No Reserve - Stunning Diamond Jubilee, Texas Lincoln, Not Cadillac Coupe Deville on 2040-cars

Rare 1978 Lincoln Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition With NO RESERVE

400 V8, 108k original miles, Texas car. Rare Diamond Jubilee with Diamond Blue Moondust Metallic paint and Diamond Blue Landau Half-Vinyl Roof with matching padded trunk lid and Wedgewood Blue Luxury Broadlace interior. Priced at $20,529, the Diamond Jubilee Edition Mark V's were the most luxurious and expensive to date by Lincoln in a production car. Options include silver/blue tinted glass power moonroof with sliding shade, color matched aluminum "turbine" wheels, color matched body trim, quarter windows that lower and raise before side windows, "Opera Lamps" on the side pillars accenting the oval opera window (looks great at night) and a simulated diamond chip over the letter "I" of "Diamond Jubilee" in the glass of the opera windows. Other premium options included digital "miles to empty" readout, tilt steering wheel, remote trunk release and auto lamp/auto dimming headlights. According to the production numbers, only 1511 Diamond Jubilees were built with the huge "Astro-Roof" power glass moonroof, which was the most expensive option at an additional $1,027. Of those 1511 built it's anybody's guess how many are still on the road, especially in this condition. Here's a page dedicated to the 1978 "Blue Moondust" Diamond Jubilee:

http://automotivemileposts.com/mark51978diamondjubilee.html

This page lists the options and corresponding pricing of the huge list of luxury features:

http://automotivemileposts.com/mark51978optionalequipment.html

Wikipedia page briefly detailing the history and interesting facts about the 1978 Diamond Jubilee:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Continental_Mark_V#1978_.22Diamond_Jubilee_Edition.22

Mechanical: The previous owner bought the Lincoln in 1980 and obsessively maintained it, anything that needed attention has always been addressed; he replaced, refurbished and rebuilt almost everything. I thought I knew these cars; compared to him I was in Lincoln grade school. I don't use the word "restored" because people use the word differently, especially in reference to 70's era luxury cruisers. I would personally call this a restored car considering its present condition and the extensive mechanical and cosmetic restoration the car has had over time. He rebuilt the engine; it did not require a rebuild, he just loved the car and figured that at 99k and 30+ years it was due for a rebuild, the engine now has under 10k on it. The engine compartment was repainted and detailed when the engine was out. Over the last five years the car got a full exhaust system from the engine back including resonator (it's nice and quiet), new disc brake pads all around as well as front rotors, new alternator, new front end parts including ball joints, bushings and front and rear shocks as well as a set of new tires. The a/c has not been retrofitted to modern freon, compressor turns on and system blows cool but could use a charge of R12 if available or a retrofit to modern freon. All the amenities work, the AM/FM stereo and power antenna, the cruise control, the windows (small power vent and main) are quick, power seats work in all directions and the headlight doors open and close properly. The power moonroof and sliding shade work perfectly, no leaks in car washes or heavy rain. The engine starts easily even after sitting for weeks and the garage floor is always dry when I pull the car out. She cruises nicely on the highway, shifts smoothly, four wheel discs stop the car quickly, she idles evenly and the suspension is silky smooth over the roughest roads. The Mark V's are unique in that they have the cushy, luxurious ride yet still handle well for their size. When I drive my friend's '77 Coupe Deville I'm amazed at the difference, curves that the Lincoln takes in stride require slowing down in the Caddy. On the highway she'll get 13-15 MPG, pretty good for a 70's luxury cruiser. The directional/brake/turn signal/headlights/brights work properly, as well as the wipers and horn.

Cosmetics: The interior is overall in excellent condition. The Texas sun had begun to dry the top of the back seat where it meets the rear deck and the seams were opening up. The front and rear seats were reupholstered and repadded with the correct NOS material, "Wedgewood Blue Luxury Broadlace". The material and padding on the door panels and rear panels were redone at the same time. The dash display, padded dashboard, headliner and visors are in excellent condition. About twelve years ago the Lincoln got a high quality, perfectly color matched paint job and new vinyl and padding on the roof and trunk lid as well, using the correct "Diamond Blue" color and grain. He was so meticulous he had the body shop re-do the pinstriping after the car was painted. It didn't look right to him so he checked the factory specs and photos; the length and style on the fenders and hood were wrong (it's extra fancy on the Jubilee model). The stripes are painted on with two separate colors, they are now factory-correct. The Lincoln got the "Ziebart" rustproofing treatment when new, you can see the fill button in the shot of the door jamb. Every classic car I've had that got the Ziebart treatment has been totally rust free, including ones from the Northeast. The undercarriage is perfectly clean, it literally looks like new. The carpet was replaced when the car was painted in the correct color and pile. The Lincoln has never had any kind of body repair and the chrome and trim work are in great shape as seen in the photos. I've had several Mark V's and this by far gets the most attention, she's breathtaking in person. At cruise nights I get endless questions and requests for photos, she's always the only Mark V. I had over a hundred photos documenting the restoration work done over the years on my old Dell laptop which had a hard drive failure. They were really cool to look through, especially the shots of the engine being rebuilt and the car being sanded down and painted. The Lincoln has spent most of its life in Texas; I've never taken it out in the winter, it's been in New York just over two years. This car is one of those classics that's obviously always been a "Garage Queen". 

I'm selling the Lincoln due to financial circumstances as you can see from the lack of a reserve price. I'm a big fan of the Mark V's and the Diamond Jubilee is the finest example of this stylish, incredibly well built car. This Mark V is easily the best driving classic car I've owned. When the windows and moonroof are closed it's whisper quiet inside; many times I've looked down to see I'm doing 85-90 and had no idea I was going that fast. She holds the road perfectly on the highway, no drifting, no rattles or noises from anywhere. I got pulled over once for doing 78 in a 55 (again, thinking I was around the speed limit because she's so quiet), the Officer actually let me go with a warning because he liked the car!

I reserve the right to end the auction early as the Mark V is for sale locally and I'm open to reasonable buy it now offers as well. I can assist with shipping in the USA or internationally if necessary, cost of shipping to paid by buyer. I can recommend a good door to door auto shipper if you need one.
  Once again, this is a NO RESERVE auction, good luck!

Rare classic Lincoln which is as much a pleasure to drive as she is to look at. Any questions feel free to email or call 914-224-3230