1971 Lincoln Continental Sedan.
Nottingham woven brocade interior, standard on the Sedan and Coupe, available in light gray gold, medium gray, light aqua, medium ginger and black. A second cloth interior, Bedford knit, was also available, at no extra cost, in dark tobacco, dark green, dark red, dark blue, and black.
Lincoln Continental Coupé.
Optional pleated leather interior in white. Small photo shows optional Town Car leather, an upgrade for the Sedan only. Leather was available in ten colors, white, dark blue, black, red, medium ginger, dark green, light aqua, medium gray, light gray gold, and dark tobacco.
Continental Mark III Coupé .
Mark III interior shown with optional leather Twin-Comfort Lounge seats, available in the same ten colors as the Lincoln Continental Sedan and Coupé. Left page touts the "Sure-Track" braking system, an early ABS system, and the Cartier electronic Chronometer standard, designed exclusively for the Mark III.
It was really difficult to shoot this catalog cover. It's an excellent printed copy of brushed aluminum and reflected the flash very easily. It is also embossed with the Continental star logo. This is a really classy dealer brochure, if I do say so myself! Luxury makers like Lincoln, Cadillac and Imperial often had a small "everyday" brochure and one that was a step-up. This is the larger one for that year.
A NOTE ON TYPOGRAPHY — Below, the text from the first interior page of the catalog. Ligatures were used in the typesetting—special characters for the "fi" and "fl" characters—combining them in one unit, a very classic, and elegant, typographical usage, one that I've insisted on in every book I've designed. It was rare to see it in commercial printing then, but the PR firm that designed this catalog, and FoMoCo themselves, understood Lincoln's clientele to a "T" and stepped up their game. I hate to say it, being a graphic designer that specializes in typography, but if most page programs didn't use ligatures automatically today, today's designers wouldn't have a clue about ligatures. Most of the time today's designers of type don't even understand the difference between an apostrophe and a prime mark, the straight up and down character used to indicate "feet" in dimensional units. The same with quote marks and the character for "inches." Real typography, even on high-end pieces, is pretty much a lost art.
From the 1971 Lincoln brochure:
I've always marveled at the interior color choices available on these cars. They pretty much covered the color spectrum. And I think that's the way it should be in a luxury car. I was playing on the Rolls Royce site yesterday, configuring my own (hey, I can dream!) and even a car in the price range of the Silver Ghost has limited interior options. Why can't I get the leather headliner with the dual moonroof? Why can't I get my interior in blue and ivory? Too limiting for a $350,000 car. In this price range you should be able to custom order ANYTHING!
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the Lincolns, these cars represented Lincoln at their peak. Strong, powerful designs that were unique. Something that really can't be said for their current line-up.
I love how you had your choice of which type of cloth you wanted if you didn't get leather. And then you had a choice of two completely different leather interiors, regular or Town Car. "Choice" is an important luxury to me, one that many luxury carmakers seem to have forgotten, or discounted its importance.
ReplyDeleteAs I've mentioned before, the severely limited color palette available for today's interiors is just pathetic, as is the selection of paint colors. Mercedes has something like three or five choices of BLACK!
ReplyDeleteAnd while the configurator for the new Ghost shows pretty limited choices, from what I've read, I believe you really can get whatever you want if you are willing to wait for it and pay for it. That's always been the case with Roll-Royce and I'd hate to think that they would give that up now -- although one never knows now that they are owned by BMW. I know that Bentley still advertises that you can get whatever you want -- maybe VW is paying more attention to brand heritage than BMW!
Thank you for this trip back in time to when Lincoln was a real contender -- the first picture of the sedan is truly spectacular. Those were Lincolns! What happened to bring them down to where they are today?????
Paul, NYC
CASEY, YEARS AGO WHEN WE LIVED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, MY DAUGHTER WANTED TO DRIVE TO SCHOOL. RIDING THE SCHOOL BUS WAS SOMETHING A SENIOR DID NOT HAVE A DESIRE TO DO. AT THE TIME WE HAD A PICKUP TRUCK WHICH I DROVE AND LOVED, ALSO A CONTINENTAL. HER FATHER SAID, HE DIDN'T CARE IF SHE DROVE BUT SHE WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR NOT THE TRUCK. AT THE TIME HE FELT IT TO BE SAFER. BOY, SHE HAD A HISSY FIT. SHE SAID, BUT DAD EVERYONE DRIVES TRUCKS TO SCHOOL. THEY WENT BACK AND FOURTH. YOU GOT IT,SHE GOT TO DRIVE THE TRUCK. I HAD NO WHEELS UNLESS IT WAS DAYS WHEN I REALLY NEEDED TO DRIVE TO THE STORE OR SOMETHING. HER FIGHT WITH HER DAD WAS SHE SAID IT WAS A FANCY CAR AND SHE DIDN'T WANT THE KIDS AT SCHOOL TO THINK SHE WAS FANCY. WE WERE NOT FANCY BUT ALWAYS HAD A NICE HOME. NO , NO GUN RACK ON THE WINDOW. LOL, COWBOY COUNTRY. JUST ANOTHER STORY FOR ME TO REMEMBER.MY DAUGHTER WAS ONE GREAT KID EVEN TO THIS DAY. NEVER HAD TROUBLE WITH EITHER ONE.
ReplyDeleteGRANNY
I'm sure you looked great driving either car, Granny! If i was your daughter though, I would have jumped at the chance to drive a Lincoln back then!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI found your site and I enjoy your photography very much. In addition, would it be possible to obtain a hi-res image of your Lincoln continental picts? Specifically - the interior shot (the 4th one from the top.)
I would be happy to compensate you.
Thanks!