1978 "Diamond Jubilee Edition"
Ford Motor Company celebrated its 75th year in the automobile business in 1978. To commemorate this Ford produced two very special automobiles as limited editions. The 1978 Continental Mark V was one, the 1978 Ford Thunderbird was the other. The Mark V version truly was limited with production of just 5,159 cars.
To set it apart from the ordinary Marks, the Diamond Jubilee was available in just two colors: Diamond Blue and Jubilee Gold. Whichever color you chose, it would be repeated throughout the car. In addition to the special Clearcoat paint, the vinyl-insert bodyside moldings, vertical bars on the grille, bumper guards and rub strips, turbine-style cast aluminum wheel vanes, and padded vinyl deck lid kickup with matching vinyl-insert lock cover were all coordinated. Additionally, the operational exhaust vents on the front fenders held chrome beading.
Interiors were the most luxurious ever installed to date by Lincoln in a production car. Also matching the exterior color scheme, the interior featured front bucket seats with a padded center console. The console provided extra storage, and came equipped with an umbrella built into the underside of the padded armrest. The seats were upholstered in luxury cloth with a unique sew style.
Other distinctions included padded leather in high wear areas of the interior, as well as ebony wood-tone inserts on the instrument panel, door trim panels, front seat backs, and console - even the ignition and door keys held a matching ebony wood-tone insert. All Diamond Jubilee Marks were supplied with a leather bound owner's manual and tool kit. The outside edges of the opera windows were also beveled, and featured Diamond Jubilee Script and a simulated diamond chip laminated between the glass. The unique hood ornament featured crystal-like inserts within the Lincoln "star" emblem. After delivery, the customer could choose to have his or her initials monogrammed on the doors, interrupting the bodyside stripes. Most Mark V optional features were standard on this car, including the new digital LED "Miles-To-Empty" fuel gauge that calculated approximately how far the car could be driven with the remaining fuel in the tank, based on fuel level, driving speed, and fuel consumption rate.
Every new owner was given the special car keys and could request a Ford created cookbook entitled "Ford Diamond Jubilee Recipe Collection".
The 1978 Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition carries another distinction as it was, per the 1978 Lincoln brochure, the most expensive American standard-production automobile available in 1978. After the package price was added to the base Mark V, the final sticker price was approximately $22,000. Some of the select few extra-cost options available were 7.5 L 460 V8 engine, dual exhausts, power moonroof, and 40-channel CB radio.
Read more about this topic: Lincoln Continental Mark V
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