To this day, Lincoln and Cadillac are fierce crosstown rivals. Forty year sago, that battle was waged between the 1982 Lincoln Mark VI and the Cadillac Eldorado – and Ford Motor Company was fairly pleased with its luxury “land yacht’s” performance against the competition.
A vintage review posted by TestDrive Junkie on YouTube details Ford’s confidence in the 1982 Lincoln Mark VI. Billed as a vehicle that was “totally contemporary in function,” the Mark VI carried forth design cues from the past Mark vehicles to the present, although it was touted as being quite a bit lighter and therefore more fuel efficient than the Mark V it replaced.
The 1982 Lincoln Mark VI harnessed a 5.0L V8 engine mated to an automatic transmission. Fuel delivery was governed by electronic fuel injection which was quite a novel tech at the time, helping to make the vehicle as efficient as it could be. Offered in two- or four-door, the Mark VI offered ample cargo storage, along with high-tech and luxurious appointments like genuine leather seats and a computer-assisted instrument panel.
Compared to the 1982 Cadillac Eldorado, which received minimal changes compared to its 1981 counterpart, the Mark VI was packed to the gills with new tech. Both vehicles featured front-wheel-drive (FWD) and four-wheel independent suspension. At the time, the Eldorado and the Mark VI were the only luxury vehicles in the world to offer those features in combination with one another.
The Mark VI packed features like the electronic instrument panel, message center, a tilt steering wheel, and speed control – all things that the Cadillac Eldorado didn’t offer. While the price difference between the two luxury vehicles was negligible if similarly equipped, the 1982 Lincoln Mark VI packed a substantially larger engine and more passenger comfort room.
In short, Ford was confident that its 1982 Lincoln Mark VI was a far better buy than the Cadillac Eldorado, its closest rival. In 2025, the fight between the two marques is ongoing, although in the case of the Lincoln Nautilus sales versus that of the Cadillac XT5, the Nautilus is the clear winner.
As Darrell Waltrip puts it, "You chose a fine time to leave me, loose wheel!"
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From the times Lincoln was a real luxury car brand and not the vulgar José it is today. With an incomplete lineup composed of only overstuffed Ford SUV's and crossovers and no sedan or sports coupe is way behind not only of Cadillac, but of the rest of its competitors.
News Alert! The Lincoln vehicle pictured was NOT FWD.
Just from a pure styling standpoint, The Eldorado beat the Mark VI hands down.
The choice was crystal clear to me
To me, this era represented the worst of American car design, styling and quality.
It is literally a “box” with glued on chrome accents, a vinyl half-roof and converted headlights.
I’m sure the interior us resplendent in crushed velour and fake wood accents that would make any pimp blush..