Mark IIIs. Why do people persist in believing advertising?

[Barry Wolk]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Why people believe that the 1958 Mark III isn't a Lincoln is beyond me when every single 1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III is fitted with a dash plaque that says this.

Wolk_Lincoln_Continental_Mark-III_Badge.jpg (22.13 KiB) Viewed 4434 times

I wrote an article on the subject. I'd love to discuss the facts.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotiv ... a-lincoln/

They tried to make the 1969 Mark III more exclusive so they furthered the 1958 lore and didn't put the word Lincoln anywhere on he car, but the title. All but a few aberrations are titled as Lincolns. They didn't lie this time, they just chose their words more carefully.

When I got the aqua Mark III slicktop people started sending me literature. My friend, Al Gorosh, gave me a Mark III brochure that was unusual. It contains actual photos, not printed pages. It is clearly marked CONFIDENTIAL in gold lettering. I believe this is an introductory piece given to Ford executives, members of the BOD and dealers. None of the cars pictured have headrests required early in 1969. Often called the "1968 1/2", but even that's not true as every Mark III serial number starts with a 9 for 1969. There isn't a single title, parts book or service manual that uses "1968 1/2". It just denotes a running change to accommodate mandatory safety changes.



Here's the first page of the brochure. How can anyone dispute this?



The rest of the brochure.







Note that the colors are not all that they offered. It shows the vinyl top as optional.





Marti Reports are generated off of access to Ford's data base. They clearly shows the car as a Lincoln Continental Mark III.

Why do people persist in claiming that the '58, '69 and subsequent Marks are somehow not a Lincoln when they were built on the same assembly line as the Thunderbird and other Lincolns, put together by the same workers, picking many parts from the same bins. You would have to believe that somehow the Continental Division lived on, but there is zero proof of this. I would believe it if 3 items were cleared up. Where did they move after Edsel occupied Continental's offices in November of 1956? Who led the Division? We know where William Clay Ford went, so, who headed the Mark projects?

It's very nice to think your special car is somehow not a Lincoln, but facts matter.

[ContiFan]

This reminds of the discussion on here that started back in 2010.
https://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/ ... 10&t=35028

[CaptainDave]

I know this is a hot topic within the LCOC but it's all moot to me. I'll gladly call a Mark II a Continental, but even it had a Lincoln engine and was sold by Lincoln dealers. When all's said and done, they were all products of the Ford Motor Company.

[Dan Szwarc]

Whoah. Let’s not go crazy saying it uses Ford parts.

[CARRJ142]

My Lincoln 2011 MKX rear splash shields have, "EDGE", embossed in them.
When I saw that I was wth, and then you move on.

[TonyC]

Well, the '66—9 models had "Lincoln" placed in only three spots on each car aside from the title: The two front kick panels under the doors, and the owner's manual. That was it. For the '60s Ford really wanted to emphasize the "Continental" status, which is why they all-but-officially changed the name of the division to "Lincoln Continental."

Yes, the Continental division was officially separate from Lincoln in the Mark II days...but despite some historical accounts (I admit they do exist), by M-Y '58 that division was entirely re-absorbed by Lincoln. They still wanted to emphasize the prestige of the name "Continental," but the distinct division no longer existed.

---Tony