Pages 4-7 of the 1978 Lincoln Versailles brochure. Notice the plastic digital clockface is endowed with a Cartier signature, not exactly the classicly roman-numeraled timepiece of the original '68 Mark III!
M Y CO L L E C T I O N — Lincoln was caught off guard in 1975 with the introduction of the Cadillac Seville. Cadillac created that new small top-of-the-line luxury car by carefully re-crafting GM's Nova platform, which by that time had been used for Chevy's N-ova, Oldsmobile's O-mega, Pontiac's V-entura and Buick's A-pollo. Cadillac "badge engineered" the Seville the correct way, without sharing a single exterior body panel, nor any interior pieces. The only shared pieces were parts of the undercarriage, suspension, and inner upper body structure. Lincoln, in a very rushed program to counter the Seville by 1977, had no choice but to utilize Ford's Granada platform, and with such a short time to the planned production date, many of the same body panels as the much lower cost Granada.
As a result, the Versailles always looked exactly like what it was: an over-trimmed, overwrought, overblown Ford. Introduced for the 1977 model year, it wasn't for another two years that it was granted a unique roofline, and even then it was an oddly proportioned vinyl covering that was placed on top of the original roofline. The Versailles was offered in the 1980 model year, but was withdrawn before the year was over, not to be replaced for close to two years. It wouldn't be until 1982 that Lincoln fielded a new Continental to take the place of the Versailles, again using a shared platform, but with its own dedicated, and fairly elegant body.
The Versailles introduced Halogen headlights to the industry, as well as clearcoat paint finishes. Both became ubiquitous to the industry in the 1980s and '90s, but they was just about the only "firsts" that Versailles can claim.
• For the Wiki on the Versailles, click here.
The 1978 Versailles brochure was a fairly large format 10 1/4 x 12 inch, 12 page booklet, with onion skin end papers and a very nice thick and textured cover/back cover for a total of 16 pages. The type appears to be embossed, but is not. The word "Versailles" however is a very nice metallic gold ink.
Pages 6-7. From the front, the Granada's origins were fairly well masked.
Page 8-9. Optional leather seats were very impressive looking, and the option list was as long as the arms necessary for the deep pockets required for the list price.
Pages 10-11, discussing the "uncommon integrity"of the body structure on the left, and the "stunning clarity" of the "wet-on-wet electrostatic" paint finish on the right.
1979
The next year, 1979, saw the introduction of a unique rear roofline to the Versailles, but the brochure was cheapened quite a bit. The cover stock is the same glossy paper as the interior, and the typography is much less elegant, though not poorly kerned or sloppy in any way. The booklet was now 12 pages including covers and missing the onion skin end papers.
Pages 2-3, showing the new roofline, and the newly padded Continental 'hump' on the trunklid. The '77-'78 Versailles' hump was painted metal, but by '79 Lincoln garishly padded it and edged in thick chrome.
Pages 4-5. Apparently the rear seat was fit for a Roman goddess, lol. The standard cloth front seat was a solid bench seat with a fold down armrest. For individual front seats, or leather, the buyer had to consult the options page.
Pages 6-7. The clearcoat paint finishes were really beautiful, especially in darker hues like this Cordovan.
Pages 8-9. This Diamond Blue Versailles sports the extra-cost padded rear coach roof with a Frenched in rear window.
B T W :
C H O P — I can't believe how crude my chops were back in 2006, I had already been working in Photoshop for close to 14 years. I only used the program to color correct images and add shadows for layouts though, not the intensive work needed to create cars, but still... This Versailles II was always meant to be over-the-top and garish, as was the original. I parked it in front of the actual palace at Versailles and made the grille texture as busy as the overdone windows in the background. I used the original MKS concept of 2006 for the base of my reborn monstrosity, lol.
An interesting detail I just noticed is the front wheel flare that I made a bit higher than the hoodline, breaking the straight beltline. That's not a Lincoln trait at all, but I wanted to add a detail that seemed overdone. The recently introduced facelifted MKX crossover uses the same large front wheelwell flare that also breaks the beltline. They're watching me!
This was always a real head scratcher .
ReplyDeleteWhat a dilemma for poor Lincoln. Caught off guard, should they scramble to get something out there now , or wait to do it properly and protect the reputation?
How well did these sell, Casey?
AP
They sold slightly more than 50,000 for 3 1/2 model years. They only sold 4,000 units in 1980 so they stopped building them. Considering how little it must have cost to produce it, they probably didn't lose any money, but they couldn't have made any either. Rereading my post, I suppose it sounds pretty negative! I believe they were probably very well-built, and had tried-and-true mechanicals, but they just weren't very distinctive. Apparently they're gaining in worth with every passing year though, as their lack of distinctiveness fades as the cheaper Granada and MOnarchs fade from the scene. Plus with only 50,000 cars built there are probably not a heck of a lot left in good condition. I can't think of the last time I saw one. We've had a Lincoln dealer in town for 40 years so they were fairly plentiful at one point.
ReplyDeleteNot so negative , although I am a big fan of The Palace of Versailles ! lol-
ReplyDeleteI tried hard to like these when they were new . I am loyal, if anything. The second years roof line had its points. The interiors were nice, but... I didnt get too far with my support. You know If you are gonna fool me, fool me good , don't make it obvious.
This looked like a lot of effort,a lot of little things were added and bolted on , whereas the Seville was all of a piece and simple.
Hey, have you ever compared the 1966 Studebaker to the 1975 Seville !?
AP
hmmm. I bet they were similar in size since the Seville was a compact Nova underneath. I liked those last Studebakers. I think they did wonders with the carryover bodyshell in those years. I think Bob Marcks had something to do with the '66s. I know he was working on a '67 that never came to be.
ReplyDeleteI always liked them as well. The 66 had those eerie-cool vents above the tail lights. Nice profiles,too .
ReplyDeleteI refreshed my memory : Brooks Stevens did the 64 update. Marcks came in after.
It was Marcks that got me comparing: I think he proposed making a super lux version of the 66/67 . I thought that would have been perfect as mid 60s facelift was already a nicely formal looking car .
Thats what got me looking. I am not drawing any conclusions, just enjoying the aesthetics !
AP
Oh Writenow, I'm floored! I can't imagine dismantling a home library and tossing them all out! I have books dating back to about 1800 from my family. I'm the last one alive and I've kept everything I possibly can. I've scanned the aged leather covers of the ancient books for my art and for my own book designs. They make nice backgrounds to overlay type on for sidebars etc. Sometimes I just hold the oldest books in my hand, imagining who else could possibly have held them in their own hands in the intervening 200+ years.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm probably the only one that liked the first iteration better. I thought the new roof on the second iteration was oddly proportioned and weird! I thought the first one was subtler -- and the Versailles interior was very plush and luxurious in that 70s way. To me the first one was like a fancy trim package on a Monarch.
ReplyDeleteI remember walking across Central Park on a summer evening, on the 72nd street drive and passing a photo shoot for the Versailles (2nd version) taking place by the Bethesda Fountain. The models were in evening clothes. It was the first I'd seen of the new roofline -- spy shots weren't as easily seen in the late 70s!!
The mention of Studebaker and Seville is a fascinating idea. The 64-66 Studebakers were very formal and they were on a 113" wheelbase vs. the Seville's 114". So now I'm imagining the Seville as the 1975 Packard! That should keep me going all day today!!
Paul, NYC
And, CAsey, I think you're being too hard on yourself with regard to the Versailles chop -- I think it looks better than most of what Lincoln is putting out right now. I wonder how it would look with the split grille?
ReplyDeletePaul, NYC
I always found it fascinating that the smallest Cadillac in '75, the Seville, was considered the top-of-the-line. It was more expensive than the Fleetwood Brougham, listing for close to $13,000 if I remember right. I was a freshman at Vassar in September 1975, and one of my friends from Manhattan was driven up to school in her father's new Seville, the triple silver/gray one, which was the only combination they were sold in at first. It really looked like the proverbial million bucks, and unlike most people at the time, I knew it was heavily based on the Nova. It just was so well done.
ReplyDeleteIn the bigger picture of Versailles, the original was the better looking for sure, but the second roofline at least gave it a bit of something the Granada/Monarch didn't have. Of course, not all distinctive looks can be positive as you say, Paul! The second roof always made me think of the Hunchback of Notre Dame for some reason.
Good morning Casey, Good morning Paul,
ReplyDeleteCasey,I recall many people stymied at the Seville's price. Common thinking said "big equals expensive." Small means cheap. Cadillac was very smart to make it expensive and teach Americans the difference between scrambled and Faberge Eggs.
Paul, now you got me thinking of the 1975 Packard-Seville!South Bend was a few towns over from mine as a boy and it hurt when Studebaker left for Canada and never came back. In light of the then looming Gas Crises of 73, they were the perfect sized American car, ahead of the curve since 1953!
One other mystery: Casey, Paul-why the heck did Packard choose to put a wide horizontal mouth on the 58 Packard Hawk? Why not the classic vertical grill? I know there were costs ,but the standard Stude had one. On top of that, The Request had the classic grill. The Predictor had one.
Why not the 58 Packard Hawk ?
Did I already ask this question?
I sometimes think of the (mythical) 1962 Brooks Stevens Packard Hawk.
Sorry to blab.It's not just the coffee: this place gets my brian working.
AP
Malibu
And by getting 'My brian working' I mean, of course, my brain.LOL
ReplyDeleteGood day!
AP
I don't know if there is any rational explanation for what they did to make the Packard Hawk. It's a mystery. I think if they had brought Packard back with what was produced as the GT Hawk, it would have been better. I could easily see the Packard grill motifs applied to the GT Hawk and the interior was already fabulous. Even if it wouldn't have saved SP, it would have been a more fitting end to the Packard name than the Packard Hawk (and how unimaginative of them to just use the name Hawk when there were many other historical Packard names they could have used. Panther, Daytona, Pacific, etc. Oh well, the dilemma of Packard will haunt me all my days!
ReplyDeletePaul, NYC
Just another thought to go with this thread -- I guess the Packard Hawk was the spiritual forerunner of the Lincoln Versailles!!
ReplyDeletePaul, NYC
Hello Paul,
ReplyDeleteThose are all good questions. I saw a pristine Packard Hawk out here at The Los Angeles Driving Museum .It had , as you said, a great interior . All that was missing was the classic grill and the Teague Cathedral tail lights .
You are right about the names, too. Why Hawk? Packard Daytona for the steel top and Packard Caribbean for the convertible ! A rag top ! How great would that have looked?
Maybe they could have eked by until the 64 re-design and Stevens could have introduced that Seville sized Studebaker Packard then.
Oh well...
If the Packard Hawk was the spiritual forerunner to the Versailles, then I guess the Hollywood Graham was the forerunner to the Packard Hawk!
At least the Russian Politicos had the good sense to use the old Senior Packard bodies well into the 1960s.
AP
Malibu
The Versailles is to Lincoln of the '70s what the Cimarron was to Cadillac of the '80s.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the commercials comparing the first Ford Granada to the Mercedes, and then seeing THIS come out.
I've always wondered how the Versailles would have been perceived vis a vis the Seville if there weren't endless Granadas and Monarchs already on the road at that time. The Granada, from what I remember, was a better starting point for a luxury car than either the Nova or the Cavalier (which spawned the dreaded Cimarron); it was already respectably quiet and comfortable, and had a typically opulent Ford interior. Its main flaws were said to be numb steering, unexciting engine choices and too soft a suspension for protection from really rough roads; all fixable to some extent. I don't know if a 351 Windsor (which would probably have fit) was an option, but it would have helped, and some variable-rate springs or bigger bump stops would have helped with the ride. The steering on most pre-Fox Fords could easily have been improved, but I suspect they wanted it numb to improve the sense of isolation. Anyway, given that the Seville looked more impressive than it actually was, how much less luxury did Versailles owners really get?
ReplyDelete