page_title: Lincoln Continental Mark III
section_title: 1970
hierarchical_section_title: Lincoln Continental Mark III / 1970
context_page_description: The Continental Mark III is a personal luxury car that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from the 1969 through 1971 model years. The Mark III was marketed as the flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company, serving as a successor to the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II. In what would become a three-decade rivalry, the Mark III was developed as a direct competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado after its shift to the personal luxury coupe segment in 1967.
  All examples of the Mark III were produced as two-door hardtop coupes. To lower development costs, the Mark III was based upon an existing vehicle platform, sharing its chassis underpinnings with the Ford Thunderbird. To distinguish itself from the Thunderbird, the Mark III was given model-specific design elements, including hidden headlamps, a radiator-style grille, and a simulated spare tire on the trunklid.
  The 1970 model was the first American-made vehicle with the superior radial tire design as standard equipment.
  Alongside the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental, the Continental Mark III was produced in Wixom, Michigan at the Wixom Assembly Plant of Ford Motor Company.
context_section_description: There were only small changes for 1970 and 21,432 were sold. The vinyl roof was made standard, windshield wipers were now concealed, and the wheel covers were redesigned. Michelin radial tires were standard equipment (a first for an American car), and a locking steering column/ignition switch replaced the dash-mounted switch per federal mandate. The metal horn ring used in '69 was deleted from the steering wheel, replaced by a Rim Blow unit. Increasingly stringent Federal safety requirements mandated the addition of red reflectors to the rear bumper, and yellow reflectors to the sides of the front parking lamp assemblies. Although horsepower remained unchanged at 365, Federal emissions requirements were met by the installation of "Thermactor" air injection pumps on the 460 cid engine. The interior wood appliques were upgraded to genuine Walnut. The door panels were redesigned and the power seat controls were moved from the seat edge to the door arm rests. The pattern of the stitching on the seats was modified. A power sliding sun roof joined the options list.
  Motor Trend’s 1970 head-to-head review of the Eldorado vs. the Mark III gave the nod, barely, to the Mark III, beginning an annual "King of the Hill" series that ran for years.
caption: 1970 Continental Mark III
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