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1969 Lincoln Continental Mark Iii - 27k Original Miles, Great History! on 2040-cars

Year:1969 Mileage:27485
Location:

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States



The first Mark was a customized version of the Lincoln Zephyr convertible built for the personal use of Edsel Ford. Due to the reaction caused in the Palm Beach "jet set", it  became a limited production model in 1940, the Mark I.  The Mark II was a 2-year production of 3,000 cars that Ford actually lost $1,000 on each car sold. The Mark name was also used in the late 60's with the word Continental for the large Lincoln as a trim package.

Once the Thunderbird went to a four seat model, it outsold the two seat versions and the concept of a "personal luxury" car was born. After his success with the Mustang, Lee Iacocca decided that Lincoln should once again have a personal luxury car.  While on a trip to Europe, Iacocca came up with the idea of using a Rolls type grill and using a Continental type bulge on the trunk. The design was confirmed when Henry Ford II saw the clay model and said it liked it so much, he wished he could take it home with him.

The Mark III was introduced on April 5, 1968 as a 1969 model with a starting price of $6,585 but most, as optioned, sold around $9,500.   It was the first car to be offered with Sure-Track brake system, the first anti-skid breaking system. The car was actually build on the Thunderbird 4-door frame with a longer wheel base than the Thunderbird 2-door, although it shared cowls, windshields, roof panels and door glass.

The example offered here for consideration was the very first Mark III in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was bought from Pfeiffer on a handshake by industrialist Leslie Tassel, the owner of Lescoa. At the time, Lescoa manufactured parts for every car built in America. To say that he was flamboyant or interesting personality is an understatement. He had a love of big game hunting and African animals (See the picture of Mr. Tassel with an actual Cheetah in the car flanked by a Roman Chariot pulled by his zebras).

He customized this car with a full, real leopard fur interior and personally hand cast the Lion door handles. He also adorned the outside with models of African animals. In the 1990s he gave the car to his daughter and son-in-law. They removed the outside animal decorations and had the car repainted to its original color by Pfeiffer. They replaced the leopard seat covers but left the leopard accents.

The car has travelled only 27,000 miles and looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. It is a pleasure to see and drive, and everything functions as it should, including the automatic climate control, which was the first of its kind. You simply will not find another Mark III like this one - such low miles and extraordinary history. 

This vehicle is being offered for sale through Garage Kept Motors LLC. See dealer website for more information. Sales tax and title/license/documentary fee may apply. Auction may also be terminated early due to local sale. Please contact me with any and all questions. Thank you for looking.

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Auto blog

Ex-GM VP LaNeve takes over Lincoln ad agency

Wed, 10 Apr 2013

Those of you that caught yesterday's op-ed about Lincoln will have heard already, but Mark LaNeve has taken the helm at Team Detroit. Once the North American vice president of sales, service and marketing for General Motors, LaNeve will now head up the agency that handles all of Ford advertising. LaNeve will also run the account for Lincoln. While at GM from 2001 to 2009, the exec oversaw ad campaigns like Cadillac's Breakthrough and sales initiatives like "Employee Pricing for Everyone."
He left in 2009 to join Allstate as chief marketing officer, oversaw the creation of the Mayhem ad spots and was moved into the role of VP of agency operations overseeing Allstate's 10,000 agents. He resigned from the insurer in February 2012 for personal reasons and joined Team Detroit in August 2012 as chief operating officer, in charge of satellite offices in New York and internationally. He replaces ex-CEO Cameron McNaughton, and will continue to hold the title of COO.
Lincoln is trying to get its 2013 back to rights after putting big dollar commercials for the 2013 MKZ on television then having production glitches preventing cars from getting to dealerships. With rumors of a relaunch in the works, it's no surprise LaNeve has been given the reins - and from here it looks like the brand is desperate for the kind of magic he's proved he can marshal. Perhaps he can start by calling a mulligan on the renaming exercise that gave us the hoary "Lincoln Motor Company" and go back to oh, say, "Lincoln." Then he can ask the product folks to get to work on the MKC concept...

One more Lincoln MKX concept teaser drops before Beijing

Fri, 18 Apr 2014

If the teaser video for Lincoln's launch of a new concept at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show wasn't enough for you, the company has now released a shadowy new image on its Twitter page. The vehicle may be a concept for the next-generation MKX, and its launch in China is part of the huge rollout to sell the brand's models there.
The latest photo shows off the concept's lighting, including LED running lights and lit sideview mirrors. The sharp edges of the lights give some hints to its shape. However, Other than clearly being a crossover, not much else is known.
The concept's launch supports Lincoln breaking into the Chinese market. It will begin selling the MKZ and MKC there this fall, as well as a midsize luxury SUV. A fullsize luxury sedan and the Navigator will come later. The company will also build luxury showrooms for the models that will look more like high-end hotel lobbies than car dealers. Scroll down to watch the teaser video.

Why the 2015 Lincoln MKC is 'holding some powder'

Thu, 19 Jun 2014

Earlier this month in our first drive of the 2015 MKC, we told you that Lincoln finally had a new vehicle in its arsenal worth crowing about. So with the compact premium crossover now finding its way into dealers, why aren't you seeing its likeness plastered on billboards and barraging you on television? It's because Lincoln is "holding some powder."
Those are the words of Lincoln's global director, Matt VanDyke, who tells Autoblog that the company is holstering some of its marketing guns because it's keen to avoid repeating the ill-timed efforts that blighted its last rollout, the MKZ. That vehicle's launch early last year was beset by various delays related to manufacturing and quality. The cadence issue was so dire that by the time the model reached showrooms in volume, Lincoln had already blown most of its budget on things like Super Bowl ads that ran weeks or even months before customers could check one out in person. It was a particularly trying series of events for parent Ford because the MKZ and its oversized marketing spend were charged with relaunching the Lincoln brand to the public.
Keen to avoid repeating the same timing issue and mindful of consumers' habits at this time of year, Lincoln is taking a different strategy with the MKC. According to VanDyke, "What we don't want to do is try and fight the summertime - people using television being down, and other mass media when school's out. New television shows aren't on." Of course, that doesn't mean Lincoln is sitting idle. VanDyke says, "By no means are we quiet during the next 90 days. This year, we're going to really spend the next 60 to 90 days using digital and social media, in-theater advertising and the like, and once we have full availability at dealerships, we'll really ramp up the advertising later on in the summer." Part of that early media effort includes immersive digital marketing like Lincoln's clever Dream Rides web experience.