We received this tip from Rob (optflv), and crested a flurry of e-mail between the editors. It is an extremely rare 1984 Lincoln Continental equipped with a BMW six-cylinder Turbo Diesel, and it’s for sale on eBay. So let’s take a voyage of discovery….
I will let the listing do all the talking:
In 1984-1985 Lincoln actually produced a TDI version of the Continental/ Mark VII. It came equipped with a BMW diesel engine. This is the same engine used in the 524TD and, at the time, was the fastest and quietest production diesel ever built. It is a far superior engine to anything Mercedes produced at the time. Unfortunately, it was released right after GM single-handedly destroyed the reputation for diesel’s in the USA and thus fewer than 3,500 were sold.In 1984, the Continental name was used on the mid-size luxury car which came with a standard 302-cubic inch V-8 engine. The 149-cubic inch Turbo Diesel six cost an extra $1235 over the base price of $21,769 (and was also optional on the Mark VII). The “basic” Continental was $3,800 more than the Town Car, and even more expensive than the Mark, so this gives you an idea of the luxury level.
The Continental was the competitor to the Cadillac Seville at that time, aping the “Bustle Back” styling that the Seville and the Chrysler Imperial used. Being a Continental, there was also a spare tire bulge stamped on the rear trunk lid as well. This is a very lengthy listing, describing all the pertinant information on the car, as well as all the flaws one would expect from a 26 year old vehicle. Starting price is around $5,000, and the car has over 118,000 miles on the odometer. You can see the listing here.
So, is this a Lincoln that is worth the asking price? And what do you think about a BMW Turbodiesel in an American Car?
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