The Lincoln Mark Series traces its roots to the early Lincoln Continental. The Mark Series served as the flagship for Lincoln, and its first variant, the Mark III, was named in order to evoke the heritage of the Continental Mark II. The Mark Series cars were never formally labeled as 'Lincoln Continental Mark', they were marketed as 'Continental Mark' and never featured the Lincoln name in marketing materials. The Mark Series was mostly offered as a coupe, yet later in production it was offered as a sedan. The Lincoln Mark Series was built in six generations: Mark III (1969-1971), Mark IV (1972-1976), Mark V (1977-1979), Mark VI (1980-1983), Mark VII (1984-1992), Mark VIII (1993-1998).