Lincoln Continental Mark V in the Pyrenees
The Continental Mark V is a personal luxury coupe that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from the 1977 to 1979 model years in North America. The fourth generation of the Mark series, the model line brought an extensive modernization to the exterior and interior of the Mark IV. The Mark V introduced a sharp-edged exterior design theme, adopted by Lincoln vehicles into the end of the 1980s.
At 230 inches (5.8 m) long, the Mark V is the longest two-door coupe ever sold by Ford Motor Company; the fifth generation Lincoln Continental sedans (233 inches long) are the only longer passenger cars ever marketed by Ford. While only sold for three years, the Mark V is the best-selling generation of the Mark series, with 228,262 examples produced.
All Continental Mark Vs were assembled alongside the Lincoln Continental at the now-closed Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom, Michigan. For 1980, the Mark V was replaced by the downsized Continental Mark VI; though remaining a full-size vehicle, the Mark VI saw significant reductions in exterior dimensions.
In the interest of fuel economy, the 1977 Continental Mark V was equipped with the smallest-displacement engine fitted in a Lincoln or Continental since 1957. Shared with the Ford Thunderbird/Mercury Cougar and Ford LTD/Mercury Marquis, the standard engine for the Mark V was a 400 cubic-inch V8. Outside of California, the 460 V8 remained available as an option. In 1979, the dual-exhaust version of the 400 was discontinued; the 460 was discontinued in the Mark V (and in all Lincolns) by 1980.
Paired with both engines, the Ford C6 three-speed automatic was the sole transmission offering.
