1970 Lincoln Continental four-door Photos, engines & full specs

Ford introduced the luxurious Continental as a competitor for Cadillac and performed even better than some would expect.

The fifth generation of the Continental was introduced in 1970 and was based on the same platform as the Mark III generation, which was also featured under the fourth generation of the vehicle. It was, at that time, one of the most luxurious vehicles on the planet and also among the longest. In addition, it was packed with strange technological improvements, such as the auto-dimming headlights system, which was something that many other vehicles didn't have until the late 2000s.

From the outside, the squared-looking bodywork was a departure from the coke-bottle design of the rear quarter fenders featured on the fourth generation of the Continental. But the front of the car still featured the hidden headlights feature with lids that were vacuum activated from the driver's seat. From its profile, the long vehicle received a new, longer wheelbase than its predecessor, gaining about 3 inches (8 cm). At the back, there was no spare-wheel cover design anymore, leaving the trunk lid just flat.

Inside, the luxurious vehicle was fitted with a bench seat at the front and a bench in the back. Fronting the driver, there were five dials on the dashboard, from the left edge to the top of the center stack. The dashboard was completely different than on the previous Continental. It featured a scale-like speedometer, and several other gauges mounted to the left and the right of the steering wheel. Finally, the radio buttons were placed in the middle of the dash so the side passenger could access them.

Under the hood, the Continental was fitted with a 400 engine for California and a 460 for the rest of the 49 states. The only available transmission was a three-speed automatic.