1970 Lincoln Continental

1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III 2 Door Hardtop  By now, most people know that Elvis Presley loved cars.  Outside of the pink Cadillac and a few others, he once professed there are only two colors for cars, black and white, and most of his fleet followed that prescription.  In the rockumentary That's The Way It Is he arrives at the studio in a purple, high-colored shirt, gold aviator glasses, blue/black hair, and driving one of his favorites, a black on black Lincoln Mark III.   For consignment, a black on black '70 Mark III that the King would approve of.  It has a title verified 54,119 actual miles.  These are stately cars and with the two door configuration, cool cruisers or as Lincoln marketed them, personal luxury cars.  Less than 80,000 were produced and in 1970, just 21,432 left the factory.  Exterior Bathed in inky Black paint from stem to stern, the car has a presence standing still.  The long hood connects with the straight shoulder line of the car which continues to flow over the flat rear quarter.  The trend at the time was square edges and the wheel hump adds a distinctive curve flanked by taillights that are red blades.  The roofline is long and sleek, the rear pillar is wide and traces down to the rear vent grille in the window filler.  The chrome bumpers are in good shape while other metal bits could use some restoration including the side mirror and door handle.  The epic grille is in good shape surrounded by hidden headlights that will forever look cool.  Close inspection reveals some general finish scratches, bubbling at the base of rear window, (common for this model and others), swirl marks, red paint showing through on the lower body and the polished rocker panels could use a re-polishing.  Interior For 1970, wood appliqués were replaced with real walnut and that's what appears on the door panels which, combined with the metal backing plates and decorative band, are luxurious to say the least.  The black leather bucket seats have a simpler stitch design than previous years but no less classy.  These appear to be in great condition and the rear seats look virtually unused and would be right at home in a fine steakhouse.  The original steering wheel has been replaced with a wood rimmed, three spoke model.  In keeping with the shape theme, squarish gauges line the dash separated by wood partitions.  The Cartier clock with Roman numerals is especially noteworthy.  A simple AM/FM radio is also in the dash and the passenger's view consists of rich wood and a padded black dash.  Plush, high pile black carpet covers the floor, and the black headliner is in perfect condition.  Four round indicator lights on the overhead console are absolutely classic.  The trunk is clean and finished in gray flannel mats.   Drivetrain A 460ci V8 is under the hood, and they were rated at 365 horsepower.  It is fueled by a 4-barrel carburetor and tied to a C6 3-speed automatic transmission sending power to the For 9 rear with 2.80 conventional gears.  Power disc brakes cinch the front while power drums augment by slowing the rears.  The engine bay is very, very clean and we would not hesitate to open the hood for car shows.   Undercarriage Overall, a clean underside.  Typical surface rust is seen throughout.  The dual exhaust travels all the way to the rear axle where it meets two stainless steel mufflers then routes over the axle to exit discreetly under the rear bumper.  Coil springs are housed up front while 3-link coil springs and panhard bar are out back.  The only dampness of note is on the rear differential.  Drive-Ability I'll never be as cool as Elvis but sitting in this car instantly increases your cool factor.  The big grille leading a massive hood, the low roofline, the tapered rear, it's just so good!  The big 460 sounds great and runs well.  These cars are soft riding and a bit floaty and despite high speed chases on 70's detective shows, you don't wan