Today, let us discuss the most plush, most elaborate and most Broughamtastic Lincolns available, of the Year of Our Lord 1974.
I’ve always liked the 1974 Lincoln Continentals, Town Cars and Town Coupés. Thanks to the revised bumper standards enacted that year, all non-Mark Lincolns sported a one year only look, front and rear.
I have personally found them very attractive, ever since I first saw a 1974 Lincoln ad in an old issue of Time Magazine at my grade school, circa 1992.
While the basic body was more or less the same as 1970, the details, along with the bigger 5 mile an hour bumpers I found very compelling. The slim, vertical bar grille, the color-keyed wheel covers, the fender skirts and slim horizontal taillamps…very fine. Elegant.
But wait! There’s even more! For as nice as the standard Lincoln Continental four-door sedan and 2 door hardtop were, you could go even above and beyond that level of luxury.
For the truly well-heeled Lincoln fanciers in the market, you could procure the extra cost and extra-lush Town Car or Town Coupé trim package.
As the ’74 brochure extolled, “The Lincoln Continental Town Car and Town Coupé have the luxury and conveniences of the Lincoln Continental, with added features and appointments which make them truly distinctive motor cars.”
What features, you ask? “A Cavalry twill vinyl roof in a choice of colors. Full-width head restraints. Extra touches of elegance everywhere: drawing-room thick 25 oz cut pile carpeting. A fully carpeted luggage compartment.”
“A glove compartment vanity mirror and initials on the doors are among the personal luxuries that are standard on these splendid cars.”
“The seating surfaces are fine cowhide leather, or you may select magnificently tailored velour Twin Comfort Lounge Seats. Color choices include black, beige, medium green, gold or silver blue.”
Yes, these were truly posh, in a way only 1970s Detroit luxury cars could be.
But unfortunately, around the time the 1974 Lincolns were introduced, the first gas crisis reared its ugly head and sales of large and in charge Michigan-built Luxury Motor Vehicles crashed and burned.
As a result, 1974 Lincolns are not terribly commonly seen in this day and age. 1974 Continental sedans, each with a base price of $8,238, saw only 29,351 built. That total included Connie 4-doors equipped with the plush Town Car package.
But wait, there’s even more! Lincoln Continental two-door hardtops were even more scarce, with a mere 7,318 made. Base price? $8,053 before options. Again, that included those with Town Coupé trimmings.
And of course being Lincolns, these cars had a high standard of standard equipment. Even before you started ticking off the option boxes.
Standard features included a power seat, power windows, cornering lights, power steering, power brakes and an automatic parking brake release.
And of course, you got a standard 460 cubic inch V8, Select-Shift automatic transmission, steel belted whitewall tires, a hood ornament and a Cartier clock.
I was reminded of these ’74 Lincolns today when I stumbled upon these two ads for, respectively, a bronze over tan Town Car and white over silver-blue Town Coupé. Both looked great to your author, who is admittedly biased. The sedan was especially compelling with its $6500 ask. Good thing it is far away from here, ha ha!
Reminds me of my first introduction to the Brougham world. Dad bought mom a 1970 Oldsmobile 98 Regency in 1973 when I was 15. Still had the plastic covering on the damask upholstery. Thankfully they took that off pretty quickly. Bamboo yellow with a tan vinyl roof and gold interior. A huge boat of a car. I was occasionally allowed use of it for special dates (dances, proms) so the girl wouldn’t have to suffer in my hand me down 66 Rambler Classic. Was sad to see mom trade it in on a 77 Cutlass.
Two things I love about these Lincolns. The strip of wood on the window shelf, and the thickness of the shag in the trunk. Where you rested your arm would remind you that fancy cars from the home country always had wood there unlike the no breeding also rans. The fancy trunk carpet reminds that now you have made it, you will be traveling more and should buy better luggage. The constant reminders put there by men who understand your ambitions and your struggles. are so much more satisfying than the overpay to join our cool people club that was the lure of those of Max Hoffman’s ilk.
Looks like a comfortable place to sit while waiting in line to fill the tank of your 8 mpg luxury car with crazy expensive 57 cents per gallon unleaded in 1974. Of course if you didn’t utilize all that blazing 12.5 second 0-60 power of that 460 V-8 you might see 10 mpg and be able to comfortably cruise all of 200 miles before serious range anxiety kicked in. Good times.
What’s your rub, pal?
I never really paid much attention to these Lincolns, but seeing these pics now, really illustrates their well chosen updates and clean lines.
I really perfer the Coupe’s steering wheel. The Towncar’s looks like the same used in a Maverick!..Different appearance package?
The 2-spoke wheel was what you got if you ordered cruise control. I agree though, I think the 3-spoke wheel is much better looking.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a silver interior in anything other than a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am.
1978 Pace Car Corvette had it, the 75th Anniversary 1978 Rivieras had a silver-ish interior too…..
I’ve almost certainly seen a ’78 Indy 500 Pace Car Corvette or two, but I must be blocking the memory of seeing the interior. To be fair, I once had a red satin Centerline Racing Wheels jacket right before I left it in my closet and moved to the Netherlands in eighth grade.
Tom,
One is Utah, and one in New England… to bad you are between them both…. 🙂
The Utah 4-door looks very well care for and dry mountain air means less rust. Both, Lincoln and Cadillac initally did a good job of intergrating the 5mph front and rear bumpers mandated in 74, no snow plow effect as on some of the lesser models. Also, 74 all engines built to run on both leaded and un-leaded fuel, last year. in 75 all cars mandated un-leaded. Those two would be a hard choice, the white coupe is really nice but like CJinSD said, silver interior is unique, don’t know why someone would chosed that color when there was a huge selction of excellent colors, unlike today. Well they may be arround for a while with the travel restrictions but either one would make a very suitable replacement for one of your bubble Town Cars… 🙂
Happy Motoring.
Lynn
I am wondering on the Town Coupe’ if it might have originally been built with a vinyl top, then lost it in some freshening along the way. Don’t remember seeing many without one from those years. We are taught to like slick roofs these days but I wonder if the resemblance of the vinyl to an up convertible top might make the greenhouse sit better on that vast expanse of hood and trunk lid and make the rear quarter window look more properly sized. Without it, some of the angles look more 1964 than 1974.
The coupe does have a vinyl top, the pictures are lower-resolution than the bronze car, but you can see the seams in the picture of the back end of the car.
yes Lincoln took a clue from famed designer Gabrielle Chanel aka Coco Chanel LESS IS MORE the 1974 model year was stripped of all the chrome that made the car look sort of cheap and HEAVY i have been looking for a 74 Town Car for 3 yrs im almost ready to go on a fast and ask Our Heavenly Father where the heck i can find a Town Car to replace mine stolen at a Chicago Cubs game 3 yrs ago I like these big cars to be the same colour exterior and top to be the same makes them look symmetrical the simplicity of design of this model year its was just breath taking and then they go from 75 forward and muck em all up again a barge rolling down the I15 or I80 or I70 this is why this car is a classic unique unto its self
GO GOUGS!