1965 Lincoln Continental Base 7.0l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III

The story of the Continental features plenty of fascinating plot twists during its off-and-on 1940-2020 history, and one of the most interesting is the car that resulted from the decisions of the Ford Motor Company's mighty warlord during the 1960s: Lee Iacocca. That was the 1969-1971 Continental Mark III, a car that printed bales of money for Ford. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those cars, found in a Northern California car graveyard recently. Iacocca wanted a Lincoln to compete with Cadillac's snazzy new Eldorado coupe, and he wanted to do it on the cheap. Since the original Mustang had been so profitable in large part because it was based on the Falcon compact, the same philosophy would be used for the new Lincoln coupe. The Ford Thunderbird, which had become a well-over-two-ton behemoth by 1967, would provide the Mark III's platform; this had the added benefit of using excess production capacity at the T-Bird's assembly plant in Wixom, Michigan. Focus groups disliked the Mark III, but Iacocca and Henry Ford II ignored them and pushed forward with production. This worked out well; Mark III sales beat the Eldorado's immediately and the platform-sharing with the Thunderbird kept costs low and profits fat. Along with the Mustang and the Chrysler minivan, the Mark III stands as one of Iacocca's greatest business triumphs. These cars used to be reasonably easy to find in wrecking yards, but they've been junkyard rarities for at least the past decade. This one lived a hard life. The 460-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, rated at 365 horsepower and 500(!) pound-feet of torque, was gone when I arrived. The chrome received a gold-plating treatment by a customizer at some point. It's possible that this car was once a good-looking lowrider, but that would have been decades ago. About the only remaining hint of its former opulence is the rear seat. The MSRP for this car was $7,281, or about $59,286 in 2023 dollars. The 1970 Cadillac Eldorado cost $6,903 ($56,208 now). Of course, the out-the-door cost for both cars would have been quite a bit higher, after not-so-optional options had been added by the customer. This individually decisive motorcar has no peer.

Ford, Stellantis workers join those at GM in ratifying contract that ended UAW strikes

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union overwhelmingly ratified new contracts with Ford and Stellantis, that along with a similar deal with General Motors will raise pay across the industry, force automakers to absorb higher costs and help reshape the auto business as it shifts away from gasoline-fueled vehicles. Workers at Stellantis, the maker of Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles, voted 68.8% in favor of the deal. Their approval brought to a close a contentious labor dispute that included name-calling and a series of punishing strikes that imposed high costs on the companies and led to significant gains in pay and benefits for UAW workers. The deal at Stellantis passed by a roughly 10,000 vote margin, with ballot counts ending Saturday afternoon. Workers at Ford voted 69.3% in favor of the pact, which passed with nearly a 15,000-vote margin in balloting that ended early Saturday. Earlier this week, GM workers narrowly approved a similar contract. The agreements, which run through April 2028, will end contentious talks that began last summer and led to six-week-long strikes at all three automakers. Shawn Fain, the pugnacious new UAW leader, had branded the companies enemies of the UAW who were led by overpaid CEOs, declaring the days of union cooperation with the automakers were over. After summerlong negotiations failed to produce a deal, Fain kicked off strikes on Sept. 15 at one assembly plant at each company. The union later extended the strike to parts warehouses and other factories to try to intensify pressure on the automakers until tentative agreements were reached late in October. The new contract agreements were widely seen as a victory for the UAW. The companies agreed to dramatically raise pay for top-scale assembly plant workers, with increases and cost-of-living adjustments that would translate into 33% wage gains. Top assembly plant workers are to receive immediate 11% raises and will earn roughly $42 an hour when the contracts expire in April of 2028. Under the agreements, the automakers also ended many of the multiple tiers of wages they had used to pay different workers. They also agreed in principle to bring new electric-vehicle battery plants into the national union contract. This provision will give the UAW an opportunity to unionize the EV battery plants plants, which will represent a rising share of industry jobs in the years ahead.

Monochromatic Package spreads to Lincoln's Corsair, Nautilus, and Aviator

Lincoln is catering to buyers seeking a mostly chrome-free SUV by making the optional Monochromatic Package available on the Corsair, the Nautilus, and the Aviator. It was inaugurated by the Navigator in 2019. Inspired by current trends in fashion and interior design, the Monochromatic Package bundles a darker grille, tinted emblems, body-colored mirrors, and darkened trim pieces all around. It also includes black 20- or 22-inch alloy wheels, depending on the model. Lincoln made no mention of modifications in the cabin. 2021 Corsair and 2021 Aviator buyers who tick the Monochromatic Package box will be asked to choose from three colors named Pristine White, Infinite Black, and Asher Gray, respectively. The Monochromatic-equipped 2020 Nautilus will exclusively be offered in Infinite Black, while the 2020 Navigator carries on with Pristine White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black as its color options when buyers add the package. Lincoln hopes expanding the Monochromatic Package's availability will allow its SUVs to keep building momentum, but pricing information hasn't been announced yet. For context, the chrome-free look costs $3,495 on the 2020 Navigator, and it's exclusively offered on the mid-range Reserve model priced at $83,665. Like parent company Ford, Lincoln is increasingly reliant on its crossovers and SUVs. It confirmed its last two sedans, the MKZ and the Continental, will retire without a replacement in sight after the 2020 model year.