26th May 2013, 15:23
Don't forget that the 1980s Lincolns were oddly proportioned too. Probably the biggest killer for these models in my opinion. Having seen many 1980s Cadillac Broughams, I can say that GM did a good job on making their downsized Cadillacs handsome and properly proportioned.
Lincoln, on the other hand, completely botched the sizing for the 1980 Continental. The trunk is too short and the whole car looks lopsided and top heavy in comparison to the Brougham. It doesn't help that the Continental/Town Car rides on a shorter wheelbase and is slightly smaller as well. The proportioning wasn't an issue on the 1970s Lincolns, and they looked good as a result, but Ford had no styling experience on anything but massive cars.
Just look at pictures of each car from the left or right side, and you'll see what I mean by "oddly proportioned" with the 1980s Lincoln Town Cars.
25th Jul 2013, 13:02
I agree. It's all about proportioning. Bigger isn't necessarily better; the downsized 1977 GMs were superior to the overinflated 1976 ones in almost every way imaginable. I too have seen many 1980s and early-1990s Cadillac Broughams around lately, and I've also seen many 1980s and 1990s Town Cars around too.
I have to say, the Broughams are simply more attractive cars. They look much bigger and more commanding, even though they're only like 2 inches larger than the 80's Town Cars. I also saw a 1963 Lincoln Continental sedan recently, and while that car is smaller than the Town Car, its handsome proportioning makes it look bigger than it really is. Sheer size means little; it's all about proportioning.
Ford should have done a better job with the 1980s Lincolns in regards to that and size. But I guess that didn't matter, since Ford's full-size cars were practically handed the market after 1985.
27th Jul 2013, 11:12
How do you figure that? Chevy and Cadillac kept their largest models around until 1996. Plus the full-size flagships for Buick, Olds, and Pontiac were definitely not volume sellers by 1984. The only 2 models that GM down-sized that still sold reasonably well in 1985 were the LeSabre and Delta88, and the downsized versions sold even better. While not my cup of tea, the American public bought them up like hot cakes in the 80s, and they were obviously good cars, since they are still around nearly 30 years later in high numbers.
25th May 2013, 23:51
"The 80's Linc's had all kinds of problems with their transmissions."
When the plastic grommet (brass replacement is best) on the throttle valve breaks off, the transmission will shift hard and eventually fail.