1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV

1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV - Cadillac Eldorado Slayer

The Continental Mark IV was all new for 1972. Longer and wider than the Mark III which it replaced, it was also 211 pounds lighter. The 1972 model was the only Mark IV which had an oversized front radiator grille which dipped into the bumper. The 1973 and later models had the massive, federally mandated 5 miles per hour impact bumpers and the dipping bumper design was lost.

The '72 Mark IV had horizontal taillights mounted in the rear bumper. This was the first Mark Lincoln to have opera windows in the rear quarter of the roof. A Cartier clock was standard as were "Twin Comfort Lounge Front Seats," otherwise known as 'lounge-lizard' bucket seats.

Power was from the familiar 460 cubic-inch V-8 engine, rated at 212 horsepower. The '72 Mark IV was 220 inches long and rode on a 120 inch wheelbase. List price for this car was $8,640; owners could expect fuel consumption of around 11 miles per gallon.

The Lincoln Continental Mark IV was a major sales success - 48,591 units were sold during the model year. The Mark IV coupe had 51% higher unit sales than the '72 Cadillac Eldorado coupe. In fact, 1972 was the best year to date in Lincoln's sales history - 94,560 Lincolns were sold in 1972. (posted 6/30/14)

Remember When: 1972

1972 was a presidential election year and much of the news related to the presidency. In May, third-party candidate George Wallace was shot and paralyzed.

In June, five men were arrested at the Watergate Hotel and office complex while trying to burglarize the headquarters of the Democratic Party. They had connections to the White House. At first, the incident was dismissed as a political ploy and Nixon was reelected by a landslide over George McGovern. Later, Watergate sunk the Nixon presidency.

New products included Nike shoes, Pong and HBO.

Actress Jane Fonda visited Hanoi as an anti-war supporter, causing much consternation among Americans. . Life magazine ceased publication.

Top movies included 'The Candidate,' 'Cabaret', 'Deliverance' and 'The Godfather.'

Among the top songs for '72 were: 'American Pie,' 'Candy Man' and 'Ben'.

New TV shows included 'M*A*S*H', 'Maude', 'Sanford and Son' and 'The Waltons.' Fiberglass-belted radials went on sale in the U.S. and proved quite popular. 1972 was the last year for small bumpers on U.S. cars. In 1973, a federal standard mandating 5 miles-per-hour bumpers went into effect; all 1973 cars looked like they were equipped with chrome battering rams front and back.

Deaths included Harry Truman, J. Edgar Hoover, the Duke of Windsor, Charles Atlas, Maurice Chevalier, Bill 'Hopalong Cassidy' Boyd and Jackie Robinson.

Jack Nicklaus won both the U.S. Open and the Masters. In the World Series, the Oakland Athletics defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3.

Other Pages Of Interest

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