Original-Paint Survivor: 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III

Few luxury liners would look more appropriate pulling up to the golf club than a triple-white Continental Mark III, with a sunroof no less. Built on the cheap (in car development terms), the Mark III was a solid success for Ford Motor Company at large and Lincoln in particular. Another Lee Iacocca home run, the Mark III is the answer to what would happen if you dropped a Rolls-Royce grille and a Continental wheel hump on a T-Bird and gave it a super-snazzy interior. This ’71 Mark III that Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. found apparently has 62,000 miles and its original coat of paint.

Perhaps because it’s low and sinister, a Mark III was the bad guy drug dealer’s ride of choice in the award-winning crime drama The French Connection. Although the car in the real-life story upon which the book was based was NOT a Continental, almost nothing else on the road could capture sneering menace any better. Every time the car is on the screen, there’s a sense of tension, because you know it has something to hide.

We can hope that THIS example isn’t hiding anything, but its image gives it a little bit of street cred.

The interior is one place on the Mark III where the buyer could see the money she or he spent. With “genuine walnut veneer” dash trim and leather seats that appear to be original, the Lincoln was one of the most luxurious American cars on the road. Its real competition was the Eldorado, and it would have been a hard choice between this little-changed Mark III and the newly-styled Cadillac for 1971.

Under the Mark’s long hood was Lincoln’s gutsy 460, rated at 365 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque. With standard dual exhaust on the Mark III and a 2.80:1 axle ratio, this must have been a long-legged glamour boat. It was probably rare for anyone to test the upper ranges of its speedometer, but the top end must have been strong.

While this particular Mark III is currently for sale on Craigslist in Massachusetts, it is apparently a three-owner, rust-free Florida car. With a stack of manuals, a clear title, and some car show trophies to go with it, the asking price is $24,950. I’ve seen cheaper Mark IIIs out there, but maybe the originality and the striking color combo is worth a little extra. Regardless, you’ll look like a million bucks behind the wheel.