Lincoln · 1968–1971
Lincoln Continental Mark III
The Continental Mark III is a personal luxury car marketed by Lincoln from the 1969–1971 model years. The namesake successor of the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II, the Mark III likewise served as the flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company. Offered as a two-door hardtop coupe, the Mark III was noted for its hidden headlights, Continental spare recalling the Mark II and its Rolls-Royce styled grille. The Mark III was developed as a direct competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado, creating a three-decade market rivalry between it and the Continental Mark series. To avoid the exceptionally high development and production costs of its largely hand-built, extremely low-volume predecessor, the Mark III shared its chassis with the four door Ford Thunderbird. Model-specific design elements, including its hidden headlamps and large chrome grille distinguished the two — while sharing the same roof structure and rear windows, retractable into the C pillar, of the two door Thunderbird. Later models featured genuine walnut interior accents and a Cartier-branded clock. In a first for an American car, the 1970 Mark III was fitted with Michelin "X" Radial Tires as standard equipment. Ford manufactured the Mark III at its Wixom Assembly Plant facility in Michigan alongside the Thunderbird and the Lincoln Continental. For 1972, in alignment with a Thunderbird redesign, the Mark III was superseded by the Continental Mark IV.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Continental Mark II · Successor: Lincoln Continental Mark IV
All Lincoln Continental data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Specifications
- Manufacturer
- Lincoln (Ford)
- Class
- Personal luxury car
- name
- Lincoln Continental Mark III
- Production
- 1968–1971
- Model years
- 1969–1971
- Related
- Ford Thunderbird (fifth generation), Lincoln Continental (1961–1969)
- Body style
- 2-door coupe
- Wheelbase
- 117.2 in
- Length
- 216.1 in
- Width
- 79.4 in
- Height
- 53.0 in
- Kerb weight
- 4866 lb
- Engine
- 460 cuin V8 (385 family)
- Transmission
- 3-speed C6 automatic
- Assembly
- United States: Wixom, Michigan (Wixom Assembly)
- Layout
- FR layout
- Predecessor
- Continental Mark II
- Successor
- Continental Mark IV
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
US EPA fuel-economy records
| Year | Engine | Drive | Transmission | Fuel | MPG (US) comb. | CO₂ g/mi | EV range mi | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 424 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 452 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 478 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 466 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 462 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 424 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 449 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 478 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 463 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 424 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 451 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 466 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 21 | 422 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 2.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 453 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 3.0 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 19 | 467 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 3.7 L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 20 | 440 | — | EPA ↗ |
US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q593296CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Continental_Mark_IIICC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371882785 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:69MarkIIIa.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Stavo1 (talk) (Uploads) · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.