2003 Lincoln Town Car 4.7L 4AT (242 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lincoln heavily modified and upgraded the third generation of the Town Car for the 2003 model year, improving what it could on the classic American luxury sedan.

The Town Car nameplate started as a grade for the Continental lineup, but in 1981, the automaker launched it as a different lineup. It instantly became one of the most sought-after American luxury sedans, even though it was an old-fashioned construction with a rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame V8-powered vehicle. The second generation came alive in 1989, while the third was launched at the 1997 New York Auto Show and went through a significant upgrade in 2002 for the 2003 model year. Unlike most facelifts, the new version received a redesigned chassis that made it stiffer, the steering box was fresh, and the suspension was re-engineered, with coil-over suspension in all corners and new control arms. In addition, the automaker also added some aesthetic and interior changes to the last classic American luxury sedan.

At the front, the refreshed 2003 Lincoln Town Car featured new headlights with clear lenses over the corner-mounted turn signal lamps. Between them, the cascading grille featuring chromed vertical slats was narrower and resembled a shield. At the same time, the bumper below it was reshaped and featured slimmer chromed trims on its top compared to the previous version of the Town Car, while the apron was deeper and featured a wide air intake with two horizontal and five vertical slats.

There were marginal changes to the car’s profile since Ford didn’t want to invest too much in re-tooling and creating fresh bodywork for the Town Car. However, the automaker added body-colored door mirror stacks instead of the black ones that were previously used. So, for those who bought them black, there was no significant difference. The fridge-like doors remained in place and were chromed, a symbol of the brand’s luxury vehicles. However, due to the changes performed on the Panther platform used by the 2003 Lincoln Town Car, the automaker had to install 17-inch alloy wheels as standard. Another visible change was the deletion of the Town Car badges from the front fenders.

The 2003 Lincoln Town Car had a leather-wrapped interior with heated front and rear outboard seats. At the front, the automaker offered an option for two bucket seats or a bench seat for three people with a folding armrest with a bi-directional opening system between the front occupants. The dashboard was new, with a redesigned instrument panel that showed clear dials for the speedometer and tachometer. They flanked the lower-mounted fuel level and temperature gauges. However, the most radical upgrade was for the available THX-Certified Audio and Navigation System with a 6.5-inch LCD touchscreen. Like its predecessor, the refreshed version of the Lincoln Town Car’s third generation boasted a high level of craftsmanship featuring natural wood trims on the dashboard and door cards.

Under the hood, changes continued with an improved version of Ford’s well-known 4.6-liter V8 SOHC engine. Power figures went up, reaching 239 hp (242 PS), 19 more than the previous dual-exhaust version of the Town Car. It was the only powerhouse that remained across the range until the model’s dismissal in the summer of 2011. The once majestic limo couldn’t keep up with other luxury brands on the market in terms of performance, not just because it was low on power but also because it featured an outdated four-speed automatic transmission.