1986 Lincoln Mark VII LSC

For 1986 the Continental Mark VII became the Lincoln Mark VII, receiving Lincoln badges; the BMW turbodiesel and the Versace Designer Series were both dropped, leaving the base coupe, the LSC, and the Bill Blass Designer Edition. Conceptcarz gives 20,056 built for the year, all two-door coupes, with no separate LSC or Bill Blass count found in an accessible documented source; this record's own production notes treat that total as probably a single lineage rather than independently confirmed, since Wikipedia's matching figure is not traced to a separate factory record either.^1,2,3

The LSC's 302 V8 gained sequential multi-port fuel injection and is rated 200 hp at 4,000 rpm and 285 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm, a 50-hp gain over the base and Bill Blass engine's 150 hp at 3,200 rpm and 270 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm; the base engine's own fuel-injection type is not stated by the source carrying its rating. Wikipedia separately notes the 1986 LSC received analog gauges. A four-speed overdrive automatic remained the only transmission across the range, with no manual transmission documented for any 1986 Mark VII.^1,3

The LSC and Bill Blass were priced identically at $23,860, with the base coupe at $22,400. Conceptcarz gives curb weights of 3,715 lb for the LSC, 3,730 lb for the Bill Blass, and 3,665 lb for the base coupe, while a separate period brochure gives a curb weight of 3,667 lb without stating which model it describes, a figure close to but not identical to the base coupe's own conceptcarz weight; the brochure also gives an overall height of 54.2 in against conceptcarz's separate 55.6 in for the same year, a second unresolved discrepancy between the two sources that this record carries without picking one over the other.¹

The LSC came standard with cast-aluminum wheels not offered on other models, while a separate geometric cast-aluminum wheel design was optional on every model except the LSC; P215/70R15 whitewall puncture-sealant tires were likewise not available on the LSC. Leather seating surfaces were standard on the LSC and Designer Series. Further options included an inside dimming electronic mirror, an anti-theft alarm system, and a Traction-Lok axle, none priced in an accessible documented source. Ten standard exterior colors were charted, from Arctic White and Midnight Black through Shadow Blue Clearcoat Metallic, with six further "Glamour" clearcoat colors optional, and a Sandalwood-over-Dark-Sandalwood two-tone reserved for the Bill Blass Designer Series specifically.

Interior trim varied by model: standard cars offered individual luxury cloth seats or optional leather in six colors; the LSC's own standard trim was leather with perforated inserts, with cloth inserts available as a no-cost option, in five colors; and the Bill Blass came only in Sand Beige, with leather, Ultrasuede, and textured cloth surfaces as a no-cost option. The brochure's own dimensions gave a 108.5-inch wheelbase, 202.8 in overall length, 70.9 in width, a 58.4/59.0-inch front/rear tread, 14.5 cu ft of luggage capacity, and a 22.1-gallon fuel tank. Identification for the year turns on the badging change itself: the car carried Lincoln rather than Continental Mark VII badges from 1986 forward.¹