Following the success of the Continental Mark III, Ford chose to develop a successor personal luxury coupe. For 1972, the Continental Mark IV made its debut, redesigned alongside the Ford Thunderbird. While sharing a common roofline with the Thunderbird, from the window line down, the Mark IV wore distinct exterior sheet metal, with the return of a radiator-style grille, hidden headlights, and a redesigned spare-tire trunk lid. To distinguish itself from the Lincoln Continental, the Continental Mark IV wore full-height rear-wheel openings, precluding the use of fender skirts.