With 25,880 miles on the odometer, this 1997 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series Sedan has been kept by one owner since new. As a Signature Series edition, it is finished in white with a red interior and hails from the final year of production for the FN116 platform, which was an adaptation of the FN36 that was introduced for the 1990 model year. Powered by a 4.6L V-8 engine and an automatic transmission, the Town Car is nicely equipped, as would be expected from a flagship luxury car. Passengers are coddled with leather upholstery and wood-grain interior accents, an AM/FM/Cassette stereo system with sound by Dolby, air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power front seats with position memory, and tinted glass. Drivers will admire the cruise control, power steering and power brakes, and everyone will appreciate the exceedingly quiet cabin for which Lincolns have long been known. Born for lengthy road trips or evenings out, the Lincoln Town Car was reborn for the 1990s on the all-new FN36 platform. Interestingly, with the downsize of all Ford full-size cars for the 1980 model year, the Town Car was on its way into retirement. The idea was to produce a sizeable vehicle on the upcoming Taurus-Sable platform that would be fuel efficient, aerodynamic, spacious and reflect the new design language of Ford products. This planning was in reaction to the fuel crisis of the 1970s and slowing sales of full-size, rear-drive cars such as the Town Car, which resulted in substantial losses for the company. By the mid-1980s, Lincoln was showing a 300% profit on Town Car sales alone. As such, the front-wheel drive Taurus- Sable-derived Lincoln was moved over to carry the Continental name while the Town Car received an extensive makeover for the 1990 model year, retaining the rear-wheel drive platform. The all-new Lincoln Continental Mark VII coupe was released in late 1983 for the 1984 model year, along with the all-new Taurus-Sable, both of which were ground-breaking cars in many ways, most notably the aerodynamic styling that included doors integrated into the roofs, flush-mounted headlights, a gently inclined nose, a surprisingly curved windshield and other details—design language that would be seen in many other Ford products through the years, largely culminating in the all-new Town Car of 1990.
