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Junkyard Gem: 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Just before Ford downsized the Continental for 1980 and made the Town Car a separate model for 1981, the biggest and plushest new sedan in the Dearborn universe was the mighty Continental Town Car. Here's one from 1978, the second-to-last model year of the two-and-a-half-ton Continental Town Car, found in nice condition in a Denver car graveyard last month. This car rolled out of the Lincoln showroom loaded, with the landau-style "Coach Roof" and just about every additional option. Base price on the 1978 Continental with the Town Car package started at $11,606 (about $48,350 in 2020 dollars), but this car cost much more than that. A new Mercedes-Benz S-Class cost better than twice as much that year (and it was worth it), but you still had to be a heavy-duty high-roller to buy a new '78 Town Car. The base engine in the 1978 Continental was a 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8 making a grim 166 horsepower, a truly horrific ratio of 25.2 horsepower per liter of displacement (torque came to a respectable 319 lb-ft, though). If the new Navigator got 25.2 horses for each liter in its turbo V6, it would have a mere 88 horsepower to haul its nearly three tons, rather than the 450 horses that 21st-century engine technology gives us. The good news with this car is that it came with the optional 460-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, rated at 210 horsepower and 357 lb-ft. That was sufficient to get this car's 4,660 pounds moving well enough. Still just 28 horses per liter, but a significant upgrade. These cars weren't about performance, however. They were about a silent, cushy ride and poofy seats that swallowed you in velour comfort. When did Detroit stop making these pillow-top seats? And opera lights? And snazzy "coffin-handle" door pulls? Yes, even the wire wheels (a $333 option, or $1,385 today) stayed on this car to the very end. Why get a Rolls-Royce when you could have this, the grille of this behemoth seems to ask us. Though it remained in good condition when it arrived in its final parking space, a Malaise Era Continental sedan just isn't worth much in the enthusiast world. Even a 1978 Mark V in nice shape would be hard-pressed to find a forever home nowadays. At least it had a chance to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts before the end. In what came to look like a very smart move by Ford, in light of certain geopolitical events in 1979, the Panther-based 1980 Continentals weighed nearly a half-ton less than this car.

Slew of Ford recalls affect more than a million vehicles

Ford is closing out September with the sad task of alerting owners to five different recalls, two of them camera related. The first is a safety compliance recall affecting 620,246 units of 12 models from the 2020 model year: Edge, Escape, Expedition, Explorer, F-150 and Super Duty, Mustang, Ranger, and Transit, plus the Lincoln Corsair, MKX, and Nautilus. On these vehicles, the circuit board in the rearview camera suffers from insufficient electrical conductivity. The issue can cause the resulting image to not appear or to be distorted, which can lead to an accident while reversing. Ford will begin notifying owners as of November 7 to get their vehicles to dealers for replacement of the rearview camera. The internal Ford reference for this recall is 20C19. The second camera-related issue affects the 2020 and 2021 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Aviator with the 360-degree camera. Technically, if you own a 2021 Explorer that only has a rearview camera and not a 360-degree camera, neither the above recall nor this one apply to you, but it's probably better safe than sorry here. There are 354,330 crossovers covered by this action. A video output issue could cause the displayed image to cut out, increasing the chances of a reversing accident. Ford will notify dealers starting October 7, the fix being to have a dealer update the Image Processing Module software. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 21V735, Ford’s internal reference number is 21S44.  The F-250 and F-350 Super Duty are in for another recalls thanks to potentially improper welds on the front axle's wheel end yoke. A bad weld could alter steering performance, getting the truck to pull left or right, or change the sensitivity of the steering. There are 9,628 affected trucks in the U.S. and 961 in Canada. Dealers will replace the axle assembly if any bad welds are found. Ford's reference number for this is 20S56. The fourth recall affects 38,005 Mustangs in the U.S. and another 2,873 Mustangs in Canada and Mexico from the 2020 model year. In this instance, the brake pedal bracket might fracture during sudden stopping, which can decrease brake pressure and increase the chances of an accident. Ford's internal reference for this recall is 20S52, the fix being to have a dealer replace the brake pedal bracket assembly. Finally, 126,033 units of the 2011 to 2013 Explorer are being recalled over a potential suspension issue.

2022 Lincoln Corsair starts at $37,300

A week ago, we posted on price increases and reductions Ford applied to the 2022 Escape. Ford Authority reveals that automaker money men have been working similar equations on MSRPs for the Escape's platform mate, the 2022 Lincoln Corsair. Similar to what was done with the Escape, the Corsair sees a small increase on one of the lower trims and reductions on the upper trims. The discounts are offset slightly by the destination charge going up by $100, from $1,095 to $1,195. The entry-level, front-wheel-drive Corsair only goes up by that higher destination charge, its MSRP sticking at $36,105 and coming to $37,300 after destination. Sending power to the rear wheels raises the price by $200, half of that in the MSRP, totaling $39,600.    The Corsair Reserve with front-wheel drive comes down by $2,125, to $42,020. Opting for all-wheel drive shaves the discount a tad to $2,025, for a total of $44,320. This is no freebie, the reduction coming thanks to product planners removing the 14-speaker Reveal Audio System from the list of standard equipment. Putting that stereo back into the Reveal will cost $3,300, but that price is the result of combining options packages so it does include extra equipment. Audiophiles need to choose the Luxury Package, which costs $2,200; however, in order to get the Luxury, they'll also need to choose the $1,100 Elements package, a cold-weather group with features like a heated steering wheel and seats, and windshield wiper de-icer.    Note, at the time of writing, the Corsair Reserve configurator is a little confusing. It still lists the "Revel Audio System with 14-Speakers including Subwoofer" as standard under the Radio Type tab. Under Audio Upgrade, it lists "Lincoln Premium Audio System with 14-Speakers Including Subwoofer," and wants to charge $3,300 for that. This is backward. The Lincoln Premium Audio is a 10-speaker system, and it's the one that comes standard in 2022.  The Corsair Grand Touring, which only comes with all-wheel drive, drops $60 on MSRP but overall climbs by $40 with the destination charge, to $51,525. The Corsair, like the Escape, is due for a refresh for the 2023 model year that could bring a new powertrain besides the expected interior revisions. A brand new Escape/Corsair duo has been predicted for 2025. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.