The Continental Mark VI is a full-size luxury car manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1980 to 1983 and marketed by its Lincoln-Mercury division.

[1] Due to budgetary constraints, planners chose instead to the base the Mark VI on the full-size Panther platform, increasing parts commonality with the Lincoln Continental.

[1] As part of the switch to the full-size Panther platform, executives sought to add a four-door sedan, a woodgrained station wagon, and a premium 2-seat coupe to the Mark VI model line.

From 1981 onward, all vehicle manufacturers were required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to use a 17-character VIN-code with more detailed information.

In order to remain in compliance with increasingly stringent federal fuel economy standards (under CAFE, Ford Motor Company was required to average 20.0 MPG for all of its vehicles for 1980), significant changes were made to the powertrain for the Continental Mark VI.

The first Ford V8 produced with throttle-body fuel injection, the engine was marketed by its 5.0L metric displacement (slightly rounded up from the technical 4.94L figure).

The 4-speed AOD was standard equipment on the Mark VI and all Lincolns (except the Versailles) for 1980 and was adopted by Panther-chassis Ford and Mercury vehicles for 1981.

In line with its flagship model status, the Mark VI had more ornate styling than the Lincoln Town Car, including hidden headlamps, fender vents (non-functional), C-pillar oval opera windows, and forward-sloping taillamps; the Continental tire trunklid returned nearly unchanged from the Mark V. The Mark VI featured Ford's proprietary keypad entry system marketed as SecuriCode, digital instrumentation (Vacuum Fluorescent Display), trip computer, Fords EEC III engine management systems, parking lights integrated with the front turn signals, and so called Touring Lights, the latter which were low-powered and mounted on the "hidden-headlamp doors", activated with the parking lights.

Alongside the standard Continental Mark VI, two additional trims were offered within the model line, including the Designer Editions and the flagship Signature Series.

Unique features included a rechargeable glove box flashlight, special seat sew pattern, gold and Macaser Ebony wood treatments and a complete digital instrument cluster with fully electronically controlled EEC III engine with a 4-speed AOD, and a leather-bound tool kit in the trunk.

As before, each Designer Series option carried exclusive exterior and interior color combination and additional equipment over the standard-trim Mark VI.

Givenchy offered Light Fawn Brown with Bittersweet Red metallic paint with matching interior combinations in leather or cloth upholstery.

The Givenchy color combinations were Light Fawn and Bittersweet Red Metallic for exterior paint and interior upholstery in cloth or leather.