One benefit of being a member of many, many Lincoln, Brougham and myriad other automotive groups on FB, is I now know a lot more ‘car guys’ than I used to. One such person is Phil Schaefer, who has tons and tons of awesome old cars. Case in point: He recently bought a 1936 DeSoto Airflow. The addition of another pre-war car means that some of the less-desireable members of the fleet need to go to make room for the new stuff. So here’s your big chance to own a first-year 1984 Continental Mark VII Bill Blass Designer Edition-with a factory-installed BMW turbodiesel!
1984 was the first year for the aero Mark, following the footsteps of the equally-smooth 1983 Thunderbird. Gone were the razor-edge fenders and landau roofs, yet with a still-classy appearance. The Designer Series Marks, which came out in ’76 on the large-and-in-charge Mark IV, carried on, however, with the Bill Blass in Goldenrod Glamour Clearcoat Metallic.
If that was too much gold for your taste, the alternate Designer model was the Versace, in Walnut Glamour Clearcoat Metallic. But we’re here to talk Blass today!
Starting with the Mark VII’s debut, in keeping with a more driver-focused environment compared to the Mark V and Mark IVs of the past, a LSC with blackwall tires (gasp!) and alloy wheels (double gasp!) debuted in ’84, along with a turbodiesel option! It was a 2.4 liter inline six, backed up with a ZF-sourced 4-speed automatic with overdrive.
In addition to the Mark VII, the turbodiesel was also available on the Continental, though I imagine even fewer picked the diesel on the Connie than on the Mark VII, though I have seen one or two Continental turbodiesels on craigslist over the years.
Which brings me to the sales pitch (cue Dr. Evil laugh). Phil wants this clean (not mint) albeit high-mileage Mark VII gone to make room for the new arrivals. So if Sajeev doesn’t buy it immediately, the rest of you could be rolling in gold ’80s Lincoln luxury!
Which includes full air suspension (which still works well!), primo 1984 Lincoln JBL premium sound, functional climate control (always a plus!) and these most excellent two-tone leather thrones.
True ’80s luxury! With 169,000 miles on the clock, this is not precisely a time-capsule car with 158.002 miles on it, but still a fun car to enjoy and take to the monthly cruse nights that will be starting up by the end of the month.
And come on, we NEED cars like this at the cruise nights! I mean, after the third or fourth show, I start wishing I had a rocket launcher by the time I see my 167th resale red 1969 Camaro resto-mod with Foose wheels.
Buy this car, take it to a show, and all the spectators will flock to your car, wanting to know what it is, and leaving the red Camaros and Corvette mid-life crisis mobiles sitting adrift. You need to buy this car. It’s for the public good!
And I haven’t even mentioned the priceless looks you will garner when you pop the hood and all the fine folks gathered ’round will exclaim, “Wow! A diesel!” “I didn’t know Lincoln had a diesel!” Then you can smugly sit back in your Members’ Only jacket and Oakley sunglasses and smugly say, “Why yes, of course. It is the same engine used in BMWs back then.” Think of the fun you’ll have!
Ifin I have convinced you, go over here and check out the CL listing. Phil’s a good guy, and even if you don’t buy the car, you’ll get to check out a rare ’80s Continental and yak with a true gearhead. Tell him Klockau sent ya!