All Ford Day Highlight - 1988 Lincoln Town Car

This year’s All Ford Day in Geelong attracted more than 1,500 vehicles, while in excess of 7,000 spectators attended to check out the cars and enjoy all things Ford.

This annual car show isn’t just for Fords, though. It welcomes all members of the wider Ford family, which means you’ll see Mercury and Lincoln vehicles that were never officially sold in Australia, like a Lincoln Town Car.

A name originally applied to a top-of-the-line variant of the Lincoln Continental in the late 1950s, then again in the 1970s, the Town Car became a standalone model in Lincoln’s range for the 1981 model year. The first-generation Town Car was produced from 1981 to 1989 and available as a two- or four-door sedan initially, but only as a four-door from 1982 onwards.

The Town Car’s sole drivetrain throughout this period was a 302ci V8 and four-speed automatic. Although the 302 was closer to 4.9 litres in capacity, it was sold as a ‘5.0-litre’. This engine produced only 97kW initially, but improvements in engine efficiency and updates to the fuel injection system  increased that to 119kW for the final few years of the first generation, while torque increased from 312Nm to 380Nm.

Styling barely changed across the lifespan of the 1981-89 Town Car, with the upright grille, exposed quad headlights and vertical opera window in the C pillar being constants. A vinyl roof was standard, either full length, or in the ‘coach’ style like this example that covered only the back half of the roof and had a smaller rear window.

Minor changes were made to the badging and bumpers during the 1980s, with a high-mount stop light added in 1986. The 1988 model Town Car introduced a brushed metal panel between the tail lights that incorporated the reversing lights. 

Several special editions were released across the first generation, too, with special colours and exclusive interior finishes.

Two large, plush bucket seats up front and an equally luxurious rear bench were part of the standard interior trim that included full carpeting and lots of woodgrain detailing. Cruise control buttons on the steering wheel were fancy for 1988, but gauges were still analogue and the gear lever was still on the column.

While we were unable to confirm the spec and features of this particular Town Car, it appeared stock in every respect.

For JUST CARS’ report from the 2024 All Ford Day, click HERE.