Lincoln Versailles History

The Versailles was Lincoln's hurried answer to the downsized 1976 Cadillac Seville: a Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch reskinned with extra sound insulation, plush trim, and a faux-spare decklid. It was the first car marketed in North America with clearcoat paint and standard halogen headlamps.

Powered by a 4.9L or later 5.8L V8, it was profitable but never convincing against the Seville — buyers saw the humbler Granada underneath — and it sold modestly across model years 1977 through 1980 before being dropped.