Continental Mark III / IV / V History

When Ford shut the Continental Division in 1956 and folded it into Lincoln-Mercury, the planned 1958 Mark III was handed to the Lincoln Division — but the cars were still marketed under the Continental marque, sitting above Lincoln, and were never officially badged as Lincolns.

The 1958 Mark III, 1959 Mark IV, and 1960 Mark V were each built for a single model year on a massive new unibody platform shared with the Lincoln line — among the longest cars Ford ever produced — powered by a 430-cubic-inch V8 and offered in a wide range of body styles including coupe, sedan, convertible, and the formal Town Car and Limousine introduced with the Mark IV.

Often called the 'forgotten Marks,' these cars marked the end of Continental as a separate make: for 1961 the nameplate was absorbed into Lincoln as the Lincoln Continental. (The later 1969 'Continental Mark III' is a distinct Lincoln-division car, not a continuation of this series.)