1970
There were only small changes for 1970 as Lincoln saw no need to break a clearly winning formula. 21,432 were sold; somewhat down from the previous year. The vinyl roof was made standard, since at the time, nobody seemed to want to order a luxury car without it, the windshield wipers were now hidden from view, and the wheel covers were redesigned. Michelin radial tires were standard equipment (a first for an American car), and a locking steering column/ignition switch replaced the dash-mounted switch per federal mandate. The metal horn ring used in '69 was deleted from the steering wheel, replaced by a Rim Blow unit. Increasingly stringent Federal safety requirements mandated the addition of red reflectors to the rear bumper, and yellow reflectors to the sides of the front parking lamp assemblies. Although horsepower remained unchanged at 365, Federal emissions requirements were met by the installation of Thermactor air injection pumps on the 460 cid engine. The interior wood appliques were upgraded to genuine Walnut. The door panels were redesigned and the power seat controls were moved from the seat edge to the door arm rests. The pattern of the stitching on the seats was modified. A power sliding sun roof joined the options list.
Motor Trend’s 1970 head-to-head review of the Eldorado vs. the Mark III gave the nod, barely, to the Mark III, beginning an annual "King of the Hill" series that ran for years.
Read more about this topic: Lincoln Continental Mark III