Cadillac de Ville, Chrysler New Yorker and Lincoln Town Car are the luxury cars our parents or grandparents dreamed of owning. The ultimate in automotive sumptuousness, for years they and their predecessors set world standards for luxury. The 1997 Lincoln Town Car fit this old-fashioned mold perfectly, and held remarkable loyalty from the shrinking group of people born in the 1920s and '30s. Float, bloat, size and weight were the principal design criteria for this car.
    Somewhere along the way the rest of the world brought their better-riding, easier-handling, sportier luxury cars to these shores, and sales of U.S luxury cars dropped precipitously. Ford, realizing that its customer base was disappearing, decided to redesign the Town Car for 1998 and try to attract somewhat younger buyers, maybe those born in the '40s. The 1998 Town Car is definitely an improved vehicle and now fits somewhere between the Cadillac deVille and the Lexus LS400, although the Lexus costs $10,000 to $20,000 more.
    The new 1998 Town Car rides and handles better, is quieter, better-equipped and cheaper than its predecessor. It’s still big — enormous, in fact. A full six-seater with a huge trunk, the Car Guys say it is big enough to hold a couple of terminated mob bosses. The smoother shape is dramatic and eye-catching, leaving the Cadillac deVille as the only remaining all-American barge.

The 1998 Lincoln Town Car still is luxurious with a more up-to-date look.

    The driving experience is remarkably pleasant, even though the car is still a little floaty and reluctant to take sharp turns. The power is adequate but leaves the adrenalin unpumped. Braking no longer makes the front of the car dive, thanks to revised front-suspension geometry. Larger front discs and twin piston calipers have improved stopping power. It’s a perfect car to take four or five people from San Diego to Las Vegas. Smooth, quiet and comfortable, with no crush and an excellent radio/CD player, this car can cruise at 75 to 80 mph without fuss or strain. A luxury alternative to a minivan.
    The Town Car comes in three flavors: the Executive Series, the Signature Series and the top-of-the-line Cartier series. A special addition to this group is the Signature Touring Sedan, with a more powerful 220 hp V-8 engine and dual exhaust, monotube Tokico shock absorbers, stiffer springs and stabilizer bar for a sportier ride and handling feel, lower rear-axle ratio for faster acceleration and a special torque converter for more responsive shifting. The result is remarkable handling for a car as big and heavy as this one. This is the model I'd choose.
    Ford still uses its single overhead cam 282 cubic inch, 16-valve, 205 hp engine for the Lincoln (220 hp in the Signature Touring Sedan and the Cartier series). It’s not quite up to the twin overhead cam 32-valve, 300 hp engine in the competitive Cadillac. Maybe Ford will begin offering its own twin overhead cam, 32-valve 280 hp engine used in the almost-defunct Lincoln Mark VIII. It would certainly make this car go.
    Aside from all the normal features found in a luxury car — air, power everything, leather, premium AM/FM radio/cassette etc. — these cars have 4 wheel anti-lock disc brakes, all-speed electronic traction control, speed sensitive variable assist power steering, and a fail-safe cooling system that allows the engine to limp home on alternating cylinders if you lose all your coolant.
    The bottom-of-the-line Lincoln Town Car Executive is base-priced at $37,660 with very few options; the Signature sedan is priced at $39,480 which includes programmable garage door openers, audio/climate controls on the steering wheel, front and rear armrests with special storage for cassettes, a cradle for a carphone, heated power outside programmable memory mirrors, memory seats and power lumbar support. The Signature Touring Sedan, with its more powerful motor and better suspension, is a bargain must-have $500 option. An entertainment package with moonroof, upgraded sound system with a trunk-mounted CD changer is an $1,845 option; voice-activated portable phone is $790, tri-coat paint is $365, heated driver and passenger seats, $290, and a full-size spare, $120.
    The Cartier series carries a base price of $41,830 which includes all the Signature standard items, plus heated front seats, upgraded Ford JBL sound system, dual exhaust system, tri-coat paint and the 220 hp engine. Options include the voice-activated phone, full-size spare tire and an entertainment package including moonroof and compact disc-changer for $1,550.
    Ford offers a 48-month, 50,000-mile warranty for these big cars. The EPA-rated fuel consumption is phenomenal at 17 city/25 highway. If Ford introduces another range of improvements like this with another price reduction, Lexus should begin to feel nervous. Come on boomers, give it a try — you'll like it.

Motoring since 1952, Austin Lynas has owned 54 cars and at one time raced mini-sedans in England. An aerospace engineer, he was instrumental in developing the anti-skid systems used in British military aircraft that preceded today’s ABS systems. Lynas can be reached by e-mail at osten@aol.com.