Sunday, July 3, 2011

Town Car

The Lincoln Town Car is one of the most established automotive nameplates in America, and although it has taken many different forms since it debuted as a trim level for the 1969-'71 Continental, its purpose remains the same: to spoil up to six occupants with spacious and luxurious accommodations no matter where in the car they are sitting.

Since then, the big, V8-powered rear-wheel-drive Town Car has been Lincoln's flagship sedan. However, while the Town Car's old-school brand of luxury used to be all the rage, times have changed, and most drivers even among the elder set expect more responsiveness than the Town Car delivers. Today, the Lincoln Town Car is heavily supported by the livery business thanks to its palatial dimensions, massive trunk and silky ride, thereby making it an ideal shuttle for aristocrats in need of a lift.

Next to other premium luxury cars, especially from the import brands, the big Town Car remains a relative bargain, delivering a lot of metal for the money. But that can't change its status as one of the last body-on-frame luxury car relics still in production. Indeed, many of its competitors provide the Town Car's isolationist approach to motoring without the cumbersome handling, glacial acceleration and guzzling fuel economy.

Town Car

Equipped with wide front and rear bench seats, the current Lincoln Town Car is one of the few six-passenger cars around. Both standard- and long-wheelbase models are offered, each powered by a V8 engine.
The Town Car is offered in two trim levels: the standard-wheelbase Signature Limited and the longer-wheelbase Signature L. Town Car has many Feature highlights include dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front (and rear in the L) seats, power-adjustable pedals, a premium sound system, a power-operated trunk and a memory system linking the seats, pedals and mirrors to preset preferences. The Town Car Signature L is essentially a limousine. Town Car has Six inches longer than the standard car, the L features a much roomier rear bench seat with separate audio and climate controls.
With so much weight to pull around, the Lincoln Town Car's 4.6-liter V8 engine is incapable of providing quick acceleration in spite of its 239 horsepower and 287 pound-feet of torque. Not helping matters is an antiquated four-speed automatic that lacks the choice of gear ratios and fuel-economy benefits of the five- and six-speed automatics found on competitive sedans.
Town Car editorial reviews, we appreciated this generation's stronger frame, sharpened steering and upgraded brakes. Town Car model also earned favorable commentary for its abundant storage areas, magic-carpet ride quality, interior spaciousness and ability to swallow four sets of golf clubs in the huge trunk. Negative comments focused on the weak motor, soft handling and old-school interior and exterior design.

Town Car

When the current-generation Lincoln Town Car was introduced in 2003, improvements included a strengthened frame, updated mechanicals, more formal styling and a new interior.Town Car is standard-wheelbase models were initially offered in three trim levels: base Executive, luxury Signature and ultra-plush Cartier, with the long-wheelbase L version offered in the latter two. The next year saw just two trims, with the Executive renamed the Signature and the Cartier renamed the Ultimate, which could also be had in L configuration. For '05, Town Car trim level shuffle continued with the Ultimate renamed the Signature Limited and offered alongside the base Signature and long-wheelbase Signature L. A chrome-bedecked Designer version bowed for '06 but was gone by '08, leaving just the Signature Limited and Signature L. Changes have been essentially nil since then.
The 1998-2002 Town Car model, despite lacking the current model's updates, offered the same brand of quiet, roomy comfort. Town Car offered in Executive, Signature and Cartier editions, and beginning in 2002, the latter two trim levels were available in long-wheelbase form. Between 1998 and 2000, the Town Car was powered by a 4.6-liter V8 that produced 205 hp. In 2001, hp was bumped up to 220 for Executive and Signature editions, while Cartier versions produced 235 hp.
Between 1990 and 1997, the Town Car was boxy, slab-sided and formal. However, its radiused edges, flush-mounted windows and lighting elements made it appear infinitely more modern and aerodynamic than the carriage-like pre-1990 models. Town Car 1991, an overhead-cam 4.6-liter V8 was installed that, with 190 hp, was significantly more powerful than the 5.0-liter V8 in previous Town Cars. In 1994, hp rose once again to 210. Other notable developments for mid-1990s Town Car models included an optional Handling Package with firmer suspension and matched tires introduced for 1993, and a subtle but tasteful interior and exterior restyle for 1995.
Most editorial reviewers of the time noted the Town Car's strength as a serene reading room on wheels while lamenting its ponderous driving dynamics. However, there was universal acknowledgement that the Lincoln Town Car never has been for spirited drivers, but rather for those who grew up believing that big, comfortable, rear-wheel-drive American luxury cars were the ultimate reward for a job well done. And for them, this Town Car was a perfect fit.