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The Lincoln Town Car is a rear wheel drive an Flagship Luxury Sedans , the Town Car is currently the most expensive American luxury sedan (according to base MSRP) with prices ranging from $43,075 for a basic Signature Series to $56,745 for a top-of-the-line Signature L Series.34 The Town Car has been available featuring Ballistic Protection since 2003 with prices starting at $144,995.5 Ford, at one time, had considered ending production on Lincoln's flagship model after the planned closing of the /06. {Link without Title} According to Consumer Guide the vehicle's strengths are comfort, materials, and ride quality, while acceleration and handling are named as being the vehicle's weaknesses.6 The Town Car is one of the safest cars available on the North American market.7 NAME It is probably not a coincidence that "Town Car" is English for " Sedan De Ville ," Cadillac 's model that was gaining popularity in the 1950s. Both names refer to a classic style of Limousine , popular in the 1920s, which had an open chauffeur's compartment up front, but only Lincoln has sometimes attempted to make its modern models visually suggest their older namesakes. Many examples from the 70s and 80s have a vinyl roof style which sweeps down the center pillar as part of a raised molding, complete with opera lamps, which suggests a partition between front and rear seats, while no vinyl is applied to the front section of the roof over the driver. HISTORY The Town Car name first appeared in the Lincoln line in 1922, on a custom built Lincoln for Henry Ford. The Town Car name later appeared on several trim levels on the Lincoln Continental Flagship Sedan in from 1959 to 1980. In 1981, the Lincoln Town Car became a model in its own right and became Lincoln's largest sedan as well as its flagship vehicle. Since then, there have been three generations of the Town Car with additional minor redesigns, one in 1995 and another one in 2003. Pre-1981 It later reappeared in 1959, on a special limousine-like version of the standard Continental . This first Town Car was available only in black and was identifiable by a unique padded Vinyl Top , which was a rarity at that time. After its first appearance in 1959, the Town Car name went dormant for 10 years, and re-emerged as an especially plush interior option package for the 1969 Lincoln Continental . It next appeared as a trim option in 1971, and thereafter continued through 1980 as the top-line trim option package for the Lincoln Continental . Again, the Town Car trim featured an extra plush interior along with, usually but not always, a Landau Vinyl Roof over the rear passenger compartment. The Town Car badge has always been applied to sedans, but from 1975 to 1980, there was a similar option for coupes called the Town Coupe. First generation
Since 1981, the Town Car has been considered a model in its own right, replacing the Continental (whose name reappeared a year later on a smaller model). Upon its introduction, the Town Car immediately became Lincoln's flagship model, a purpose it continues to serve to this day. The first generation Town Car featured a body profile and grille similar to that of the late 1970s Lincoln Continental . The interior layout included new seats, dashboard and door panels. The exterior door panels and fenders were also completely new, while the taillights and trunk lid experienced a slight redesign. To keep up with current design trends, the previously covered headlights were now exposed and composed of two adjoining square units. The first generation Town Car also featured many advanced luxury options for its time. While leather trim was available on the Cartier and Signature edition, all trim levels featured six-way power seats as well as an electronic six speaker audio system with integrated amplifier called "Premium Sound." A fully functioning trip computer with digital displays was optional on the Cartier and Signature Series. The key pad entry system became available on upper models, allowing for the driver to use either a factory-programmed or self-programmed alternate five digit combination to gain entry to the vehicle and trunk. With this system being linked only to the vehicle, rather than a satellite, the need for drivers to share their identity with an operator in a potentally unsecure environment is not required. This feature is still in use on all contemporary Lincolns, most Mercurys and some Ford branded products. Similar to the Continental Town Car package, a half-vinyl coach roof with frenched rear window was standard on every Town Car. Cloth (Canvas) roofs were optional. The introduction of the Panther platform Town Car in 1980 was also the end for 400 in³ and 460 in³ V8 engines in Lincoln's line-up; they were replaced with the very popular 302 in³ (5.0 L) V8 (carburated from 1980-1981; and with a throttle body fuel injection system an option at the start, replaced by Port Fuel Injection in 1986 through the 1989 model year). The transmission also changed to a 4-speed automatic with overdrive. All Town Cars from 1980-1989 featured an optional trailer towing package which included: dual exhausts, a shortened limited slip differential and an improved cooling package for the motor as well as transmission. For the 1980 to 1983 model years, inclusive, a Mark VI version of the Town Car was produced with hidden headlights and the characteristic simulated spare tire shape on the trunk lid. 1985 For 1985, the Town Car received minor design updates. Like previous years, the design scheme introduced for 1985 included a reflector running in between both taillights above the license plate frame, a design feature kept for the second generation Town Car. 1985 also saw the introduction of newer more ergonomically designed seats, including four way adjustable front head restraints(1986-1989). Signaure and Cartier models featured boulstered seating. In 1988, the Town Car went through a minor facelift including additional brushed metal work on the rear of the vehicle. On the front end of the vehicle, Lincoln returned the waterfall grill verses a crosshatch design from 1985-1987. For this restyle, a single disc factory installed JBL CD Player became an available option on Signature and Cartier Models. While the Cadillac DeVille and Fleetwood were both downsized to more compact dimensions and converted to front-wheel drive for 1985 (Cadillac did keep the larger car in its line and renamed it the Fleetwood Brougham), Lincoln continued to field the Town Car as a traditional-sized luxury car during this time. In response to the downsized Cadillacs, Lincoln, began running a series of ads in late 1985 titled "The Valet" which depicted parking attendants having trouble distinguishing Cadillacs from lesser Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and even Chevrolets, with the question "Is that a Cadillac?" answered by the response "No, it's an Oldsmobile (or Buick, Chevy, etc.)." At the end the owner of a Lincoln would appear with the line "The Lincoln Town Car please." The commercial saw the emergence of the new advertising line, "''Lincoln. What a Luxury Car Should Be.''" which was used into the 1990s.8 Second generation
1990 In 1990, the Town Car's body went through a major redesign and a rear -like grille was replaced with a more modern and more aerodynamic front fascia. Parking lights were now located adjoining to the grille and the headlights wrapped around the corners of the front. The door panels and fenders were replaced as well, while the trunk lid and taillights remained somewhat more similar to the 1980s model. The revised interior featured a new dashboard, seats, and interior door panels.10 Introduced in 1990 were several new options that had never been available before on a Town Car. Memory seating with power front passenger and driver lumbar and recliner support was an option on Signature Town Car and standard on Cartier Town Car. The Electrochromatic Dimming Mirror was also a carryover option from the 1989 Town Car. Also being introduced as standard equipment for all Town Cars during the 1990 model year was a new digital instrumentation system with a more advanced message center. Many advanced safety features were made available on this generation Town Car. In 1990 a drivers air bag became standard. Dual front air bags and ABS braking was an available option for 1990. 1991 saw the introduction of Ford's new Modular V8 , an SOHC design replacing the Ford 302 Windsor . ABS braking as well as dual front driver and passenger airbags became standard in 1991 as well. 1993 Saw a minor facelift on the front grill. Also a fully digitized electronic automatic temperature control(EATC) unit replaced a manually operated automatic temperature control thermostatic unit. Overall the second generation Town Car was an overwhelming sales success and quickly became one of America's best selling full-size luxury sedans. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Town Car sales regularly exceeded 100,000 units with 120,121 Town Cars being sold in 1994 alone.11 With the demise of the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham after 1996, the Town Car became the only traditional luxury car on the American market, as far as such cars were defined in earlier years before downsizing and conversion to front-wheel-drive began to take shape. Lincoln's other direct competitor in the domestic luxury car market, Chrysler Corporation's Imperial , was dropped after 1975 with two subsequent revivals of the Imperial nameplate made in 1981 and 1990 on much smaller vehicles that were unsuccessful and short-lived. 1995 The Town Car underwent a minor exterior facelift for the 1995 model year. Changes to the exterior included smaller, clear headlights as well as additional Running Lights in the rear.12 The interior was completely revamped. The Town Car received a new dashboard, new seats and new interior door panels. The angular interior shapes from the 1990 to 1994 model's interior were replaced by more modern-looking curved design elements. Many of the new interior components, such as the dashboard, featured a so-called "organic" design. 1995 also saw the introduction of a new steering wheel, which was used in all Panther -based sedans until 2004.13 Also introduced in 1995 was a new digital dash layout that featured a more italisized look to the readouts and a new feature called "Average Speed." This feature, on all digital instrument panels until the 2005 overhaul, calculated the average travel speed over a period of time. Every other function remained the same from the 1990 overhaul of the digital dash. Memory seats with power lumbar support also became standard on Signarture Series sedans during this time as well. Special Editions 1992 and 1993 saw a special Signature Series sedan come to market: the Jack Nicklaus Signature Series, which featured a green body with a white vinyl top with white leather interior trimmed in green. Most of these editions have ornaments and wording on the exterior trimmed in gold.14 Options included on the 1992 and 1993 Jack Nicklaus Signature Series included: Memory Seats with Power Lumbar/Recliner, Leather Seats, and Monotone Paint. 1995 also featured another special Signature Series edition called the Spinnaker Edition which featured tri-coat paint, the Spinnaker logo on the floor mats, and 16-inch spoked aluminum wheels. To celebrate Lincoln's 75th anniversary in 1996, the Town Car took on a "Diamond Anniversary" edition. This edition was applied to Signature Series sedans only. Options included a paint strip down the side, leather seats, wood instrument panel trim, window badging, cellular telephone, power moonroof, JBL audio system, auto electrochromatic dimming mirror w/compass, and traction assist.15 Also introduced in 1996 were the Ride Control and Touring Edition packages. Ride Control was only available on Signature and Cartier Town Cars while Touring Edition was available for all Town Car models. Ride control featured an auxiliary power steering fluid cooler, 16-inch aluminum wheels, 225/60/16 tires, 3.27 axle ratio, 28.5 mm stabilizer bar, and revised air springs and shocks. Touring Edition featured a power moonroof, JBL audio system, auto dimming headlights, auto electrochromatic dimming mirror, auxiliary power steering fluid cooler, 16-inch aluminum wheels, 225/60/16 tires, 3.27 axle ratio, 28.5 mm stabilizer bar, and revised air springs and shocks. Both the Ride Control and Touring Edition packages would last only between 1996 and 1997; however, the Touring Edition package would make a brief comeback during the 2000 model year. Third generation
The 1990 body style remained primarily unchanged until the next new body style premiered in 1998, a redesign which included the removal of the car's hood ornament and more angular shapes. The Cartier model also received a 220 hp version of the Modular V8 . The more boxy Town Car design of the 1990s was replaced by a curvacious design scheme with a downwards sloping trunklid, pursed lip grille and cat-eye headlights. While the Town Car lost three inches in overall length, the new Town Car was two inches wider, one inch taller, and weighed 600 pounds more. The post-1997 Town Car features a slightly longer wheelbase as well. The interior was also completely redesigned. Door and instrument panels as well as the radio face, switches and controls were redone. Additional wood trim was added to the newly designed dashboard and the door panels. The power seat controls were moved to the door panels. Lincoln emblems were also added to the door panels as well as seatbacks. A factory option available to individual owners of Town Cars since 2001 has been a version of the Town Car with an extra six inches of rear seat legroom, designated as the "L" or "long" version. This model provides extra amenities for rear-seat passengers, including a unique rear-seat switch that allows the front-passenger seat to be moved forward as desired for extra room in the rear. A Touring Edition also became available in late 2000. The Touring Edition featured a more powerful 235 hp version of the Town Car's Modular V8 engine, dual exhaust pipes and unique 16 inch alloy wheels with larger tires. According to Consumer Guide the car scores above average in the premium luxury segment for comfort, room and materials but scores below average for acceleration, steering and overall technical performance.16 Otherwise, the Town Car has frequently received negative reviews with the car being considered "out of date." The Town Car is, however, still considered one of the best chauffeured vehicles17 as it receives high marks for being among the most comfortable, quiet riding and roomiest luxury cars available.1819 Gallery |
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