- #17783 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [ghulet]
by andre1969
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Jul 02, 2009 (4:43 am)
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Replying to: ghulet (Jul 01, 2009 2:40 pm)
I think one detail that makes that Mark V look plain on the inside is that it's missing one touch that was always the sign of an upscale car (domestic, at least)...carpeting on the lower door panels! Even on cheaper cars, that was one way they distinguished the cheaper models from the nicer ones. For example, a 1978 Malibu, Impala, Catalina, or LeMans didn't have carpeting, but the Malibu Classic, Caprice, Bonneville, and Grand LeMans did.
So in something as upscale as a Mark V, those door panels look downright naked! I think the pattern in the leather makes the car look a bit plain, too. It's just too clean and understated, not over-stuffed and pimpy. At least that car has what, IMO, are the "right" options...the 460 V-8 and a sunroof!
Now that I think about it, I believe I've only had one car with a power passenger seat. And that was, of all things, an '88 LeBaron turbo coupe! At least, I think it was power...memory's getting a bit fuzzy now. My '85 LeSabre had a power recline on the passenger seat, but the fore/aft was manual, and it didn't have any other adjustments. I thought the power recline was a bit useless though, since you would be able to adjust a manual seat much more quickly.
Well, in a way, I guess my '76 LeMans has a power passenger seat. But that's because it's a solid bench, so where the driver's side goes, the passenger side follows!
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- #17784 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [tjc78]
by andre1969
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Jul 02, 2009 (4:49 am)
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Replying to: tjc78 (Jul 02, 2009 3:48 am)
Normally brown cars aren't my thing, but that '78 Bill Blass is pretty sharp looking. I think the hint of red really helps. That's a really nice paintjob on it, too. So shiny and smooth that you can identify every single car that's reflected in it. Cars have come a long way since those days, for the most part, but I think one thing they definitely did better in those days, was smooth paint. At least, when you looked at the reflections on the paint, they seemed more crisp and clear. The orange-peel was still there, but didn't seem nearly as bad as on many of today's cars.
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- #17785 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [andre1969]
by lemko
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Jul 02, 2009 (6:29 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2009 4:49 am)
Wasn't the Diamond Jubillee Mark V the ultimate Mark? Doesn't it rank above the Designer Editions? Isn't it something like $8K more? I like that little diamond chip in the opera windows - nice touch!
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- #17786 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [lemko]
by tjc78
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Jul 02, 2009 (6:52 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Jul 02, 2009 6:29 am)
The DJE was the ultimate Mark. The package added 8K to the base price of a regular mark. The designer editions also carried a pretty hefty price tag as they were pretty much fully equipped. The main difference the DJE has over the designer Marks was thicker carpets, unique interior w/ center console, leather dash, the diamond in the opera window and they came with a tool kit. Most of the other options were the same. Alot of people don't realize that the 79 "Collectors series" Marks were really the same as the DJE just in different color schemes. IMO the 79s had better colors (Navy, White, and a few silver) as opposed to the 78s being gold/gold or powder blue/blue. However, the 78 was the last year for the 460 so there is an argument there over the 79s.
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- #17787 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [lemko]
by andre1969
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Jul 02, 2009 (6:52 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Jul 02, 2009 6:29 am)
Yeah, for 1978 I think the Diamond Jubilee Edition was probably the top-ranking Mark. I think my friend TJ said that his originally stickered for over $20K, and the DJE accounted for something like $8,000 of that. And I think stuff like the 460 V-8 and power sunroof were still separate options from that! I have no idea how expensive those other designer editions were, though...I'm sure they were up there.
For 1979, there was a "Collector's Edition" that was essentially the Diamond Jubilee interior. I think it only came in midnight blue, though. There was also a Collector's Edition version of the Continental Sedan. Maybe the Coupe' too?
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- #17788 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [andre1969]
by tjc78
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Jul 02, 2009 (6:53 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2009 4:49 am)
The original Marks I have seen always had nice paint. I believe the 78s/79s were clearcoat at least on the DJE and the Collector's Series.
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- #17789 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [tjc78]
by andre1969
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Jul 02, 2009 (6:56 am)
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Replying to: tjc78 (Jul 02, 2009 6:52 am)
I never really cared for that champagne/gold color they offered on the DJE in '78. But that light powder blue is to die for!
I always liked the light jade green they offered on those cars, but I guess that was just the regular models, and not on any of the designer editions?
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- #17790 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [andre1969]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jul 02, 2009 (7:13 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2009 6:56 am)
Interestingly, the DJE does not carry much of a premium over other designer editions---a thousand bucks at most. All these designer editions became somewhat inflationary.
Does anyone remember a "Williamsburg Edition"?
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- #17791 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [Mr_Shiftright]
by andre1969
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Jul 02, 2009 (7:29 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 02, 2009 7:13 am)
I remember hearing of a Willamsburg Edition, but had to look it up. I found this quote..."Some believed the Town editions had become too gaudy, so the Williamsburg editions were created. These were 4-door models that came in either gray or burgundy and deleted the opera window, the coach lamps, and the wide body side moldings. "
However, the pics I've seen of Williamsburg Editions online all have opera windows, so maybe at some point they stopped deleting them?
Lincoln seemed to have pretty good success in the 1970's with those designer editions. I really don't remember Cadillac doing anything other than the Eldorado Biarritz, and the Fleetwood Talisman. And the only attempt at a designer edition that Chrysler did, that I can think of, was the 5th Avenue Edition of the 1979-81 New Yorker. I think there was also a 1980-81 LeBaron 5th Ave.
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- #17792 of 19396
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Re: that Mark V... [andre1969]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jul 02, 2009 (7:39 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 02, 2009 7:29 am)
It depends on how you want to look at it.
In one sense, these huge "designer edition" barges were cashing in on genuine popularity for what Americans considered "luxury".
At the same time, we see cars like BMW and Honda and Toyota taking a different path in 1980, one that would lead them to great success and American automakers to disaster.
I like to think of the big Marks as a 'swan song' of an era never to return. I wouldn't call them paragons of quality, but as social history, they are important I think.
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