1979 Lincoln Continental Town Car From Long-Term Ownership

This 1979 Lincoln Continental Town Car is to be a two-owner example with incredibly low mileage. It has every option offered in 1979. It was purchased new by a collector who kept it in a climate-controlled garage until 2010, when I bought it. It has 6,200 documented miles and every available option including Sure Track brakes and power sunroof. For those unfamiliar, Sure-Track was a rear anti-skid brake system Ford had first offered on the 1969 Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental Mk. III. This preserved Town Car comes with a piece of documentation more commonly associated with classic Mustangs: a Marti Report. A Marti Report uses production data licensed from Ford Motor Company to cross-reference options for a particular model and year. The result reveals how many cars were built with the same color and options.- the Marti Report for this Lincoln shows it was the only one of the 76,458 four-door Continentals made with the exact color and option selection. The Town Car option by itself was somewhat uncommon, at just 1,238 cars. The Marti Report (see photos) then shows the key features that make this the only 1979 Town Car equipped as it was. Notably, the Marti Report does not cross-reference every single option, as more are shown on the Lincoln's original window sticker (see photo). Options on this car totaled $5,638 when new, a 50 percent premium over the Continental's $11,467 base price.- he is moving out of state to be with his children and cannot take the car with him. The sole engine offered in 1979 Lincolns was Ford's 400-cu.in. OHV V8, a long-stroke outgrowth of the 351 Cleveland designed to emphasize low-end torque for big cars. (Actual cylinder displacement was 402 cu.in.). The 400, which came only with a two-barrel carburetor, was rated at 159 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 315 lb-ft of peak torque at 1,800 rpm in the 1979 Lincolns. The owner says that the Town Car's engine is original, and there is no roughness while idling and no smoke from exhaust during the cold start. There are no leaks or weeps, and the C6 three-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly through all gears, the seller states. He indicates a replacement fuel tank and sending unit. - he had the Lincoln repainted in 2018, because the original paint had faded and he wanted a clearcoat finish on the car. It is in excellent overall condition with no swirls, but there is one small scratch over the passenger's-side headlight door. There are no dents or paint chips, just a slight half-inch long imperfection of clearcoat along the left edge of the rear window. - the Moonroof (Lincoln's clever name for a power glass sunroof, since copied by others) works as it should, and all glass in the car is in good condition. The car has no leaks or rust, but there is slight oxidation on underside components, as seen in photos. All lights work, including the auto-dimming function of headlights - The plush, leather-upholstered interior presents very well in the provided photos, with just some light creasing seen on the driver's seat cushion. The faux woodgrain and copious chrome trim still appear to shine. The seller affirms everything in the cabin is in very good condition, and that everything on the long list of power features and amenities is working. Luxuries include auto-temperature control A/C, power windows, seats, and windows. The original AM/FM stereo with 8-track tape player and Quadrophonic sound is still working, the seller states, as is the original factory CB radio. (Quadrophonic works only with the appropriate tapes, which were rare.) - - that the Town Car has never had a suspension service performed, but the bushings and shocks don't leak and the car rides smoothly. - the Milestar whitewall tires are 12 years old with less than 4,000 miles but should be replaced for driving. He indicates slight pitting on the original factory aluminum turbine-spoke wheels (a $373 option when new). When he last had the wheels balanced, the weights were placed on the inside of the rims to keep a clean appearance. The finger-light power steering is said to work as designed and track straight. The four-wheel disc brakes with Sure-Track are said to work as designed.I will include the framed Marti Report, plus receipts showing oil changes and annual inspections with the sale. Preserved by two owners since new, this 1979 Lincoln Continental Town Car remains an ode to a past where big, leather-lined sedans, not SUVs, were the American luxury vehicle of choice. A new set of tires seems to be all that's needed to start hitting the shows with this one.