LTD meaning?
Dear Classic American
Allow me to enter the debate on what Ford’s LTD moniker stood for. My understanding for a number of years is that it stood for LincolnType Design. Of course, I might be misinformed, but this made sense to me, particularly for the Seventies cars which, I understood, used the full-sized Ford platform as with the Thunderbird and the MK Lincolns. Perhaps the Marti Report guys could answer this definitively?
The 1973 T-bird used the same chassis and running gear as the Lincoln MK IV. It benefited from the same tall gearing of the Lincoln, ensuring that it could devour long journeys at speed in comfort, both then and now. It had a cleaner look than the MK, with smaller bumpers, but the interior was very similar, save for, perhaps, lower quality materials. It was even available with the awesome 460 motor.
What a car!
Danyel Mills Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Well Danyel, some swear LTD stands for ‘Luxury Trim Décor’ while others reckon it’s ‘Limited Trim Designation’ added to lowlier Galaxies or Galaxie 500s. Some think it means nothing and is just part of the faux ‘ritzy’ etymology used by American car manufacturers to add a sprinkle of glamour… a bit like ‘Corinthian leather’ which was ‘merely a marketing concept, it suggested a premium product...something rich in quality, rare and luxurious’.