Fun with the Continental Mark IV:

Yes, statistically the odds are that many of you are visiting for the first time because of a quote in Automobile Magazine about the Continental Mark IV. I'm not going to post it here, because you've probably already seen it. Instead how about a photo essay of the stunning Continental Mark IV? It's really hard to find a car that more beautifully captures the essence of the 70s than the Continental Mark Series. Successor to the wildly successful Mark II of 1968-71, the Mark IV made its debut for the 1972 model years. In addition to the tall grille, Mark IV also added a stand up hood ornament and opera lamps to the mix.

Rendering of the 1972 Mark IV by renowned Ford stylist Dick Nesbitt

This photo captures the essence of the Mark IV beautifully: 

Bumper regulations kicked in for 1973 and required a front bumper that would withstand a 5 mph impact. Many feel that the massive bumper negatively impacts the styling but sales volumes did not suffer.

The 1974 Mark IV now wears 5-mph safety bumpers front and rear. Also here we see the beginning of special editions- this Silver Luxury Group option began in 1973. A Gold Luxury Group was also offered.
Below is the Gold Luxury Group specification page from the sales brochure:

The new premium body side moldings and polished aluminum wheels really made the 1975 Mark IV into a knockout.  Many Luxury Groups were offered for 1975 including Silver, Lipstick/ White, Saddle/ White, and Blue Diamond. Below is the Lipstick/ White:

And here is the 1975 Mark IV display at the Chicago Auto Show:

1976 was the final year for the Mark IV, but instead of resting on its laurels, it reached new heights with expanded Luxury Groups and the new Designers Series. Four top fashion designers of the day created their own special Mark IV editions:

Clockwise from left, we have the Pucci Mark IV in vintage burgundy and silver. The Givenchy in turquoise and white, the elegant Bill Blass in Navy and cream, and the Cartier in monochromatic dove gray. The Designer Series was a huge success for Lincoln both artistically and econonically- they commanded a premium of about a thousand dollars over a comparable but unlabeled Mark IV. Descriptions are below:

 There were a plethora of Luxury Groups for 1976- Blue Diamond, Saddle/ White, Lipstick/ White, Red/ Rose', Jade/ White, the midyear Black Diamond and Desert Sand, and the Gold/ Cream shown above. Below is the Gold/Cream interior and coordinating exterior choices:

 Above is the elegant Cartier Edition. It came standard with the swanky Versailles interior in dove gray velour, but a Luxury Group gray leather interior could be selected for credit. The Versailles interior option was exceedingly plush:

And as exciting as the 1976 models were, for 1977 we had an all new Mark V to look forward to. Would it disappoint? That'll be a story for another day. But the 1976 Mark IV was a pretty tough act to follow.

Chevy Centennial: "My Dad's Car," Part III

Herb Younger meets retired GM Designer Blaine Jenkins, who is responsible for the interior of the '65 Impala.

 More fun today from the Sweet Chevy story that not only keeps on giving- it's becoming the Energizer Bunny of Chevrolet commericals. You'll recall that I wrote about the Chevy spot "My Dad's Car" last fall, the story of a father being reunited with his long lost '65 Super Sport after a five year search by his sons.

It's one of the best Chevy spots I have ever seen, and if you haven't seen the commercial yet, grab a tissue:



I had the pleasure of meeting Herb and his family at the LA Auto Show Press Day and talked to him about the car and how touched I was by the story. I told him I had showed the ad to my neighbor who had designed his car's interior and how he recognized the special door panels right away. Herb commented that he would like to meet him some time.

There at the Press Conference, they showed the long version of the commercial with backstory:



Now my neighbor turns out to be retired GM designer Blaine Jenkins, who was responsible for the interiors of some of the most successful Chevrolets of all time. He created the Corvair Monza and the original Caprice, along with the Mako Shark and yes, the 1965 Impala, including Herb's Super Sport. Just last month he was featured in a tribute by Automobile Magazine called "The Inside Man" and it's highly recommended in case you haven't seen it, but anyway Blaine loved Herb's Chevy commerical and agreed we should all try to meet up.

Some times these things happen and some times they don't, but this morning we all got together for breakfast in Palm Springs. I picked Blaine up in an immaculate original 18,000 mile 1965 Impala Sport Coupe (to set the right tone, you know) and off we went for breakfast and car talk. The man who owns the most famous '65 Impala on record met a member of the team who designed it.

Herb brought a the '65's Photo Album and his article in Muscle Car Review and Blaine brought his tribute in Automobile, and we talked about the automobile as more than the sum of its parts, the link they help create between generations, and of course the 1965 Chevy Impala. It was a great time and we hope to see Herb again. After breakfast, we drove around Palm Springs for a few minutes and somehow ended up in front of the Kaufmann House, Richard Neutra's 1947 masterpiece.

Is it hard to figure out why I love it here?

Blaine Jenkins inside the 1965 Impala Sport Coupe

Blaine Jenkins surrounded by his work

Two classics- the 1947 Kaufmann house by Neutra and the 1965 Impala Sport Coupe

Project Driveway

The December iPad edition of Automobile Magazine launched this week, featuring a piece on the Gucci Fiat 500 for whom your humble servant was interviewed. Guess my forty year obsession with designer cars has finally paid off. So for those who are iPad bereft, here are the screen caps:

For those of you dying for more background, here is my three part series on the Evolution of the Designer Editions. Pay attention as there will be a quiz afterwards.

Part I 

Part II

Part III 

Have a Gucci day, everyone!