Lee Iacocca has accomplished a great many things in his automotive carrer. Besides minor extra-curricular activities such as rebuilding Chrysler and the Statue of Liberty, he has managed to have a far hand in bringing some cars to market as well. Many of his projects have been sucesses (the Mustang and the original T-115 Chrysler minivan, to name two) with a few not being quite so well received, such as the Lincoln Versailles and the "Chryslerati" TC. One pet project considered among his best was the Lincoln Continental Mark III.

By mid-1965, the Mustang was the hottest news maker in the car business. Iacocca was riding the Mustang's wave of success in creating the pony car market, and set out to find another niche to fill. Buick fired a direct hit at the emerging "personal luxury" market with its new Riviera in 1963, and by 1965, Ford was well aware GM was preparing to launch the Toronado in 1966. Cadillac was to enter the top end of the market with the all new Eldorado, the division's front-driver, the following year. Lido and company decided it was time to get cracking on their own high-line entry.

Although Ford had the T-Bird to compete with the Olds and Buick entries, Lincoln had been out of this particular market since the Mark II's demise some 10 years earlier.

The Mark II continuation of Edsel Ford's original Continental pre-war luxury car, being beautifully finished and largely hand-built. To make a new Mark price competitive, Ford's design team, led by L. David Ash, needed to base the car on an existing platform, unlike the Mark II, which was a completely purpose built design. The four-door T-Bird platform, with its 117-inch wheelbase, was chosen and the Mark III was pennned with many "limo-like" styling cues: a small backlight, windwing-sized rear windows, a thickly padded twill grain top and hideaway headlights.

Besides retaining the Mark II's long-hood, short-deck look, the final acknowledgement of it's heritage came in the form of the vestigal spare-tire hump on the trunk lid. The important-looking, Parthenon-styled grille no doubt drew long glances from a certain automotive manufacturer based in Crewe, and I'm told the resemblance was no accident.

Every power accessory producible at the time was specified, including a read-wheel anti-skid braking system, a rudimentary forerunner of today's ABS. The interior was plush, to say the least, and included specially selected (though optional) leather seating, genuine wood on the dash and doors, heavy cut pile carpets and a Cartier clock. No less than Hermann C. Brunn, the son of classic era custom-body builder Hermann Brunn, was called in to coordinate the final color, trim, and interior combinations (thankfully, Blass, Pucci, and Givenchy were all still doing gowns instead of cars).

Only one powertrain was available, but it was ideally suited to the big coupe; Ford's new 460-cid V-8, mated to a C-6 three-speed automatic transmission. Although the Eldo boasted 500 cubic inches (no less than 8.2 litres), the Lincoln bested the Caddy's output with 365 hp and a trainlike 500 pounds of torque. It's a good thing, too, as a Mark III, with two aboard and a full tank of fuel pegged the scale with more than 5000 pounds of Ford's best road hugging weight.

The Mark came out as a 1968-and-a-half model, and just under 80,000 units were sold by the end of production in 1971. Prices ranged from $10,000 to $12,000, depending on year and equipment.

Few cars of the '70s would fit the description of "Dream Boat" better than the Continental Mark III. Punch up 70 on the cruise control, adjust the six-way, leather-covered Lazy Boy-like seats, and point the aristocratic grille toward Vegas. The ride is supple. The interior vault-quiet, even by today's standards. Accelleration is a bit leisurely off the line; this car has a lot of mass to get rolling. Mid-range acceleration is impressive, however, and the Mark will show its trunk hump to most of traffic once the throttle is floored.

Handling is a relative term for most cars approaching 5000 pounds, but (for the first time on a Lincoln) factory Michelin radial tires keep the car's tonnage from wallowing right off the road. Its forte is the interstate, where it will effortlessly gobble up miles and miles.

Lincoln-Mercury met its goals with the Mark III, not the least of which was to outsell Cadillac. In 1969, Motor Trend paired off the Mark and the Eldo in a "King of the Hill" road test. The Lincoln trounced the Caddy, so MT staged a rematch the next year. The results were the same, and again so for 1971. In 1972, a new Mark IV was introduced, carrying over most of the now-traditional Mark cues ("if it ain't broke...").

But beginning in 1973, the line started a downward turn.

Bumpers grew bigger, engines grew smaller. The subsequent Mark V (1977-79) and Mark VI (1980 through 1983) were festooned with every baroque touch short of gold lame' wheel covers.

In 1984, Ford brought some justice back to the nameplate with the all-new Mark VII, the top-selling model of the series. An all-new Mark VIII is due out as a 1993 model, no doubt to once again do battle with yet another Eldorado.

Few automobile executives have ever been able to smell a niche in the market - a whole new market - better than Lee Iacocca. With this third version of Lincoln's personal luxury coupe, it can be said that he definitely hit the Mark.

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