The 1958 Continental Mark III convertible is the longest mass-produced convertible in US history — beaten by only one car ever built, the ultra-rare 1934-37 Cadillac V16.
Median 90 hp across 186 similar cars
Lead trim: Continental Mark V 430 cu in MEL V8 (315 hp, 1960) · up to 375 hp
Lincoln Continental Mark III / IV / V1958–1960
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Lincoln Continental Mark III / IV / V yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe 1958 Continental Mark III convertible is the longest mass-produced convertible in US history — beaten by only one car ever built, the ultra-rare 1934-37 Cadillac V16.
For 1958 Continental returned as a flagship model line for Ford Motor Company as the Continental Mark III (Mark IV for 1959, Mark V for 1960), repositioned as a competitor for the Cadillac Eldorado and Imperial LeBaron: to reach a $6,000 price point (about 40% less than the Mark II) it abandoned hand assembly and shared production with Lincoln at the new Wixom Assembly Plant. Designed by John Najjar (with Elwood Engel restyling the 1959 Mark IV and Don Delarossa the 1960 Mark V) and nicknamed the "slant-eyed monster" in the Ford design studio, it shared its unibody chassis (the first since the Lincoln-Zephyr) with the Lincoln Capri and Premiere on a 131-inch wheelbase, the longest-wheelbase sedan ever built by Ford: 229.0 in long in 1958, 227.1 in in 1959 and 227.2 in in 1960, 80.1 in wide (80.3 in in 1960), 56.5 in high (56.7 in for 1959–60). Body styles were a four-door pillared sedan, a four-door Landau hardtop, a two-door hardtop and (exclusive to Continental) a two-door convertible, all with a reverse-slant roofline and a Turnpike Cruiser-style retractable "breezeway" rear window; the 1958 Mark III convertible is the longest convertible ever mass-produced in the United States apart from the rare 1934–37 Cadillac V16 convertibles. Power was the 430 cubic-inch MEL V8 with a 3-speed Turbo-Drive: 375 hp in 1958, detuned to 350 hp in 1959 and 315 hp in 1960. For 1959 Ford cancelled the Continental division outright, the line continuing through 1960 as part of the model cycle. Sales more than quadrupled versus the Mark II (12,550 in 1958, 11,126 in 1959 and 11,086 in 1960) but the Lincoln division lost over $60 million on the Premiere/Capri and Continental Mark III–V.
Collectors Spotted in the Lincoln Continental Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Lincoln Continental yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Mark III 430 cu in MEL V8 (375 hp, 1958) | 1958–1958 | 7.0 L V8 | 375 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Continental Mark IV 430 cu in MEL V8 (350 hp, 1959) | 1959–1959 | 7.0 L V8 | 350 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Continental Mark V 430 cu in MEL V8 (315 hp, 1960) | 1960–1960 | 7.0 L V8 | 315 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
When this Continental ended production in 2020, it took the last Lincoln sedan sold in America with it — the brand has been SUVs only ever since.
When this Continental died in 2002, Lincoln didn't give its successor the name back — the closest replacement arrived seven years later as the alphanumeric MKS.
This Continental made Ford the first American carmaker to put airbags on both sides of the dash as standard — only Porsche's 944 Turbo had done it first, anywhere in the world.
For 1985 this Continental quietly became an ABS pioneer, adopting 4-channel anti-lock brakes far more advanced than the "Sure-Track" system Lincoln had used back in the 1970s.
The 1982 Continental quietly introduced an American first: gas-charged shock absorbers, tech so effective Ford later retuned it for the Mustang SVO.
This 1980 Continental made Lincoln the last American brand to finally downsize its full-size cars — and the shortest Lincoln since the Versailles.
This generation held the line as a full-size land yacht longer than any other American nameplate — Lincoln didn't downsize the Continental until the 1980 model year.
This generation’s convertible ditched its roof but not the weight: frame reinforcements to compensate made it one of the heaviest passenger cars Ford ever built.
The 1959-60 Continental Town Car and Limousine hold a grim superlative: the heaviest American standard-wheelbase sedans built since World War II.
The 1958 Continental Mark III convertible is the longest mass-produced convertible in US history — beaten by only one car ever built, the ultra-rare 1934-37 Cadillac V16.
When this Continental’s run ended in 1948, so did an era: it’s the last car from a major American automaker ever sold with a factory V12.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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