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This 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car is very green

Autoblog Green editor John Beltz Snyder asked me to come up with something for his side of the room, so I happily obliged. Team player and all. This may not be what he had in mind, but Mr. Snyder cannot deny that the car you see here is in fact extremely green. In fact, the exterior of this 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car for sale by Worldwide Vintage Autos is rocking two verdant shades. According to this original brochure, it sure looks like a combination of Dark Jade Metallic with Light Jade Valino Grain Vinyl Roof. There was actually a "Light Jade and Dark Jade Luxury Group" for '77 that describes this very car's exterior combo, but that apparently has a "tu-tone" leather and vinyl upholstery inside, whereas this car would seem to have the optional "Majestic Velour Luxury Group" in Jade.  If you wonder why I'm oddly fascinated by Malaise era luxury yachts, descriptors like "Light Jade Valino Grain Vinyl" and "Majestic Velour" should provide key clues. Well, those and the specs. The '77 Continental Town Car was 233 inches long, which is 11.1 inches longer than a 2021 Lincoln Navigator L ... as in the extended-length version. The Town Car was also 79.7 inches wide, which is only 0.2 inches narrower than today's biggest Lincoln. Its wheelbase, however, was 127.2 inches, which is 4.4 shorter than the Navigator. You don't really need to see the specs to notice that length-to-wheelbase discrepancy, though, just check out that rear overhang! Then there's the engine: a 7.5-liter V8. Cool, that must be awesome! False. This upgrade engine for '77 produced 208 horsepower and an admittedly robust 356 pound-feet of torque. It had a three-speed automatic. It also weighed in at 4,880 pounds. Fuel economy? Ah, don't really have EPA figures for '77, so let's just say it was about as green as the Rose's Town Car on "Schitt's Creek."  So there, a very green car. Happy John?

Lincoln Continental production likely to shift to Flat Rock

Lincoln production may be returning to Michigan, according to a new report from Automotive News. While the brand's current big sedan, the MKS, is built alongside the Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer, and their Police Interceptor counterparts at the Blue Oval's Chicago, IL factory, the production version of the Continental won't be screwed together in the Windy City. According to AN, "industry sources" claim the Continental will join the Ford Mustang and Ford Fusion – on which the big Lincoln is loosely based – at the company's Flat Rock, MI factory. The move isn't just based on convenience, though. Ford is selling a lot of Explorers, and shifting Lincoln production away from Chicago Assembly frees up production capacity for the popular SUV. "Chicago Assembly Plant is vital to our global manufacturing footprint and will continue to manufacture the Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor vehicles even after we phase out production of the MKS in 2016," Ford told Automotive News. "We will continue to match production to demand." Looking at the numbers further backs up the argument against Lincoln production in Chicago. Last year alone, Ford built nearly 285,000 Explorers and over 73,000 Taurus sedans, compared to just 8,300 Lincolns. Finally, as AN tells it, Ford is almost telegraphing the Continental's arrival in Flat Rock. The facility has a four-week shut down scheduled from June 15 through July 13, which is twice as long as the typical summer vacation, while there's another two weeks off slated for September. Related Video:

Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.