Classic car lover Anthony Gozzo flew all the way to Nashville, Tennessee, to buy a superb 1989 Lincoln Town Car. He plans to road-trip it back home for 1,200 miles in the company of his father. "If you make it home, you know it’s a good car," he says. Will he make it?
The Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company rolled out the Town Car as the flagship trim of the Continental in 1981. The automaker kept it in production until 2011, over three generations, and marketed it exclusively as a four-door sedan. Lincoln only offered a two-door sedan only in the first year of production. The model was discontinued after Lincoln only sold 4,935 two-door Town Cars.
The one that Anthony Gozzo is now going to see drove through the factory gate in Wixom, Michigan, in the final year of production of the first generation. It was 1989, and Lincoln sold 123,669 Town Car examples, down from 201,113 in 1988. It was time for a new generation. But the first remains the favorite of the model's enthusiasts.
Even though the model underwent several visual revisions, the exterior remained widely unchanged since 1981. Either way, the car was dipped in luxury and was way ahead of its time. Digital displays, six-way power seats for the driver and front passenger, and a keyless entry system that would unlock the car through a five-digit combination were on the very long equipment list.
The Town Car was powered by a Ford 302-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) V8, mated to a four-speed auto box. Marketed as small block 5.0-liter, The V8 generated either 150 horsepower and 270 pound-feet (366 Newton meters) or 160 horsepower and 280 pound-feet (380 Newton meters of torque). The version that Anthony Gozzo flew to Nashville to see is the one with 160 horsepower. In 1989, it was the only one with a dual-exhaust option.
Photo: Specialty Motor Cars | YouTube
One of Anthony Gozzo's YouTube subscribers, Dwight, reached out to him, who is the owner of Specialty Motor Cars, to tell him he still had his mother's 1989 Lincoln Town Car but was planning to sell it. And he wanted a buyer that would really take care of it.
Anthony and his father meet Dwight in the garage where the Lincoln had been sitting for quite some time. The moment the door of the garage rolls up, Anthony can't believe his eyes. By the way that the Town Car looks, he brought the bag of tools for no reason. The luxury car barely fits in the garage, but it only takes a look to understand that it has been pampered over all these years. It is flawless.
The Lincoln rocks a gorgeous Cotillon White body with a contrasting burgundy canvas top. It rides on wire wheels, has a full chrome package, and is equipped with a keyless entry and a moonroof. The cabin is wrapped in burgundy leather matching the top. The odometer reads 26,939 miles (43,354 kilometers). And yes, those are four digital gauges. And this is 1989 we are talking about.
A JBL sound system and the interior light package round out the long equipment list. The factory Sony radio has been rebuilt, and the carpeting on board the 35-year old Lincoln Town Car is impeccable.
Photo: Specialty Motor Cars | YouTube
The luxury model still has the original plastic headlights it rolled off the production line in 1989 with. The original spare wheel with the original Michelin spare tire is in the trunk. It has never touched the pavement, it has never been used.
The car was bought new from the dealership in 1989 and has never left the town. Dwight's father, a Cadillac enthusiast with quite a collection, bought it from the husband of the original owner's sister.
It was driven occasionally and stored in a garage, away from the elements, properly serviced and fixed whenever necessary. So, everything is in very good condition. Dwight's dad only added about 1,000 miles during his 14-year ownership.
The car drives smoothly out of the garage and sees the light of day for the first time in years. A black cat walks in front of the car, and Anthony says it's bad luck just as they move the Caddy out of the driveway. Spoiler alert: of course not!
On their way home, they go take a look at a 1996 or 1997 Lincoln Town Car that has been sitting in a garage in New York for at least ten years. The car, which supposedly has some 53,000 miles on the clock, needs some bodywork because a rug had been on it. They also check the internals and find some issues.
However, they flip the on-sale announcement, so no one else sees it. They are going to come back with a trailer and take it home the following week. But now, they have a 1989 to get home with. Anthony and his father make it home on Monday afternoon in the gorgeous Lincoln Town Car.
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