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  4. III (Mark III / IV / V)

Lincoln Continental III (Mark III / IV / V) gallery (1958–1960)

The third-generation Continental stood among the largest unibody passenger cars ever built, showcasing radical Jet Age styling and massive V8 power.

All photos 121 I 0 1939–1948 II (Mark II) 0 1955–1957 III (Mark III / IV / V) 0 1958–1960 IV 0 1961–1969 V 0 1970–1979 VI (Panther) 0 1980–1981 VII (Fox) 0 1982–1987 VIII (FN9 / D186) 0 1988–1994 IX (FN74) 0 1995–2002 X (D544) 28 2016–2020

The third-generation Continental (sequentially designated Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark V for 1958, 1959, and 1960) marked the transition back into the Lincoln lineup with a fully unitized body structure manufactured at the Wixom plant. Offered as a four-door sedan, two-door coupe, convertible, and Landau four-door with a power-retractable reverse-slant Breezeway rear window, it remains one of the largest passenger vehicles in automotive history. Its radical design featured scalloped sides, dagger-shaped tailfins, and canted quad headlamps. Under the massive hood was a 430-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) MEL V8 engine producing up to 375 horsepower, connected to a three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. Annual updates introduced restructured grilles, refreshed rear fascias, and refined rear leaf-spring suspension tuning to reduce cabin harshness. Built primarily for the US and Canadian luxury segments, this generation defined post-war American automotive scale and engineering ambition before making way for a total design revolution.