Faded Glory: 1956 Continental Mark II
Continental was developed as a completely separate division of Ford to build a luxury automobile competitive with the best cars in the world. In 1956, for the price of a Rolls-Royce or a few Cadillacs, or even a couple Lincoln Premiere convertibles you could purchase a Continental Mark II. These were no ordinary Fords and they weren’t the typical big chrome-laden finned barges of the day either. The Mark II was pretty much hand built with no expense spared using the best leather, fabrics, and carpet. This Mark II is listed on eBay in Dade City, Florida.
The interior needs lots of help, but it looks like it could be quite nice with some serious cleaning. The leather should be OK with a thorough cleaning and conditioning.
Here’s the 285 HP 368 CID V8. This was a Lincoln engine, but each engine was disassembled and then rebuilt by hand. This car has been sitting for years and does not run. The engine is not seized, but the brakes don’t work.
Hopefully, there’s no rust under the undercoating, but that rust spot in the upper right could mean there’s rust hiding under the goo.
This Continental looks like a nice, original car, but it will take a serious look to know the extent of the rust. There have been several of these Continentals sold recently in similar condition. They have gone for anywhere between $8,000 and $11,000 so this should sell near the current bid price. This Mark II might be worth $50,000 or more if it were restored though. Of course, restoration would cost more then that. Perhaps the buyer might just do the repairs necessary and enjoy it in as original condition as possible?
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Comments
Gorgeous car and pretty rare too.
That car deserves to be restored. It appears to be very straight ….It’s just neglected . At some point somebody began doing ‘something’ to it and lost time or interest in it…This one has a lot of potential .
Well, you sure don’t see one of these everyday, if ever. Not a typical 50’s looking car at all, more early sixties style, what did people think of these when new?
Even the fresh air induction seems futuristic compared to those dumb looking oil bath air cleaners from back then.
Perfect car, perfect color.
Why oh why did I buy that damn FJ.
I’d be happy with an FJ, lots of crappy roads around here.
These cars have some interesting roots/cast of characters…
“Chief body engineer was Gordon Buehrig, creator of the Cord 810, while the program’s styling chief was John Reinhart, designer of the 1951 Packard line, the best-selling Packards in history. Chief engineer was Harley Copp. A top Ford man, Copp later had a hand in the Ford GT and Cosworth DFV programs before he turned whistleblower. Exiled by his own industry for his acts of conscience but vindicated by history, Copp was the Ford executive who provided the damaging revelations in the Pinto fuel tank case.”
Of all the project Mark II’s we’ve seen here, this one looks the most promising. I would do a “sympathetic restoration”- just fix what needs fixing, paint and drive.
SeWell this is as nice an example of a Mark II as I have seen in some time. Although I’m enthused by the car I am less enthused by the seller. No history of the vehicle, not even where they bought it from ( in my mind no doubt a flipper). No written description of the vehicle condition, nor any description of potential trouble spots where this vehicle has no problems. Instead a generic, “I’ll let the 100+ pictures do the talking so look closely. That’s the easy way out.
The car will be sold, the flipper will make their money, and it will be restored but there is no honor in the transaction because the seller doesn’t care.
If I’m being honest I appreciate the seller for finding the vehicle and bringing it to market. They are providing a valuable service and I hope they get compensated accordingly. However, we all would have learned more, the sellers reputation would have been enhanced and potentially gathered a higher return with more information.
Blah blah blah, who cares about the seller, it’s all about the car man.
I was almost a buyer for a gift to my dad. I have one and love it. Says no rust but I see a lot of bubbles in the paint. Wonder how good the description is. No AC on a car like this is also a negative for me.
The Continental Mark II is, without exception, my favourite vehicle of all time.
And, I enthusiastically support the above comment. The most beautiful automobile ever designed in the USA. A very close second would be the 1941 Cadillac Fleetwood 60S. Maybe because I used to own one.
I can’t picture these cars anyplace besides New York City on Park Avenue.
IMO,I have always thought that this was the most beautiful car that came from the 1950’s.”Interior needs a lot of help”?!! maybe a little detailing,nothing major.This car is gorgeous and I wouldn’t mind driving this dreamboat.
Bidding at $10,300.00, on Sunday, 2:30 PM. Should find a concerned owner soon. I wish I could…
These were $10k when new, when a loaded Caddy was $5k. Just some perspective.
Lovely vehicles.
I missed a perfect original in 1983 , but it was 10k and I only had 5k. I drove it for a few days and it was the most fantastic in every way boat of a ride. I always think of it as dad’s Tbird. Elegant and simple in style with all of the right curves….
In my opinion of all the Lincoln(s) made the Mark II is the best looking 2 door model ever
The Continental was not a Lincoln. It was built and marketed as a separate line.
Looks like another widow’s car that sat forgotten until the old boy died…A neighbor just sold a ’65 Vette 1 owner that sat in their pole barn for 30 years. Since she had so much on her plate the car went in the dead of night to an unknown source for who know how much.
Dream car….makes my top 5 list!
Pure sex for 1956….a Cad – on it’s what third or forth update – and even my Imperial on it’s second year update….it was just a rack above those two……
Used to be one of these in the front line of a body shop in Babylon, n.y. in the early 60s.if I remember correctly , it was dark blue. Electrostatic dark blue flock. Looked and felt like velour!!
Love the ice blue color. It hit me, looking at the e-Bay photos, how much more striking the car would have been with the windshield laid back more. Too upright, even for a Fifties design.
If I buy one of these it will be a nice original or a restored car.
I can’t imagine the task it would be to restore one of these trying to find or fabricate the parts, and then you will lose the charm of the original designers designed into the car.