Lincoln Versailles

The Lincoln Versailles is a mid-size luxury car that was marketed by Lincoln from the 1977 to 1980 model years. The first Lincoln introduced outside of the full-size segment, the Versailles is a rebranded version of the Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch.[4] Replacing the Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia, the model line was introduced as a competitor to the Cadillac Seville.

This article is about the Lincoln Versailles. For the Ford branded vehicle, see Ford Versailles.

Lincoln Versailles
1980 Lincoln Versailles
Overview
ManufacturerLincoln (Ford)
Production1977–1980
AssemblyUnited States: Wayne, Michigan (Wayne Stamping & Assembly)
United States: Mahwah, New Jersey (Mahwah Assembly)
Body and chassis
ClassCompact luxury car
Body style4-door sedan
LayoutFR layout
RelatedMercury Monarch
Ford Granada
Powertrain
Engine302 cu in (4.9 L) Windsor V8
351 cu in (5.8 L) Windsor V8
Dimensions
Wheelbase109.9 in (2,791 mm)[1]
Length200.9 in (5,103 mm)[1]
Width74.5 in (1,892 mm)[1]
Height54.1 in (1,374 mm)[1]
Curb weight3,827–3,913 pounds (1,736–1,775 kg)[2][3]
Chronology
PredecessorMercury Grand Monarch Ghia
SuccessorLincoln Continental (1982; indirect)

Deriving its nameplate from the French palace outside Paris, the Lincoln Versailles was offered solely as a four-door sedan; it is the final vehicle developed from the chassis architecture of the American Ford Falcon.

From 1977 to 1980, Ford produced the Lincoln Versailles alongside the Granada and Monarch at Wayne Stamping & Assembly (Wayne, Michigan) and Mahwah Assembly (Mahwah, New Jersey). In total, 50,156 examples were produced.[5]

Background

During the mid-1970s, the Lincoln division of Ford sought to expand its model range for multiple reasons. In the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis, sales of large luxury cars would ultimately recover, but the impact of the event led to the rise of imported cars in the market segment. As the economy-car segment saw market share increases from Honda, Nissan and Toyota, the luxury car segment saw different newcomers to American marketplace. While competing in price with Cadillac, Imperial, and Lincoln, the West German BMW 3.0Si and Mercedes-Benz 350SE/450SE and the British Jaguar XJ offered American luxury-car buyers a far different vehicle than produced by American manufacturers.

In May 1975, General Motors introduced the Cadillac Seville as a 1976 model, developed in response to the fuel crisis and European luxury sedans. The smallest Cadillac in 40 years, the Seville also was marketed as its most expensive sedan. To save on engineering and development costs, the model line used the chassis and mechanical underpinnings of the Chevrolet Nova; receiving its own body design, the Seville shared no body panels with the Nova.

In contrast to Cadillac and Imperial, since 1961, Lincoln marketed the Continental as its sole nameplate (though marketed by Lincoln-Mercury, the flagship Continental Mark series was not officially branded as a Lincoln until 1986). By comparison, Cadillac offered four distinct model lines and Chrysler (excluding Imperial) offered two distinct sedans. In one of the longest model cycles in the automotive industry, the Continental was slated for a complete redesign on a 9-10 year cycle. Following the launch of the Seville, Lincoln was faced with both updating its model line and introducing a smaller sedan.

For the 1977 model year, Lincoln introduced the Versailles as its compact sedan offering; for the first time since 1960, the brand marketed two sedan lines. Though nearly 3 feet shorter than the Continental, the Versailles was the highest-price Lincoln sedan at $11,500 ($51,425 in 2021 dollars [6]), following the lead of the Cadillac Seville.

The first Lincoln manufactured outside of Wixom Assembly since 1957, the Versailles was produced alongside the Mercury Monarch and Ford Granada. The model was notable for being the first production vehicle to be sold with clearcoat paint and halogen headlights in North America.[4]

Overview

Exterior
1977 Lincoln Versailles, showing rear trunk detail

During the development of the Lincoln Versailles, Ford had a smaller budget than General Motors. As it was released in 1977, the Lincoln Versailles showed relatively few exterior differences from the Mercury Monarch sold beside it in the same showroom.

With the front fascia, the body was restyled slightly from the Monarch to give a resemblance to the Continental Mark V and restyled 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car. In a major departure, the Versailles marked the debut of rectangular headlamps on a Lincoln, also becoming the first Lincoln with exposed headlamps since 1969. The rear fascia was restyled slightly, with a Mark V styled "Continental spare" trunklid lettered LINCOLN instead of CONTINENTAL.

In sharp contrast to the Seville, the Versailles shared many visible body panels with the Monarch and Granada, including its entire roofline. For 1979, the rear roofline was redesigned for a notchback appearance distinct from the Monarch. Using a fiberglass cap on the rear roofline, the update required new quarter windows and included the standardization of the vinyl landau roof.

Interior

Essentially taking over the role of the Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia, the Lincoln Versailles inherited many standard interior features, including many seen in the larger Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Continental. Along with power-operated leather-trim seats and steering wheel, power steering and windows, the Versailles included features such as a digital LCD clock, dual map lights, lighted passenger vanity mirror, rear-seat map pockets, and plush carpeting with soundproofing.

Chassis

The Versailles shares its wheelbase with the Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch and the four-door Ford Maverick/Mercury Comet. Marketed as a compact car, the Versailles is closer in size to the mid-size segment of today, in terms of exterior footprint.

According to Lincoln advertising, a quality-control regimen was used at the factory. According to the marketing, final assembly included dynamometer testing of the engine/transmission, a water spray test to pinpoint body leaks, and a simulated road test. The Versailles featured "matched and balanced" driveline elements, low-friction lower ball joints, double isolated shocks, reinforced chassis areas, sound insulation, and balanced forged 14" aluminum wheels with Michelin whitewall X-radials. Bodywork received the first clear-coat paint on a regular production car.”[7]

The Versailles shared its powertrain with the Monarch upon which it was based, with a V8 engine as a sole choice. Initially, the Versailles was powered by the 351 cubic-inch V8, phased out in favor of the 302 cubic-inch V8. The three-speed C4 automatic transmission was the only transmission available. The rear differential used in the Versailles was Ford 9-inch with rear disc brakes, replacing the drums on the Granada and the Monarch.

Engine model DisplacementHorsepowerTorqueTransmission
Ford Windsor V8 302 cubic inches (4.9 liters)133 bhp (99 kW; 135 PS) at 3600 rpm243 lb⋅ft (329 N⋅m) at 1600 rpm Ford C4 3-speed automatic
Ford Windsor V8 351 cubic inches (5.8 liters) 135 bhp (101 kW; 137 PS) at 3200 rpm 275 lb⋅ft (373 N⋅m) at 1600 rpm
[8][9]

Sales

In comparison to the Cadillac Seville, the Lincoln Versailles fared poorly, outsold by the Cadillac by a three to one margin in its 1977 debut year. Following its update for the 1979 model year, sales of the Versailles would more than double, though remaining far behind its Cadillac counterpart.

In its entire production run, Lincoln would sell 50,156 examples of the Versailles.[5] By comparison, Cadillac would outsell that total in both 1978 and 1979, the last two years of the first-generation Seville.

Model Year Production
1977 15,434[10]
1978 8,931[11]
1979 21,007[12]
1980 4,784[13]

References
  1. "1978 Versailles Brochure". Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  2. 1980 LINCOLN VERSAILLES 5.0L Select-Shift data in automobile-catalog.com
  3. 1977 LINCOLN VERSAILLES 351-2V Select-Shift data in automobile-catalog.com
  4. "Obscure American Car: Lincoln Versailles". CNet.com, September 15, 2013, Dan Duncan.
  5. "Production & Registry totals". The Granada-Monarch-Versailles Registry. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  6. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  7. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.595.
  8. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.596. 351 specs
  9. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.597. 302 specs
  10. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.596.
  11. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.597.
  12. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.599.
  13. Flammang, James Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, Inc 1999), p.601.
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