1985 Lincoln Continental | Retro Review 

Me too. The cars of the mid to late 80's was so epic! They really made you feel like you where driving a luxury car.

An entry-level ‘85 Mercedes S-class was north of $50k!

That is an absurd amount of money given the underpinnings and (lack of) build quality. Then again, I guess Lincoln did the same thing with the Continental name a few years ago with predictable results. I still like them, though.

Yeah, I was thinking for that money, that better be real wood veneer!

My dad bought one in 1985, it was a great car.

Indeed, but this was not the first American car to offer ABS despite their claim as such. Ford first offered their “sure-trak” ABS braking system on the 1969 Thunderbird and also the Mark III. Chrysler also offered a Bendix designed ABS system on 1971 Imperials.

@@chriswilkerson1493 That wasn't the first time Ford marketed something as such around this time. For most of my life until recently, I thought Ford invented and voluntarily included 5 mph bumpers as a feature on all their cars, because that's what their TV commercials led me to believe. I thought that was the coolest thing I ever saw as a kid and totally geeked out over it. Come to find out it was government regulation since the early 70s. 🤣

What? The seats are flat as shit.

@@MercOne No they weren’t. They are far more comfortable the leather covered brick of a seat they give us now.

@@MercOne Typical uniformed commentary i would expect from someone with the handle @MercOne.

@@dodgeguyz Amen to that. Was just out cruising in mine yesterday. Thick pile carpeting, SOFT leather (unlike the cardboard they give you now) and a smooth quiet ride. Don't forget the one-finger steering and low-effort brakes. Serene, low-stress driving ;)

@@RobertSmith-js2kzYeah to bunch of junk worshipers. We had all these junk cars years ago. Detroit at its worst.

Hey, better than the mid '70's: 165hp and 13mpg.

I like how they referred to it as a "strong V8" with all of a 140hp and 250ftlbs of torque and tried to act like that 11 second + 0-60 was something to be proud of. They weren't fooling anybody. Just 15 years prior to this Lincolns could be had with the big 460ci V8 that made something like 360hp and 450ftlbs of torque or so, the 1980's really is a dark blemish in the American automotive world.

None too pokey. That was good performance at the time.

Try getting 20mpg with a modern V8

​@@nathanmcdonald610 That is a strong V8. For comparison, the least powerful 4.6 V8 in 1991 put out 265 ft/lbs of torque. The 1990s GM 305 put out 260ft/lbs. The GM 4.3 V8 in the last 1990s Caprice put out 255 ft/lbs. You need to understand, at that time luxury and performance meant strong response as in low end torque not top end horsepower. That said, it was definitely a strong V8. If you ever drove one you'd never guess it only has 140hp because you'd be balls deep in that torque band enjoying peak torque at 2,000rpm. You can't get that with a modern V8. Also this V8 was putting out 225hp/300tq in 1988 so....there's that.

It was optional. The Lincoln's got it standard and with four wheel discs. Lincoln's also were the first to come standard with composite aero headlamps. And dual front airbags in 1989 Continental.

....ohh and 70's and 60's too :))

This design was largely a holdover from the 70s.

@@KenanTurkiye I'd say it all peaked in the early 2000s before everyone started going turbo, super extreme CANBUS and touchscreen. And now people just can't afford new stuff anymore, at least new trucks. We're in a dark period right now. I hope we can pull out of it. Maybe things will be better than ever in the future.

@@HAL-dm1eh I'm no commie but certainly wild wild capitalism ain't doing us people any favors either. :)

@@HAL-dm1eh ....I do like my cars 'analog', old style, old smell, old feel, I may be quirky for some, but I like old stuff. :) For example my dream car isn't a warp speed Rimac, a shiny Lamborghini, or a sizzling Ferrari but a red Karmann Ghia with a large bridgeport 13B rotary engine, with all the noise and smells. :)

Might have actually happened if Ford hadn't gone down the fwd Mazda Mustang path for the 88 model year. The fan outcry when the new fwd Mustang spy shots started appearing (plus cheap gas again) made Ford do an about face and change the new Mustang to Probe and keep selling the old Mustang basically as is. And TBH- the exterior of the late 80's Mustang was not the issue... it was the interior. Wow so cheap. But then again- a 5.0 LX was a performance steal back then (with mods).

​@@BReal-10EC Probe has an odd story as it started as a Mustang and it's 3rd gen was repurposed for the Mercury Cougar. It never got to properly find its place between the Escort GT and V6 Mustang.

no it wouldnt 😂

@@SantanKGhey1234 Check out the 87 Lincoln Vignale (ford liked that name). It's actually really cool- the real production cars never look as good as the concepts.

An EV car

That’s the dumbest shit like since, ever. All that to cover for it being underpowered.

​@@MercOnethe late 70's when emissions and gas mileage required major design changes, most auto manufacturers believed that we would not have v-8 engines anymore. So the new "style" was that if you couldn't have performance, then you added what you could. Digital screens mostly mean cheap and clumsy now, but in the 1980's, many people listed after digital watches and clocks. Fuel injection was seen as a liability, so it was often overlooked or not talked about at all. Another thing that they could add without killing gas mileage or adding power, was making the case handle better, and isolating you from the road. The reason this luxury badge has a v-8 engine was to make big power, it was for the well off retired old fart that wanted to tell people he had a v-8 and had always owned a v-8. By severely limiting power output, emissions also dropped drastically, the same carberated v-8 was down to 112hp just three years earlier. Fuel injection added torque, fuel economy, and power after a nearly 20 year drop in power output. So yes, 140hp does not seem like much, but it was significantly more power than years past and often more than its competitors. It was more efficient, returning nearly 5 mpg better with lower emissions. A low reving quiet v8 gives you the feeling that the engine isn't doing much, and gives you a false sense of power. Let's keep in mind, the 1984-85 mustang GT, the "last year" of the carberated performance engine was down to 200hp, with 175 hp being top dog with an automatic transmission. The same year Camaro topped out at 152hp, and dodge didn't even hardly make v-8 passenger cars and were in their death throws hoping the caravan minivan could save them from bankruptcy.

@@lilsammywasapunkrock Yeah they made junk. We know.

We still do...they're just pickup trucks.

My Harley Roadglide is an interstate cruiser.

My HD Roadglide is an Interstate cruiser.

@@aaronbehindbars 🤣 hardly.

​@@RobertSmith-js2kzModern half-ton trucks are some of the quietest, most comfortable vehicles you can buy. It sounds like you've not experienced that.

It's because this is when the big 3 wasn't scared to lose a little money and they something new. Now it's all studies and boring cars

Under the skin they are EXACTLY the same car. I've owned both. Currently have an '87 Conti. They FLOAT.

​@@RobertSmith-js2kz I envy you Americans for these cars. We don't have them over here in Europe.

@@wp8022 trust me, you never see these around anyways.

@@wp8022 these are very rare in the US today, too. You’ll still see a lot more W126 S-class from this era around than Lincoln’s.

I love thoes Lincolns 85-88

We had this in an '88 Mark VII...loved it. Always thought it was cooler than what followed, and especially loved that you can dial in the distance to when it would react.

Very cool! Although it’s worth noting some of the early electrochromatic mirrors could adjust their sensitivity as well.

@@tylermacconnell217 Yes, but I don't recall any that had a continuously variable distance control like this.

He got the Smokey Blue interior option, obviously!

Means it was junk. Terrible engineering.

@@MercOne means it rode better than the crap being made now...

@@SuperBooboo02Yep if you don’t understand anything about ride and handling balance. This was dangerous junk. It’s why Lincoln is out of the car business today.

@@MercOne Lincoln is FAR from being "out of the car business" 😏. I don't like the SUV craze but Lincoln is still going ☺

@@jonathansmith1590 I think he means the actual "car" business since Lincoln only offers SUV's now - I'll admit some of them are actually nice looking though, especially the new Lincoln Nautilus.

I had an '84 Givenchy. Probably the best vehicle I ever owned. Utterly reliable and luxurious.

Yes, please

I agree

She was always cute...

You could also get a fuel injected turbo charged 2.3 in the 83-86 thunderbird, making 150hp with the 5 speed, while they "upgraded" the mustang in with the SVO model with the same 2.3 turbo with a few tweaks and an intercooler, making over 200hp. They later included a neutered 190hp version in the 87-88 thunderbird's as well.

@@lilsammywasapunkrock I had a neighbor with the 2.3 turbo t-bird, I think it was an '84 model. In the 6 months they owned it, it was at the dealership 4 of them. They traded it for an Aerostar.

That was Ford's premium "cat house" interior"

300 per airbag in 1991, replaced one, for sale sign went up. The dealer said good thing you brought it in, the compressor in the trunk runs 500.00

you might be surprised how well these cars handle. and they have plenty of torque to do what needs to be done. 99.99% of your daily driving does not consist of the 0-60 run. something that most low information people can not comprehend.

Handling? Compared to what? A bus?

@@MercOne 🤣

GM downsized most full size cars around 1976...

There were two eras of downsizing at GM. 1977 -1979 . Those cars were still large. The new C and B bodies had the dimensions of the 1973-1977 A Bodies. Then GM downsized again in the 1980's from 1985-1987. That one went too far and was bad and cost GM market share. Those cars were too short and too narrow. They started upsizing the cars in 1989. It was completed by 1992.

Me too. Velour interiors are comfortable with a soft, elegant feel. Today's cars have cloth interior which feels like the material has been supplied by Under Armour or Adidas.

agree 100%

That's what the LSC was for. This was aimed at traditional Lincoln buyers, a dying breed even then. They knew it wallowed like a pig in deep mud, but that's what they wanted. This was a boss's car. Like the description of Pauli in Goodfellows "He didn't look like he could move fast, because he didn't have to". Let the workers and lower management worry about the commute and getting there on time. You arrive when you want to and are going to be comfortable getting there.

What about the thunderbird?

Some early ones, especially LED gauges, were twitchy. Long term (beyond warranty) reliability was hit or miss. There's also the factor of "not what I'm used to". Similar to how a dog can freak out after you rearrange the furniture. Everything is still there, it might even be in a better position, but you've trained your brain to accept something else as normal and this isn't it.

@@christopherconard2831 I had tons of these cars (mostly Fords) for years after they were new. Never had any gitches. Same thing with several Lebarons and New Yorkers. VCDs not LEDs.. I think MW just didnt like them.

it was a BMW 2.4 4-cylinder Diesel.

Someone should have told Joyce that, the 'g' in "Vignale" is silent, more like "Veen-yah-luh".

And the modern f-series pickups with the dip line in the door, as well.

And that SEL cost twice the price…