof. It subsequently continued in service for the White House for many years. This world-famous car is now on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

1962 This slab-sided distinctive design ran from 1961 through 1969 with few changes from year to year. Lincoln dealers began to find that many people who bought 1961 and post-1961 models were keeping their cars longer. In 1962, a simpler front grille design with floating rectangles and a thin center bar was adopted.

1963 Due to customer requests, for 1963 the front seat was redesigned to provide a little more leg room to back seat passengers. The rear deck lid was also raised to provide more trunk space. The floating rectangles in the previous year's grille became a simple matrix of squares.

1964 The car was stretched 3 inches (76 millimeter) in 1964 to give more rear-seat legroom, and the roofline was squared off at the same time. The dash was also redesigned, doing away with the pod concept. Side glass was now flat to provide more interior room. The gas tank access door, which had been concealed at the rear of the car in the rear grille, was now placed on the driver's side rear quarter panel and the exterior "Continental" script was changed.

1965 The convex 1961–64 grille was replaced by a flatter, squared-off one for 1965–69. The car was given front disc brakes for the 1965 model year to improve stopping time. This is the first time that the front parking lamps and turn signals were integrated into the front quarterpanels, and not in the bumper. A 1965 Continental was featured prominently in the United States television series Green Acres and the The Matrix (series). The 1965 Continental Convertible is also featured in the opening credits scene of the television show Entourage (tv series).

1966 A two-door version was launched in 1966, the first two-door Lincoln since 1960, and the MEL engine was expanded from 430 to 462 in³ (7.0 to 7.6 Liter). The car was given all-new exterior sheet metal and a new interior. The length was increased by five inches to 220.9, the width by an inch to 79.7, and the height by almost an inch to 55.0 (on the sedan).

The convertible saw a few technical changes related to how the lowering and raising the top was implemented. Lincoln engineers separated the hydraulics for the top and the rear decklid (trunk) by adding a second pump and eliminating the hydraulic solenoids. A glass rear window replaced the previous years' plastic windows.

Sales increased to 54,755 units for the model year, considered a success by Ford. This was a 36% increase over 1965. Product breakdown for the year consisted of 65% sedans, 29% coupes, and just under 6% for the four-door convertible.

1967 1967 was the last year customers could choose a four-door convertible Continental. 1967 sales were 45,667 cars built.

1968 1968 brought some minor exterior changes. The new Ford 385 engine in a 460 in³ (7.5 L) model was to be available initially, but because there were so many of the old 462 engines in process during production, the 462 was used until the 460 was phased in later that year.

Suicide_door Lincolns were used as the US Presidential limousines during the 1960s and into the 1970s. John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a 1961 convertible, which was later armored and converted into a sedan for greater security. This famous automobile is currently housed at the Henry Ford Museum. Another famous event involving this model of Continental was when a brand new 1964 model was mercilessly crushed into a cube in a junkyard compactor in the James Bond film Goldfinger (film), to the horror of many moviegoers. (The filmmakers were not so wasteful: the moving car is a new 1964, but after a cutaway, the car picked up by the crane to be destroyed is a 1963 without an engine).

Mark III Lincoln Continental Mark III was introduced in early 1968 as a 1969 model. The reason for the "III" designation was that this car was seen as the true successor to the Mark II of 1956-57. Although it shared the Continental name with other Lincoln models, it was a completely different car. Based on the Ford Thunderbird sedan platform, the Mark III was the first body-on-frame Lincoln since 1957. The new Continental Mark III was available only in a coupe body style. This model was made famous in the 1971 movie The French Connection (film), when this model was used as a means for smuggling vast quantities of heroin concealed in its rocker panels. Built from 1968 to 1971, only few changes were made to the original model (1968). The Mark III had a 460 in³ engine with and a compression ratio of 10.5:1. The 1970 model featured an available (Sure-Track) anti-lock system stopping the rear wheels. Continental was originally equipped with Michelin radials.

1970 - 1979 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Fourth Generation| production =1970–1979| body_style =2-door & 4-door full-size luxury car] V8
460 in³ Ford 385 engine V8 [automatic transmission| assembly = Wixom, Michigan| length = | weight = 4500-5300 lb (ca. 2050-2400 kg)-->

The 1970 Continental continued the slab-sided design with blade-like fenders of the previous model, but the suicide doors were gone as was [unibody construction. Changes included headlamps which were hidden behind retractable flaps (a characteristic introduced on the Lincoln Continental Mark III), federally-mandated bumpers in 1973, grille changes in 1971 and 1977, and progressive introduction of pollution controls. Nevertheless, from 1972 to 1975 the Lincoln Continental Mark IV successfully fought over the title "King of the Hill" with the Cadillac Eldorado in the personal luxury car category. Standard luxury features gradually became optional over the decade, and the 460 in³ (7.5 L) engine became an option in 1977, the 400 in³ (6.6 L) small-block replacing it as the standard engine. From 1975 to 1980 a Continental Town Coupé was also sold alongside the four-door Continental Town Car and the Lincoln Continental Mark V. Town Coupé and Town Car were option packages for the Continental.

The car measured 233.4 inches, about 19.4 feet (5.92 m), and weighed between 4500-5300 lb (ca. 2050-2400 kg) depending on the year. After General Motors downsized its big cars for 1977, these Lincolns were some of the largest cars on the market, surpassed only by Cadillac's Fleetwood 75 limousine. These Continentals were powered by Ford's 460 cid V8, which was the largest engine in any production car worldwide from 1977 to 1979. The EPA rated the Lincolns at 10-12 MPG. In 1975 the Lincoln Continentals, Town Cars and Town Coupés received the Opera-Window and in 1977 the Rolls-Royce-style grille of the Lincoln Continental Mark IV / Lincoln Continental Mark V. The new grille was both higher and less wide than it had been in the previous years, but the position of the headlamps remained unchanged so they seemed to be positioned too low and too far towards the corners of the cars front.

According to the 1973 Jim Croce song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Leroy "got a custom Continental (he got a Eldorado, too!)."

"Your best bet's a true baby-blue Continental." - Billy Joel (from "It's Still Rock and Roll to me" - 1980)

1980 - 1981 {{Infobox Automobile generation|image=| name =Fifth generation| production =1980–1981| platform =Ford Panther platform| assembly = [Wixom, Michigan| engine =302 in³ [Ford Windsor engine#302 V8
351 in³ Ford Windsor engine#351W V8 [Automatic transmission-->By 1980, Ford could not continue to produce the old models in their current form. These giant 70's-era cars, although still selling at a healthy pace, could not meet the fuel economy and emissions regulations any longer. Much smaller and more economical vehicles were required, so Ford chose to downsize the Continental onto the Ford Panther platform designed for the 1979 Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis. The 1980 Continental Mark VI, as compared to its 1979 predecessor Mark V, was 800 lb lighter and 20 inches (508 mm) shorter in overall length, and was fitted with a 302 in³ (5.0 L) V8. A 351 in³ (5.8 L) engine was briefly optional. Fuel efficiency was about a third better than the 1979 model. The line up got a little confusing, as there were now four models, on two different wheelbases, all under the Continental badge - including a body style new to the Continental name plate, the four-door Mark VI. To differentiate, standard Continental sedans and coupes (both styles available in base and Town Car/Town Coupé editions) rode on a 117" wheelbase and featured exposed quad rectangular headlamps and narrow vertical tail lamps with a full-width three-section reflector panel below the trunk lid. Sedans had tall, narrow opera windows, while the coupes had large, square opera windows. The upper-rung model, the Continental Mark VI, again featured oval opera windows - a Mark styling feature going back to 1972, four round headlamps behind vacumn-control doors, and angled tail lamps with the Continental spare-tire "bulge" on the deck lid. The Mark VI sedan (which appeared only for 1980 - 1983) was on the 117" wheelbase, while the Mark VI coupe utilized a shorter 114" wheelbase (shared directly with Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis). Mark VI coupes and sedans were available in standard, Signature, and designer editions. Bill Blass, Emilio Pucci, Cartier, and Givenchy all had their unique say on color and fabric choices for their designer models.

The new Continental carried over as many styling cues as possible from the previous, larger cars, modified somewhat to match the new, more sensible package. Lincoln management knew that keeping the family resemblance going was critical; sales depended on the car being instantly recognizable as a Lincoln.

In 1981, what was formerly known as the full-size (117" w.b.) Continental sedan and coupe were replaced (in name only) by the Lincoln Town Car and Town Coupé designation (a former option package name for Continental models). With the 1981 Town Car/Coupe now the entry-level Lincoln, the upper rung models (formerly referred to as Continental Town Car/Coupe in 1980) were replaced with the "Signature Series" designation. While the Town Car (available exclusively in 4-door form after 1982) enjoyed rising sales, the Mark VI model started to slide. Part of the sales slump for the Mark VI was the redundancy of the new-for-1982 Continental 4-door competing for sales against the Mark VI sedan in the same market. Mark VI coupe sales slowed while buyers awaited the dynamic Mark VII (based on a stretched Ford 'Fox' platform shared with the '82 Continental) for 1984.

1982 - 1987 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Sixth generation| production =1982–1987| platform =Ford Fox platform| engine =2.4 L [BMW M21 turbo diesel Straight-6
5.0 L Ford Windsor engine#302 V8| layout =[FR layout [Automatic transmission-->

1982 saw the Continental name applied to a new, smaller Lincoln. Intended to compete with the Cadillac Seville (priced in 1982 at $23,433), the new Continental - priced at $21,302 - was given a Daimler Motor Company-esque, bustle-backed body built on a modified Ford Fox platform. Unlike the Seville, which went to a front-wheel drive chassis for 1980, the '82 Continental remained rear-wheel drive. The standard powertrain was a 5.0 L Windsor V8 backed by Ford's new economical AOD (Automatic transmission) transmission. Considered a 4-speed, it is actually a 3-speed with an overdrive function, casually considered a fourth "gear". This combination put out and -pounds of torque. Throughout the 1982 - 1987 run, models were available in base, Signature, and designer (Valentino and Givenchy) form.

While the Mark VI was still available (through 1983) in coupe and 4-door styles, the Continental for 1982 was now strictly a sedan. Continental's 2-door variation, a foot shorter and some 400 pounds lighter than the Mark VI, was introduced for 1984. It was of a decidedly different style from the sedan - on the outside, anyway. It was also over 2" longer than the Continental sedan, despite sharing the same wheelbase. The coupe version, called the Lincoln Mark VII, was introduced in 1984 as a worthy competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado. In actuality, The $21,707 Mark VII was very different than the glamorous 1979 - 1985 Eldorado, and a great departure from the Mark VI from 1980 - 1983. Another Mark VI competitor, the boldly-styled / highly-optioned Chrysler Imperial (1981 - 1983), closed a disappointing sales run the same time the Mark VI ended production. Mark VII, in its clean design and straight-forward function (especially in LSC form), appeared closer to compete with the likes of the BMW 6-Series coupes and the Mercedes SEC than the chrome-laden front-wheel drive Eldorado. The Mark VII remained in rear-wheel drive form a little longer that its sedan mate, ending its run in 1992, and was replaced by another rear-wheel incarnation, the Mark VIII for 1993.

Continental's elegant exterior styling was clearly modeled along the lines of rival Cadillac's Seville. Although the Continental was slightly more conventional in style and much less trouble-prone than its Cadillac competitor, it came along two years too late, as Seville, despite its short comings, had already established a sales force from its introduction in 1980. On a side note, Continental's focus groups "discovered" - too far along the pre-production process - that Seville's bustle-back design was fast becoming past its prime. An eleventh-hour change, in an attempt to down-play the Seville-esque rear design, was the addition of a horizontal brushed-chome strip that ran along each side of Continental. The trim worked for now, but the '84 revamp helped more - it just came along too late.

The standard engine for '82 was a carbureted version of Ford's proven 302 cid V8, with a fuel-injected version arriving the next year, upgraded to sequential injection a few years later (and remaining through 1987). Also available for 1984 and 1985 was the rarely-ordered BMW-Steyr 2.4 L turbodiesel six-cylinder engine. Considered sluggish and smoky, it was never popular.

For '84 (to keep in line with the new Mark VII), the $21,769 Continental got freshened styling by way of flush fitting front and rear bumpers, revised tail lamps, a new header panel featuring an angled grille flanked by recessed quad headlamps and larger wrap-around marker lights incorporating cornering lamps, and liberal use of satin-black trim on the doors and dashboard. Even genuine, honest-to-goodness wood veneer appeared on the door panels and dashboard, although by 1986, the simulated wood was back. The updating worked, and Continental continued through the 1987 model year with few changes, save for paint schemes and upholstery patterns. In what became Lincoln fashion since the early 70's, brand-name designer labels appeared on the upper-rung models. Cartier SA was the top Town Car model, American designer Bill Blass and Italian sportswear mogul Versace both chose schemes for Mark VII, while French designer Hubert de Givenchy and Italian-born Valentino gave their personal touches to the Continental.

The '82 - '87 Continental was somewhat of a 'spiritual successor' to the Lincoln Versailles intermediate of the 1970s. Like the earlier Versailles (which shared most of its sheet metal, drivetrain, and chassis with the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch), this new Continental - although serving as the brand's premium model - was based upon a lower-rung Ford model, in this case using Ford's Fox platform. This new platform was originally introduced for the 1978 Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr. Fairmont's 105.5" wheelbase was stretched another 3" for Continental. Oddly enough, the '76 Seville shared GM's X-platform along side Chevrolet Nova - a compact vehicle that competed directly with Fairmont. But the '82 - '87 Continental differed greatly than Versailles in that Continental wasn't a lesser car dressed with luxury add-ons. Instead, the 1982 Continental had a unique body and sumptuous interior - both giving a feeling of luxury true to Lincoln's image. And, to a great degree, the Continental succeeded where Versailles had failed - in the sales race.

Continentals featured in Hollywood include a 1987 Continental Givenchy driven by realtor Jane Butterfield (Annie McEnroe) in the Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice. Another Continental, a light-blue 1987 with a dark-blue carriage roof, is featured (and later, destroyed in a mob shoot-out) in the Jonathan Demme film, Married to the Mob.

Continental, in four-door form from 1982 through its demise 20 years later, was rarely sold by its sedan capability, but to people who in fact would rarely use the back seat for passengers. The convenience of the sedan's shorter, lighter front doors aided in entry and exit in garages and parking lots. To this degree, Continental became more of a four-door luxury coupe, leaving the full-size 6-passenger luxury sedan market to Town Car. Despite a high standard equipment list, including four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, sales were down. By 1987, the $26,402 Continental, which just five years earlier introduced two industry firsts - gas-pressurized shock absorbers and self-sealing tires - looked old-fashioned in comparsion to contemporary "personal luxury" vehicles. Big plans were in the works for 1988 to replace the current slow-seller, and the front-drive Ford Taurus (which replaced the mid-size Ford LTD) platform was just the spring board for a new concept in Lincoln luxury.

1988 - 1994 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Seventh Generation| related =Ford Taurus
Mercury Sable| layout =[FF layout| body_style =4-door [sedan [V6, 140 hp (1988–90), 151 hp (1991), 160 hp (1992–94)] Automatic transmission| wheelbase =| length =1988-1991:
1992-94: | width =1988-1991:
1992-94: | height =1988-1991:
1992-94: -->

The 1988 Continental introduced Lincoln buyers to V6 power and was the first Lincoln with a driver's side air bag restraint system (and the following year, the first U.S.-made vehicle with both driver and passenger airbags). Continental, now based on a stretched Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable platform, was all-new, and in many ways unlike any previous Continental. The bright glint of chrome outside, and a luxurious 6-passenger interior (compared to 5-passenger last year) with wood-tone accents appealed to fans of the prior year's model, while front wheel drive, a contemporary 'euro' exterior look, and new-found V6 economy was sure to win over potential customers. Interior room was up from before. Although the longer 109" wheelbase was no great measure than last year's 108.5", however, simple better use of space allowed true 6-passenger capability - not seen since the 1981 model. Even cargo capacity was up to 19 cubic feet, compared to under 15' in least year's trunk. Continental for '88, now four inches longer - yet 170 pounds lighter than 1987, was once again set to compete against the Cadillac Seville, which had already been downsized in 1986. From 1988, the designer editions were gone from Continental - only base (later named "Executive") and Signature models were available. The Continental was on Car and Driver magazine's Car and Driver Ten Best for 1989. Electronics abound throughout the new Continental, even the power steering had been improved upon with the added benefit of variable-assist, which reacted differently depending on speed - more power assist at low speeds (for ease in parking), less assist at highway speeds (for better road feel).

With its redesigned appearance and front-wheel drive (like the rival Cadillac Seville), the 1988 Continental was now a good deal better than before in the eyes of the public, at least for now. Continental handily outsold the Seville. To the benefit of Lincoln, the profile of the 1986 - 1991 Seville bore a strong resemblance to not only other Cadillacs, but to almost all of the front-wheel-drive General Motors line, including even lesser GM sedans such as the Oldsmobile Calais and Pontiac Grand Am. While the roots of Continental's design were in the Taurus, the Lincoln had its own distinctive body and standard leather interior (velour was available as a no-cost option). In a refreshing move, the $26,078 price tag - a great deal more in 1988 than it is now - was actually $324 less than the 1987 base model. In comparison, a 1987 Givenchy edition was $28,902, a full $2,500 more than the standard '87 Continental. The 1988 Signature Series, which served as the designer's replacement, was only $1,866 over the base model. After some initial quality issues began to arise, some owners felt that they'd paid too high a price for a car with such problems.

Pricing for 1989 - now including a revamped dashboard containing dual airbags - climbed dramatically to $28,032 (base), and $29,910 (Signature). 1990, wearing a re-designed grille, hood ornament, and tail lamps, was $29,258 (base), and $31,181 (Signature). By 1992, with standard shift interlock (to prevent shifting from park without depressing the brake pedal), the base model, now called Executive, was priced at $32,263, with the Signature model at $34,253. The 1993 models arrived with 'remote' keyless entry (standard on Signature, available on Executive), and prices rose slightly to $33,328 (Executive) and $35,319 (Signature). Throughout its '88 - '94 run, the option list remained very small, offering such niceties along the way like a compact disc player, InstaClear heated windshield, JBL sound system, anti-theft alarm system, and a 3-position memory seat - among others.

For the first time ever, no V8 was available on the Continental. The sole engine choice from 1988 to 1994 was a 3.8L Ford Essex V6 engine (Canadian) V6, the same engine that was optional on other Ford vehicles. Horsepower grew from 140 in 1988, to 155 in 1991, and then to 160.

Unfortunately - despite all Continental's benefits - after just a couple strong years on the market, sales began to slip. Partly from its strong resemblance to non-luxury Mercury (automobile) and Ford models, but also because of new competition from the up-start Japanese luxury makes, including Acura Legend, Infiniti Q45 and Lexus LS400. Cadillac's successfully redesigned 1989 DeVille and Fleetwood (both available in sedan and coupe form) won over the buying public instantly, and things didn't get any better for Continental when the popular all-new 1992 Cadillac Seville arrived. Seville's bold design and Mercedes-like interior held the right combination to take on the luxury car market. To fill things even more in an already crowded luxury car market, Chrysler, awash in cash from its successful minivans and compacts, fielded its own glitzy new V6 powered front-drive sedans: the Dodge Dynasty, Chrysler New Yorker, and later, the ultra luxurious Chrysler Imperial. It looked like Lincoln had some breathing room with Seville deciding to fight Mercedes E-Class for competition, but then Chrysler hit Continental head-on. Things didn't look good, and with sales down for Continental, there would be no redesign funds available for a few years yet.

By 1993, the Continental's euro-look, all the rage when it appeared in the fall of '87, now looked patch-worked and stale when compared to the organic designs of Lexus and Infiniti - even the 'envelope styling' on the front-drive Fleetwood (now equipped with a 4.9L V8) looked newer, and Cadillac's basic body shell dated from 1985. A 1993 attempt to compete with the imports was the available "individual seats" group (available only on Signature in '93, and only on Executive in '94), which ditched the usual chrome column shifter and 50/50 "comfort lounge" split bench seating (and 6-passenger capacity) for a center console with floor shifter (a Continental first), storage armrest, and a single cup holder. The $556 option proved un-popular with '93 Continental buyers. At this point in time, the average owner was not the youthful buyer Lincoln was so desperately seeking, but rather, someone who would have otherwise bought a Town Car, but for regional purposes (living in a snow-belt area, for example), chose the benefits of Continental's front-wheel drive.

In 1994, one last try at moving Continental was a mild revamp, including a redesigned front bumper and grille, body-color side skirts (in place of the previous wide chrome strip underneath the doors), and revised tail lamps, decklid-lock cover and trim, and a rear bumper with aerodynamic spats. A new font appeared for the "Lincoln" nameplate on the front grille and rear tail lamps (moved off the decklid from last year). Inside, a new steering wheel design - borrowed from the Mark VIII. Also new to the option list for '94 was a unique trunk storage system with adjustable partitions. This available feature was carried over to the next generation Continental as well.

The changes in 1993 and 1994 not only failed to generate sales, but it cost a good deal of money to tool for the new parts, compounded further that the car was now going out of production, making it impossible to recover those tooling costs. In addition, the meek attempt at making Continental appear "sporty" did not attract the younger buyers, but further alienated Lincoln's core market. It was if Lincoln could not learn from Cadillac's mistakes - once you turn your back on your traditional buyer, it's nearly impossible to win them back. By 1988, Cadillac - with its grand-touring inspired Deville-based Touring sedan and coupe, and sporty Seville and Eldorado - was turning off more traditional buyers than it was attracting new customers. As it were, Cadillac's mistake was the best thing that could happen for Buick, as more and more people were buying the conservative Park Avenue - the same customers that were buying from Cadillac just a few short years earlier. But in Cadillac's case, people bought from another GM division. That wasn't the case for Lincoln, people simply left the brand altogether and bought elsewhere. In the words of Chrysler's Lee Iacocca, "Even when we showed them how to do it right, they still got it wrong."

Today, due to trouble-prone air suspension systems and powertrain issues, these cars haven't held their value the way they might have, making them relatively inexpensive to buy used. Head gaskets failing as soon as is a common problem on Ford's 3.8L V6 - a problem that was never quite resolved by Ford Motor Company. In 1991, rumors about replacing that engine with Ford's new, modular 4.6L V8 did not come to fruition until the body style change for 1995.

1995 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image = | name =Eighth generation| related =Ford Taurus
Mercury Sable| length =| width =| wheelbase =| height =| engine =4.6 L [Ford Modular engine#4-valve V8, ]| layout =FF layout| transmission =4-speed [Ford AXOD transmission#AX4N Automatic transmission-->Like the Taurus, the Continental was substantially updated in the mid-1990s, but with more rounded lines, creating a more aerodynamic exterior. The 1995 Continental was ridded of the many design features that had previously reminded onlookers of the lesser Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. The 1995 Continental was once again perceived as a unique Lincoln and was by many critics to be easier recognizable as luxury car. A very substantial change from the previous V6 car, though, was the addition of the a DOHC Ford Modular engine similar to that powered the rear wheel drive Lincoln Mark VIII. The most noticeable differences being its FWD all aluminum block (different bolt pattern for the transmission bell housing) and it being rated at and 20 Foot-pound force Torque less than the Mark VIII.

1998-2002 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Ninth generation| related =Ford Taurus
Ford Windstar
Mercury Sable| length =| width =| wheelbase =| height =| engine =4.6 L [Ford Modular engine#4-valve DOHC V8, ] Automatic transmission| platform =Ford D186 platform| assembly =[Wixom, Michigan-->The Continental was updated again in 1998 with a mildy freshened exterior. The front-end held a strong family resemblance to the newly-redesigned '98 Town Car, which was a plus. Sadly, the revamped tail-end now looked too much like Taurus - to a point where if it were not for the "Lincoln" nameplate, the casual observer wouldn't notice the difference. It was a critical time in the market for vehicles in this class. Continental's strong resemblance to its lesser Taurus origins now appeared to be Versailles all over again. Also new for 1998 was a very unimaginative dashboard design, though still keeping the Lexus LS400-inspired reflective dash cluster. A good deal of money was spent on these changes, and although sales were up from the '97 model, they were still far behind the competition. In 1999, it was too soon to change anything outside, so Continental gained seat-mounted side airbags and even more power (now up to 275 horsepower).

For 1999, the Continental held an M.S.R.P. of $38,325 - the same price as its rear-wheel drive sister, the '99 Town Car. Six-passenger capability was still available via the no-charge option of a split-bench front seat and column shifter. Also available on the '99 Continental was the the $2,345 "RESCU package" (Remote Emergency Satellite Cellular Unit) which included Global satellite positioning (similar to GM's "OnStar"), 3-channel Homelink compatible garage door opener mounted in the driver's sun visor ($120 if ordered separately), voice-activated cellular telephone ($790 if ordered separately), and the Alpine Audio System (which included a digital sound processor, subwoofer amplifier, and additional speakers - $565 if ordered separately). You could also opt for the $595 6-disc CD changer, heated front seats for $290, and $1,515 for a tinted glass power sunroof with sliding shade. New for '99 was an extra-cost "Luxury Appearance Package" for $1,095 that included a wood-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob with unique two-tone seat trim and floor mats inside, and chrome alloy wheels (the chrome wheels were available separately for $845) and a special grille up front. The "Driver Select System" added $595 to the sticker price, and included a semi-active suspension, selectable ride control, steering wheel-mounted controls for the audio and climate systems, automatic day/night outside mirrors, and the Memory Profile System that recalled power steering assist and ride control settings for two drivers. The $1,100 "Personal Security Package" included special run-flat tires mounted on polished alloy wheels (the alloy wheels were available separately for $350) and the universal garage door opener (also available separately for $120).

After a few slow-selling years, the 2002 Continental was discontinued. The cancellation was due largely to the continued shift in the consumer marketplace away from large front-wheel drive luxury cars. With advancements over recent years in traction control, anti-lock braking systems, and skid control devices, front-wheel drive was no longer deemed a necessity in inclement weather areas. The Continental, and to an extent the Lincoln Mark VIII coupe, were essentially replaced in the Lincoln lineup by the mid-size Lincoln LS V8 & V6 sedans, which were introduced in the 2000 model year. Even though the Continental was a large front wheel drive sedan, and the Mark VIII was a rear wheel drive coupe, the rear wheel drive LS acted as a replacement for each, by acting both as a personal luxury vehicle, and as a contemporary sedan. Nevertheless, buyers looking for a full-sized luxury sedan in the Continental class tended to "move up" and purchase the larger rear wheel drive Town Car, while those looking for a personal luxury-sporty sedan in the Mark VIII class purchased the LS.

All Continentals built after 1958 were assembled at Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant. The last Lincoln Continental rolled off the assembly line on July 26, 2002. The Wixom plant continued to manufacture the Town Car and LS, the limited prduction Ford Thunderbird convertible, as well as Ford's niche sports car, the Ford GT.

Replacements Lincoln upgraded the LS in 2005-2006 to attract more of the mid-size luxury market in the Continental class. The LS was cancelled in April 2006 due to slowing sales, following the release of the mid-size 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and its upgraded replacement, the 2007 Lincoln MKZ. A larger, more luxurious Lincoln flagship sedan, the Lincoln MKS, is reportedly under development for the 2009 model year as a proper replacement for the Lincoln Continental class vehicle.

A concept vehicle was created in 2002, complete with suicide doors and a 5.9L (5935 cc/362.2in³) V12 engine producing 414 bhp (309 kW) at 6000 rpm and 413 ft·lbf (560 Nm) of torque at 5270 rpm.

{{Infobox Automobile|image=|name=Lincoln Continental|manufacturer=Ford Motor Company [luxury car (1939-1981)
Mid-size luxury car (1982-2002)] (For Full-size version)
Lincoln LS (For mid-size version)] Series.-->

The Lincoln Continental, an automobile produced by the Lincoln (automobile) division of Ford Motor Company, began for the 1939 model year. Over the next 63 years, despite these cars sharing under-pinnings with less expensive Ford automobiles, Continental was usually a distinguishly-styled, highly-equipped luxury car. In the Lincoln line, the Continental nameplate was commonly reserved for its flagship model. At the close of the 2002 model year, the Continental ended production, replaced by the Lincoln LS.

1939 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =First generation| production =1939–1948| body_style =2-door sedan-->The first Lincoln Continental was developed as [Edsel Ford's one-off personal vehicle, though it is believed he planned all along to put the model into production if successful. In 1938, he commissioned a custom design from the chief stylist, Bob Gregorie, ready for Edsel's March 1939 vacation. The design, allegedly sketched out in an hour by Gregorie working from the Lincoln-Zephyr blueprints and making changes, was an elegant convertible with a long hood covering the Lincoln V12 and long front fenders, and a short trunk with what became the Continental series' trademark, the externally-mounted covered spare tire.

The car could be considered a channeled and sectioned Zephyr that did not even have the bulge that in the Zephyr (and in some other cars) replaced the running-board at the bottom of the doors. This decrease in height meant that the height of the hood was much closer to that of the fenders. There was hardly any trim on it at all, making its lines superb. This car is often rated as one of the most beautiful in the world.

The custom car for the boss was duly produced on time, and Edsel had it delivered to Florida for his spring vacation. Interest from well-off friends was high, and Edsel sent a telegram back that he could sell a thousand of them. Lincoln craftsmen immediately began production on the Continental convertible, and even a rare few hardtop models. They were extensively hand-built; the two dozen 1939 models and 400 1940-built examples even had hand-hammered body panels, since dies for machine-pressing were not constructed until 1941.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Continental production was suspended, to be re-started in 1946 to 1948. Like the other post-war Lincolns, however, the Continental had similar bits of trim added to make it look improved. The 1939–1948 Continental is recognized as a "Full Classic" by the Classic Car Club of America, one of the last-built cars to be so recognized.

The 1939 Continental is commonly called a '1940 Continental.'

1956 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Second generation| production =1956–1957| body_style =2-door sedan| engine =368 in³ [Lincoln Y-block V8 engine V8-->

The Continental name was revived in 1955 as a separate Ford brand, with its sole model being the Continental Mark II. This version was a unique design with the highest quality control ever seen in the automobile industry. High-class luxury abound in the new Continental - and with very limited availability, it appeared even more exclusive than the original.

Continental for '56 was one of the most expensive cars in the world -- with a cost of $10,000, it rivaled Rolls-Royce. But despite its astronomical price tag, Ford Motor Company actually lost money on each one sold. As a side note, Cadillac suffered a similar financial loss with its own Continental rival, the four-door Eldorado Brougham. Vehicles such as these are image builders for the make, as well as a test bed for new ideas and concepts. The Continental Mark II was sold for just two model years, with about 3,000 total units built. Between the tales of dealers turning potential buyers away because they were not deemed to be the right kind of people to own Continental, and its sticker price found affordable by only the world's wealthiest, the Continental became almost mythical. The celebrity-riddled owner's list for the original Continental read like a who's-who - including Elvis Presley, the Shah of Iran, Nelson Rockefeller and Henry Kissinger among others.

1958–60 Mark III, IV, and V The Continental division was dissolved after 1957, but in an attempt to retain some of the cachet of the Mark II, Lincoln named its top-of-the-line 1958 model the Continental Mark III. This differed from the lower-model full-size Lincolns only in trim level and in its roof treatment, featuring a reverse-angle power rear "breezeway" window that retracted down behind the back seat. That year's full-size Lincoln sold poorly in all models; 1958 was a recession year in the United States. The new Lincoln was one of the largest cars ever made, larger than that year's Cadillac, and had styling considered by many to be excessive even in that decade of styling excess. 1959's range contained a Continental Mark IV model, and the 1960 range had a Continental Mark V, with more restrained styling than the 1958.

1961 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Third generation| production =1961–1969| assembly =Wixom, Michigan| body_style =4-door [convertible
4-door pillared sedan
2-door hardtop coupe [V8
460 in³ Ford 385 engine V8
462 in³ Ford MEL engine#462 V8. For the first time, the names Lincoln and Continental would be paired on a car other than one in the Mark series. The design was originally intended to be the new 1961 [Ford Thunderbird, but the concept was enlarged and slightly altered before being switched to the Lincoln line by Robert McNamara. One of the most striking features of the new Continental was its size. It was two feet shorter than its predecessor. So much smaller was this car, that advertising executives at Ford photographed a woman parallel parking a sedan for a magazine spread. The new Continental's most recognized trademark, front opening rear doors, was a purely practical decision. The new Continental was a unibody design, and there simply was not the structural strength to front-hang the heavy rear doors in the convertible model. To simplify production (in the beginning, anyway), all cars were to be four-door models, and only two body styles were offered, sedan or convertible. Therefore, the rear doors were hung from the rear and opened from the front. This "suicide door" style was to become the best-known feature of 1960s Lincolns. The 1961 model was the first car manufactured in United States to be sold with a or 2-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. Harold W. Johnson was head of Lincoln Continental division at the time. Efforts to find a new longer-life tire were conducted by Jacques Bajer at his asking.

The 1961 Lincoln Continental was really Engel's design masterpiece. Even the dashboard was his design. This may have been the last time a single individual was responsible for the complete design of a production car. The 1961 Lincoln's striking, understated elegance immediately won a major design award and was widely copied by other manufacturers -- note the similarity of the 1963 Cadillac and the 1963 Buick Electra.

Kennedy Limousine SS-100-X For the Kennedy White House, the Secret Service purchased a convertible parade limousine custom built by Hess & Eisenhart of Cincinnati, Ohio from a 1961 Lincoln 4-door convertible. Code named the SS-100-X, it was in this car that JFK assassination in 1963. By that time, the front of the car had been updated with the grille/headlight/bumper assembly from the 1962 model. After the assassination, the limousine was returned to Hess & Eisenhart, where it was repaired and retrofitted with full armor and a fixed roof. It subsequently continued in service for the White House for many years. This world-famous car is now on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

1962 This slab-sided distinctive design ran from 1961 through 1969 with few changes from year to year. Lincoln dealers began to find that many people who bought 1961 and post-1961 models were keeping their cars longer. In 1962, a simpler front grille design with floating rectangles and a thin center bar was adopted.

1963 Due to customer requests, for 1963 the front seat was redesigned to provide a little more leg room to back seat passengers. The rear deck lid was also raised to provide more trunk space. The floating rectangles in the previous year's grille became a simple matrix of squares.

1964 The car was stretched 3 inches (76 millimeter) in 1964 to give more rear-seat legroom, and the roofline was squared off at the same time. The dash was also redesigned, doing away with the pod concept. Side glass was now flat to provide more interior room. The gas tank access door, which had been concealed at the rear of the car in the rear grille, was now placed on the driver's side rear quarter panel and the exterior "Continental" script was changed.

1965 The convex 1961–64 grille was replaced by a flatter, squared-off one for 1965–69. The car was given front disc brakes for the 1965 model year to improve stopping time. This is the first time that the front parking lamps and turn signals were integrated into the front quarterpanels, and not in the bumper. A 1965 Continental was featured prominently in the United States television series Green Acres and the The Matrix (series). The 1965 Continental Convertible is also featured in the opening credits scene of the television show Entourage (tv series).

1966 A two-door version was launched in 1966, the first two-door Lincoln since 1960, and the MEL engine was expanded from 430 to 462 in³ (7.0 to 7.6 Liter). The car was given all-new exterior sheet metal and a new interior. The length was increased by five inches to 220.9, the width by an inch to 79.7, and the height by almost an inch to 55.0 (on the sedan).

The convertible saw a few technical changes related to how the lowering and raising the top was implemented. Lincoln engineers separated the hydraulics for the top and the rear decklid (trunk) by adding a second pump and eliminating the hydraulic solenoids. A glass rear window replaced the previous years' plastic windows.

Sales increased to 54,755 units for the model year, considered a success by Ford. This was a 36% increase over 1965. Product breakdown for the year consisted of 65% sedans, 29% coupes, and just under 6% for the four-door convertible.

1967 1967 was the last year customers could choose a four-door convertible Continental. 1967 sales were 45,667 cars built.

1968 1968 brought some minor exterior changes. The new Ford 385 engine in a 460 in³ (7.5 L) model was to be available initially, but because there were so many of the old 462 engines in process during production, the 462 was used until the 460 was phased in later that year.

Suicide_door Lincolns were used as the US Presidential limousines during the 1960s and into the 1970s. John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a 1961 convertible, which was later armored and converted into a sedan for greater security. This famous automobile is currently housed at the Henry Ford Museum. Another famous event involving this model of Continental was when a brand new 1964 model was mercilessly crushed into a cube in a junkyard compactor in the James Bond film Goldfinger (film), to the horror of many moviegoers. (The filmmakers were not so wasteful: the moving car is a new 1964, but after a cutaway, the car picked up by the crane to be destroyed is a 1963 without an engine).

Mark III Lincoln Continental Mark III was introduced in early 1968 as a 1969 model. The reason for the "III" designation was that this car was seen as the true successor to the Mark II of 1956-57. Although it shared the Continental name with other Lincoln models, it was a completely different car. Based on the Ford Thunderbird sedan platform, the Mark III was the first body-on-frame Lincoln since 1957. The new Continental Mark III was available only in a coupe body style. This model was made famous in the 1971 movie The French Connection (film), when this model was used as a means for smuggling vast quantities of heroin concealed in its rocker panels. Built from 1968 to 1971, only few changes were made to the original model (1968). The Mark III had a 460 in³ engine with and a compression ratio of 10.5:1. The 1970 model featured an available (Sure-Track) anti-lock system stopping the rear wheels. Continental was originally equipped with Michelin radials.

1970 - 1979 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Fourth Generation| production =1970–1979| body_style =2-door & 4-door full-size luxury car] V8
460 in³ Ford 385 engine V8 [automatic transmission| assembly = Wixom, Michigan| length = | weight = 4500-5300 lb (ca. 2050-2400 kg)-->

The 1970 Continental continued the slab-sided design with blade-like fenders of the previous model, but the suicide doors were gone as was [unibody construction. Changes included headlamps which were hidden behind retractable flaps (a characteristic introduced on the Lincoln Continental Mark III), federally-mandated bumpers in 1973, grille changes in 1971 and 1977, and progressive introduction of pollution controls. Nevertheless, from 1972 to 1975 the Lincoln Continental Mark IV successfully fought over the title "King of the Hill" with the Cadillac Eldorado in the personal luxury car category. Standard luxury features gradually became optional over the decade, and the 460 in³ (7.5 L) engine became an option in 1977, the 400 in³ (6.6 L) small-block replacing it as the standard engine. From 1975 to 1980 a Continental Town Coupé was also sold alongside the four-door Continental Town Car and the Lincoln Continental Mark V. Town Coupé and Town Car were option packages for the Continental.

The car measured 233.4 inches, about 19.4 feet (5.92 m), and weighed between 4500-5300 lb (ca. 2050-2400 kg) depending on the year. After General Motors downsized its big cars for 1977, these Lincolns were some of the largest cars on the market, surpassed only by Cadillac's Fleetwood 75 limousine. These Continentals were powered by Ford's 460 cid V8, which was the largest engine in any production car worldwide from 1977 to 1979. The EPA rated the Lincolns at 10-12 MPG. In 1975 the Lincoln Continentals, Town Cars and Town Coupés received the Opera-Window and in 1977 the Rolls-Royce-style grille of the Lincoln Continental Mark IV / Lincoln Continental Mark V. The new grille was both higher and less wide than it had been in the previous years, but the position of the headlamps remained unchanged so they seemed to be positioned too low and too far towards the corners of the cars front.

According to the 1973 Jim Croce song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Leroy "got a custom Continental (he got a Eldorado, too!)."

"Your best bet's a true baby-blue Continental." - Billy Joel (from "It's Still Rock and Roll to me" - 1980)

1980 - 1981 {{Infobox Automobile generation|image=| name =Fifth generation| production =1980–1981| platform =Ford Panther platform| assembly = [Wixom, Michigan| engine =302 in³ [Ford Windsor engine#302 V8
351 in³ Ford Windsor engine#351W V8 [Automatic transmission-->By 1980, Ford could not continue to produce the old models in their current form. These giant 70's-era cars, although still selling at a healthy pace, could not meet the fuel economy and emissions regulations any longer. Much smaller and more economical vehicles were required, so Ford chose to downsize the Continental onto the Ford Panther platform designed for the 1979 Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis. The 1980 Continental Mark VI, as compared to its 1979 predecessor Mark V, was 800 lb lighter and 20 inches (508 mm) shorter in overall length, and was fitted with a 302 in³ (5.0 L) V8. A 351 in³ (5.8 L) engine was briefly optional. Fuel efficiency was about a third better than the 1979 model. The line up got a little confusing, as there were now four models, on two different wheelbases, all under the Continental badge - including a body style new to the Continental name plate, the four-door Mark VI. To differentiate, standard Continental sedans and coupes (both styles available in base and Town Car/Town Coupé editions) rode on a 117" wheelbase and featured exposed quad rectangular headlamps and narrow vertical tail lamps with a full-width three-section reflector panel below the trunk lid. Sedans had tall, narrow opera windows, while the coupes had large, square opera windows. The upper-rung model, the Continental Mark VI, again featured oval opera windows - a Mark styling feature going back to 1972, four round headlamps behind vacumn-control doors, and angled tail lamps with the Continental spare-tire "bulge" on the deck lid. The Mark VI sedan (which appeared only for 1980 - 1983) was on the 117" wheelbase, while the Mark VI coupe utilized a shorter 114" wheelbase (shared directly with Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis). Mark VI coupes and sedans were available in standard, Signature, and designer editions. Bill Blass, Emilio Pucci, Cartier, and Givenchy all had their unique say on color and fabric choices for their designer models.

The new Continental carried over as many styling cues as possible from the previous, larger cars, modified somewhat to match the new, more sensible package. Lincoln management knew that keeping the family resemblance going was critical; sales depended on the car being instantly recognizable as a Lincoln.

In 1981, what was formerly known as the full-size (117" w.b.) Continental sedan and coupe were replaced (in name only) by the Lincoln Town Car and Town Coupé designation (a former option package name for Continental models). With the 1981 Town Car/Coupe now the entry-level Lincoln, the upper rung models (formerly referred to as Continental Town Car/Coupe in 1980) were replaced with the "Signature Series" designation. While the Town Car (available exclusively in 4-door form after 1982) enjoyed rising sales, the Mark VI model started to slide. Part of the sales slump for the Mark VI was the redundancy of the new-for-1982 Continental 4-door competing for sales against the Mark VI sedan in the same market. Mark VI coupe sales slowed while buyers awaited the dynamic Mark VII (based on a stretched Ford 'Fox' platform shared with the '82 Continental) for 1984.

1982 - 1987 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Sixth generation| production =1982–1987| platform =Ford Fox platform| engine =2.4 L [BMW M21 turbo diesel Straight-6
5.0 L Ford Windsor engine#302 V8| layout =[FR layout [Automatic transmission-->

1982 saw the Continental name applied to a new, smaller Lincoln. Intended to compete with the Cadillac Seville (priced in 1982 at $23,433), the new Continental - priced at $21,302 - was given a Daimler Motor Company-esque, bustle-backed body built on a modified Ford Fox platform. Unlike the Seville, which went to a front-wheel drive chassis for 1980, the '82 Continental remained rear-wheel drive. The standard powertrain was a 5.0 L Windsor V8 backed by Ford's new economical AOD (Automatic transmission) transmission. Considered a 4-speed, it is actually a 3-speed with an overdrive function, casually considered a fourth "gear". This combination put out and -pounds of torque. Throughout the 1982 - 1987 run, models were available in base, Signature, and designer (Valentino and Givenchy) form.

While the Mark VI was still available (through 1983) in coupe and 4-door styles, the Continental for 1982 was now strictly a sedan. Continental's 2-door variation, a foot shorter and some 400 pounds lighter than the Mark VI, was introduced for 1984. It was of a decidedly different style from the sedan - on the outside, anyway. It was also over 2" longer than the Continental sedan, despite sharing the same wheelbase. The coupe version, called the Lincoln Mark VII, was introduced in 1984 as a worthy competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado. In actuality, The $21,707 Mark VII was very different than the glamorous 1979 - 1985 Eldorado, and a great departure from the Mark VI from 1980 - 1983. Another Mark VI competitor, the boldly-styled / highly-optioned Chrysler Imperial (1981 - 1983), closed a disappointing sales run the same time the Mark VI ended production. Mark VII, in its clean design and straight-forward function (especially in LSC form), appeared closer to compete with the likes of the BMW 6-Series coupes and the Mercedes SEC than the chrome-laden front-wheel drive Eldorado. The Mark VII remained in rear-wheel drive form a little longer that its sedan mate, ending its run in 1992, and was replaced by another rear-wheel incarnation, the Mark VIII for 1993.

Continental's elegant exterior styling was clearly modeled along the lines of rival Cadillac's Seville. Although the Continental was slightly more conventional in style and much less trouble-prone than its Cadillac competitor, it came along two years too late, as Seville, despite its short comings, had already established a sales force from its introduction in 1980. On a side note, Continental's focus groups "discovered" - too far along the pre-production process - that Seville's bustle-back design was fast becoming past its prime. An eleventh-hour change, in an attempt to down-play the Seville-esque rear design, was the addition of a horizontal brushed-chome strip that ran along each side of Continental. The trim worked for now, but the '84 revamp helped more - it just came along too late.

The standard engine for '82 was a carbureted version of Ford's proven 302 cid V8, with a fuel-injected version arriving the next year, upgraded to sequential injection a few years later (and remaining through 1987). Also available for 1984 and 1985 was the rarely-ordered BMW-Steyr 2.4 L turbodiesel six-cylinder engine. Considered sluggish and smoky, it was never popular.

For '84 (to keep in line with the new Mark VII), the $21,769 Continental got freshened styling by way of flush fitting front and rear bumpers, revised tail lamps, a new header panel featuring an angled grille flanked by recessed quad headlamps and larger wrap-around marker lights incorporating cornering lamps, and liberal use of satin-black trim on the doors and dashboard. Even genuine, honest-to-goodness wood veneer appeared on the door panels and dashboard, although by 1986, the simulated wood was back. The updating worked, and Continental continued through the 1987 model year with few changes, save for paint schemes and upholstery patterns. In what became Lincoln fashion since the early 70's, brand-name designer labels appeared on the upper-rung models. Cartier SA was the top Town Car model, American designer Bill Blass and Italian sportswear mogul Versace both chose schemes for Mark VII, while French designer Hubert de Givenchy and Italian-born Valentino gave their personal touches to the Continental.

The '82 - '87 Continental was somewhat of a 'spiritual successor' to the Lincoln Versailles intermediate of the 1970s. Like the earlier Versailles (which shared most of its sheet metal, drivetrain, and chassis with the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch), this new Continental - although serving as the brand's premium model - was based upon a lower-rung Ford model, in this case using Ford's Fox platform. This new platform was originally introduced for the 1978 Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr. Fairmont's 105.5" wheelbase was stretched another 3" for Continental. Oddly enough, the '76 Seville shared GM's X-platform along side Chevrolet Nova - a compact vehicle that competed directly with Fairmont. But the '82 - '87 Continental differed greatly than Versailles in that Continental wasn't a lesser car dressed with luxury add-ons. Instead, the 1982 Continental had a unique body and sumptuous interior - both giving a feeling of luxury true to Lincoln's image. And, to a great degree, the Continental succeeded where Versailles had failed - in the sales race.

Continentals featured in Hollywood include a 1987 Continental Givenchy driven by realtor Jane Butterfield (Annie McEnroe) in the Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice. Another Continental, a light-blue 1987 with a dark-blue carriage roof, is featured (and later, destroyed in a mob shoot-out) in the Jonathan Demme film, Married to the Mob.

Continental, in four-door form from 1982 through its demise 20 years later, was rarely sold by its sedan capability, but to people who in fact would rarely use the back seat for passengers. The convenience of the sedan's shorter, lighter front doors aided in entry and exit in garages and parking lots. To this degree, Continental became more of a four-door luxury coupe, leaving the full-size 6-passenger luxury sedan market to Town Car. Despite a high standard equipment list, including four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, sales were down. By 1987, the $26,402 Continental, which just five years earlier introduced two industry firsts - gas-pressurized shock absorbers and self-sealing tires - looked old-fashioned in comparsion to contemporary "personal luxury" vehicles. Big plans were in the works for 1988 to replace the current slow-seller, and the front-drive Ford Taurus (which replaced the mid-size Ford LTD) platform was just the spring board for a new concept in Lincoln luxury.

1988 - 1994 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Seventh Generation| related =Ford Taurus
Mercury Sable| layout =[FF layout| body_style =4-door [sedan [V6, 140 hp (1988–90), 151 hp (1991), 160 hp (1992–94)] Automatic transmission| wheelbase =| length =1988-1991:
1992-94: | width =1988-1991:
1992-94: | height =1988-1991:
1992-94: -->

The 1988 Continental introduced Lincoln buyers to V6 power and was the first Lincoln with a driver's side air bag restraint system (and the following year, the first U.S.-made vehicle with both driver and passenger airbags). Continental, now based on a stretched Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable platform, was all-new, and in many ways unlike any previous Continental. The bright glint of chrome outside, and a luxurious 6-passenger interior (compared to 5-passenger last year) with wood-tone accents appealed to fans of the prior year's model, while front wheel drive, a contemporary 'euro' exterior look, and new-found V6 economy was sure to win over potential customers. Interior room was up from before. Although the longer 109" wheelbase was no great measure than last year's 108.5", however, simple better use of space allowed true 6-passenger capability - not seen since the 1981 model. Even cargo capacity was up to 19 cubic feet, compared to under 15' in least year's trunk. Continental for '88, now four inches longer - yet 170 pounds lighter than 1987, was once again set to compete against the Cadillac Seville, which had already been downsized in 1986. From 1988, the designer editions were gone from Continental - only base (later named "Executive") and Signature models were available. The Continental was on Car and Driver magazine's Car and Driver Ten Best for 1989. Electronics abound throughout the new Continental, even the power steering had been improved upon with the added benefit of variable-assist, which reacted differently depending on speed - more power assist at low speeds (for ease in parking), less assist at highway speeds (for better road feel).

With its redesigned appearance and front-wheel drive (like the rival Cadillac Seville), the 1988 Continental was now a good deal better than before in the eyes of the public, at least for now. Continental handily outsold the Seville. To the benefit of Lincoln, the profile of the 1986 - 1991 Seville bore a strong resemblance to not only other Cadillacs, but to almost all of the front-wheel-drive General Motors line, including even lesser GM sedans such as the Oldsmobile Calais and Pontiac Grand Am. While the roots of Continental's design were in the Taurus, the Lincoln had its own distinctive body and standard leather interior (velour was available as a no-cost option). In a refreshing move, the $26,078 price tag - a great deal more in 1988 than it is now - was actually $324 less than the 1987 base model. In comparison, a 1987 Givenchy edition was $28,902, a full $2,500 more than the standard '87 Continental. The 1988 Signature Series, which served as the designer's replacement, was only $1,866 over the base model. After some initial quality issues began to arise, some owners felt that they'd paid too high a price for a car with such problems.

Pricing for 1989 - now including a revamped dashboard containing dual airbags - climbed dramatically to $28,032 (base), and $29,910 (Signature). 1990, wearing a re-designed grille, hood ornament, and tail lamps, was $29,258 (base), and $31,181 (Signature). By 1992, with standard shift interlock (to prevent shifting from park without depressing the brake pedal), the base model, now called Executive, was priced at $32,263, with the Signature model at $34,253. The 1993 models arrived with 'remote' keyless entry (standard on Signature, available on Executive), and prices rose slightly to $33,328 (Executive) and $35,319 (Signature). Throughout its '88 - '94 run, the option list remained very small, offering such niceties along the way like a compact disc player, InstaClear heated windshield, JBL sound system, anti-theft alarm system, and a 3-position memory seat - among others.

For the first time ever, no V8 was available on the Continental. The sole engine choice from 1988 to 1994 was a 3.8L Ford Essex V6 engine (Canadian) V6, the same engine that was optional on other Ford vehicles. Horsepower grew from 140 in 1988, to 155 in 1991, and then to 160.

Unfortunately - despite all Continental's benefits - after just a couple strong years on the market, sales began to slip. Partly from its strong resemblance to non-luxury Mercury (automobile) and Ford models, but also because of new competition from the up-start Japanese luxury makes, including Acura Legend, Infiniti Q45 and Lexus LS400. Cadillac's successfully redesigned 1989 DeVille and Fleetwood (both available in sedan and coupe form) won over the buying public instantly, and things didn't get any better for Continental when the popular all-new 1992 Cadillac Seville arrived. Seville's bold design and Mercedes-like interior held the right combination to take on the luxury car market. To fill things even more in an already crowded luxury car market, Chrysler, awash in cash from its successful minivans and compacts, fielded its own glitzy new V6 powered front-drive sedans: the Dodge Dynasty, Chrysler New Yorker, and later, the ultra luxurious Chrysler Imperial. It looked like Lincoln had some breathing room with Seville deciding to fight Mercedes E-Class for competition, but then Chrysler hit Continental head-on. Things didn't look good, and with sales down for Continental, there would be no redesign funds available for a few years yet.

By 1993, the Continental's euro-look, all the rage when it appeared in the fall of '87, now looked patch-worked and stale when compared to the organic designs of Lexus and Infiniti - even the 'envelope styling' on the front-drive Fleetwood (now equipped with a 4.9L V8) looked newer, and Cadillac's basic body shell dated from 1985. A 1993 attempt to compete with the imports was the available "individual seats" group (available only on Signature in '93, and only on Executive in '94), which ditched the usual chrome column shifter and 50/50 "comfort lounge" split bench seating (and 6-passenger capacity) for a center console with floor shifter (a Continental first), storage armrest, and a single cup holder. The $556 option proved un-popular with '93 Continental buyers. At this point in time, the average owner was not the youthful buyer Lincoln was so desperately seeking, but rather, someone who would have otherwise bought a Town Car, but for regional purposes (living in a snow-belt area, for example), chose the benefits of Continental's front-wheel drive.

In 1994, one last try at moving Continental was a mild revamp, including a redesigned front bumper and grille, body-color side skirts (in place of the previous wide chrome strip underneath the doors), and revised tail lamps, decklid-lock cover and trim, and a rear bumper with aerodynamic spats. A new font appeared for the "Lincoln" nameplate on the front grille and rear tail lamps (moved off the decklid from last year). Inside, a new steering wheel design - borrowed from the Mark VIII. Also new to the option list for '94 was a unique trunk storage system with adjustable partitions. This available feature was carried over to the next generation Continental as well.

The changes in 1993 and 1994 not only failed to generate sales, but it cost a good deal of money to tool for the new parts, compounded further that the car was now going out of production, making it impossible to recover those tooling costs. In addition, the meek attempt at making Continental appear "sporty" did not attract the younger buyers, but further alienated Lincoln's core market. It was if Lincoln could not learn from Cadillac's mistakes - once you turn your back on your traditional buyer, it's nearly impossible to win them back. By 1988, Cadillac - with its grand-touring inspired Deville-based Touring sedan and coupe, and sporty Seville and Eldorado - was turning off more traditional buyers than it was attracting new customers. As it were, Cadillac's mistake was the best thing that could happen for Buick, as more and more people were buying the conservative Park Avenue - the same customers that were buying from Cadillac just a few short years earlier. But in Cadillac's case, people bought from another GM division. That wasn't the case for Lincoln, people simply left the brand altogether and bought elsewhere. In the words of Chrysler's Lee Iacocca, "Even when we showed them how to do it right, they still got it wrong."

Today, due to trouble-prone air suspension systems and powertrain issues, these cars haven't held their value the way they might have, making them relatively inexpensive to buy used. Head gaskets failing as soon as is a common problem on Ford's 3.8L V6 - a problem that was never quite resolved by Ford Motor Company. In 1991, rumors about replacing that engine with Ford's new, modular 4.6L V8 did not come to fruition until the body style change for 1995.

1995 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image = | name =Eighth generation| related =Ford Taurus
Mercury Sable| length =| width =| wheelbase =| height =| engine =4.6 L [Ford Modular engine#4-valve V8, ]| layout =FF layout| transmission =4-speed [Ford AXOD transmission#AX4N Automatic transmission-->Like the Taurus, the Continental was substantially updated in the mid-1990s, but with more rounded lines, creating a more aerodynamic exterior. The 1995 Continental was ridded of the many design features that had previously reminded onlookers of the lesser Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. The 1995 Continental was once again perceived as a unique Lincoln and was by many critics to be easier recognizable as luxury car. A very substantial change from the previous V6 car, though, was the addition of the a DOHC Ford Modular engine similar to that powered the rear wheel drive Lincoln Mark VIII. The most noticeable differences being its FWD all aluminum block (different bolt pattern for the transmission bell housing) and it being rated at and 20 Foot-pound force Torque less than the Mark VIII.

1998-2002 {{Infobox Automobile generation| image =| name =Ninth generation| related =Ford Taurus
Ford Windstar
Mercury Sable| length =| width =| wheelbase =| height =| engine =4.6 L [Ford Modular engine#4-valve DOHC V8, ] Automatic transmission| platform =Ford D186 platform| assembly =[Wixom, Michigan-->The Continental was updated again in 1998 with a mildy freshened exterior. The front-end held a strong family resemblance to the newly-redesigned '98 Town Car, which was a plus. Sadly, the revamped tail-end now looked too much like Taurus - to a point where if it were not for the "Lincoln" nameplate, the casual observer wouldn't notice the difference. It was a critical time in the market for vehicles in this class. Continental's strong resemblance to its lesser Taurus origins now appeared to be Versailles all over again. Also new for 1998 was a very unimaginative dashboard design, though still keeping the Lexus LS400-inspired reflective dash cluster. A good deal of money was spent on these changes, and although sales were up from the '97 model, they were still far behind the competition. In 1999, it was too soon to change anything outside, so Continental gained seat-mounted side airbags and even more power (now up to 275 horsepower).

For 1999, the Continental held an M.S.R.P. of $38,325 - the same price as its rear-wheel drive sister, the '99 Town Car. Six-passenger capability was still available via the no-charge option of a split-bench front seat and column shifter. Also available on the '99 Continental was the the $2,345 "RESCU package" (Remote Emergency Satellite Cellular Unit) which included Global satellite positioning (similar to GM's "OnStar"), 3-channel Homelink compatible garage door opener mounted in the driver's sun visor ($120 if ordered separately), voice-activated cellular telephone ($790 if ordered separately), and the Alpine Audio System (which included a digital sound processor, subwoofer amplifier, and additional speakers - $565 if ordered separately). You could also opt for the $595 6-disc CD changer, heated front seats for $290, and $1,515 for a tinted glass power sunroof with sliding shade. New for '99 was an extra-cost "Luxury Appearance Package" for $1,095 that included a wood-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob with unique two-tone seat trim and floor mats inside, and chrome alloy wheels (the chrome wheels were available separately for $845) and a special grille up front. The "Driver Select System" added $595 to the sticker price, and included a semi-active suspension, selectable ride control, steering wheel-mounted controls for the audio and climate systems, automatic day/night outside mirrors, and the Memory Profile System that recalled power steering assist and ride control settings for two drivers. The $1,100 "Personal Security Package" included special run-flat tires mounted on polished alloy wheels (the alloy wheels were available separately for $350) and the universal garage door opener (also available separately for $120).

After a few slow-selling years, the 2002 Continental was discontinued. The cancellation was due largely to the continued shift in the consumer marketplace away from large front-wheel drive luxury cars. With advancements over recent years in traction control, anti-lock braking systems, and skid control devices, front-wheel drive was no longer deemed a necessity in inclement weather areas. The Continental, and to an extent the Lincoln Mark VIII coupe, were essentially replaced in the Lincoln lineup by the mid-size Lincoln LS V8 & V6 sedans, which were introduced in the 2000 model year. Even though the Continental was a large front wheel drive sedan, and the Mark VIII was a rear wheel drive coupe, the rear wheel drive LS acted as a replacement for each, by acting both as a personal luxury vehicle, and as a contemporary sedan. Nevertheless, buyers looking for a full-sized luxury sedan in the Continental class tended to "move up" and purchase the larger rear wheel drive Town Car, while those looking for a personal luxury-sporty sedan in the Mark VIII class purchased the LS.

All Continentals built after 1958 were assembled at Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant. The last Lincoln Continental rolled off the assembly line on July 26, 2002. The Wixom plant continued to manufacture the Town Car and LS, the limited prduction Ford Thunderbird convertible, as well as Ford's niche sports car, the Ford GT.

Replacements Lincoln upgraded the LS in 2005-2006 to attract more of the mid-size luxury market in the Continental class. The LS was cancelled in April 2006 due to slowing sales, following the release of the mid-size 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and its upgraded replacement, the 2007 Lincoln MKZ. A larger, more luxurious Lincoln flagship sedan, the Lincoln MKS, is reportedly under development for the 2009 model year as a proper replacement for the Lincoln Continental class vehicle.

A concept vehicle was created in 2002, complete with suicide doors and a 5.9L (5935 cc/362.2in³) V12 engine producing 414 bhp (309 kW) at 6000 rpm and 413 ft·lbf (560 Nm) of torque at 5270 rpm.

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