Vehicle Description
"To craft the finest automobiles in America" - This was the brief
of Ford's short-lived Continental Division. Luminaries such as
Duesenberg Cord and Peerless were long gone and Ford's
not-insubstantial order was a direct shot at knocking Packard and
Cadillac off their pedestals as the remaining premier American
marques. The first Continental that debuted was the 1956 Mark II;
while this premium luxury coupe was not the sales success that it
was hoped to be it became one of the most influential designs of
the decade famous both for what it was and for what it wasn't.
Lincoln dealerships had been inquiring about a replacement for the
Continental from the time production stopped so in 1952 the Ford
Motor Company conducted research to determine whether a market for
such a premium car existed; they decided that although they would
probably lose money on such a project the gains in prestige and
publicity from a halo car would more than make up for it. A design
contest among Ford stylists and outside contractors resulted in a
two-door coupe designed by staffer John Reinhart that was both
traditional and classic yet incorporated what he termed Modern
Formal design; This was the Mark II. When it debuted as a 1956
model in October of 1955 the $9966 Mark II was one of the heaviest
American cars extant at 4825 pounds without air conditioning 5190
pounds so equipped. Riding on a 126-inch wheelbase it stretched
218.4 inches long and sported a low 56.25-inch roofline. The
original Lincoln Continental's proportions remained with the Mark
II's hood stretching a massive 70 inches. Under that hood was a
standard Lincoln engine and drivetrain; the 368-cu.in. V-8. The
coupe's styling was considered quite conservative upon
introduction; its lack of tailfins air scoops chrome moldings
two-tone paint or other "jet age" styling cues gave the Mark II a
tastefully understated appearance. And despite its bulk this
low-slung car's conservative design approach helped keep it fresh
through the following decades. While the Continental spare tire
bulge was more a styling gimmick than useful it became a trademark
used through the late 1990s Mark VIII and details like the stepped
side character line small nameplate lettering and fuel filler
hidden behind the driver's taillamp were delightful. That
conservative style continued inside where the leather-covered
dashboard was an ergonomic triumph; in an age where engine
information was minimal and shiny dash chrome a distraction the
Mark II had easy-to-read round-dial analog instrumentation that
included a tachometer oil pressure and amperage gauge.The
Continental Division instituted a seven-point quality-control
program and each Mark II required twice as many man-hours to build
as did a contemporary Lincoln. The quality of materials used in
these cars was one of their best attributes as Ford felt everything
in their flagships should be the best. The standard four-way power
front seat could be covered in blemish-free Bridge of Weir Scottish
leather or a number of fabrics including matelasse brocade and
broadcloth; in all there were 43 standard upholstery trim choices
to complement the 19 standard exterior lacquer finishes. Other
standard features included power steering brakes antenna and
windows with tinted glass a dual heating system premium
Travel-Tuner AM radio with two speakers self-regulating electric
clock fully carpeted trunk and an engine dress-up kit. The Mark II
was so comprehensively equipped that the only option offered was
air conditioning and if so built the condensing unit was housed in
the trunk and four registers were set in the headliner to deliver
cool air to the occupants.The luxurious interiors of Mark IIs were
filled with the finest materials; as expected the Scottish Bridge
of Weir leather upholstery was generally more durable than the
no-cost cloth alternatives. Open the hood of a Mark II and under
the die-cast ribbed rocker covers that are part of the standard
engine dress kit is the 368-cubic-inch V-8 that powered the
standard Lincoln line. This overhead-valve engine a member of
Ford's Y-block family and new for 1956 featured a 4.00 x 3.66-inch
bore and stroke five main bearings and a 9.0:1 compression ratio.
Fuel was channeled through a 390cfm four-barrel Holley 4000
carburetor into the engine to make 285hp at 4000 rpm and
402-lbs.ft. of torque at 3000 rpm; and spent gasses were released
through cast-iron manifolds dual mufflers and resonators. This
368-cu.in. V-8 was tuned to produce low- and mid-range torque via
its big bore large valves and high valve lift and strengthening
measures included stronger pistons a lightened stiffer crankshaft
and copper-lead alloy bearings replacing the previous babbitt ones.
Oil pressure was ensured with a new rotary-type oil pump and two
air intake ducts led to the air filter one over the exhaust
manifold to warm incoming air and the other directly from the
grille for cool outside air. A thermostatically operated valve
located at the junction of these ducts allowed the incoming air to
mix feeding the carburetor with air at a consistent temperature.
And to make sure that they were finished to the highest standard
each completed engine was subjected to six hours of dyno testing
before it was installed. The Mark II's exclusive transmission was
Lincoln's three-speed automatic Turbo-Drive. This unit used a
1215/16-inch aluminum torque converter with planetary gearsets and
forced air cooling and it incorporated a kick-down function and
low-gear start. Gear ratios included 2.40:1 in first 1.47 in second
1.00:1 in third and 2.00:1 in reverse. In the rear a Hotchkiss-type
open hypoid differential with spiral bevel gears was used in 1956
Continental Mark IIs; its semi-floating drive axles and 3.07:1
ratio made the car a comfortable cruiser. Elegant is the best word
to describe this virtually hand built Mark II. In the same family
for over 30 years this '56 is identical to the one owned by Elvis
that sold at auction for $270k a number of years back! It's been
through a complete photo documented frame-off nut and bolt
restoration and is one of the nicest you'll ever see (if you can
find one!). These cars are rare indeed. But with factory a/c
(updated tp modern spec's) it's even rarer! The Light Blue exterior
beautifully complements the lines of this classic and the beautiful
White and Blue leather interior is about as nice as sitting in your
living room! Visit Corvette Mike online at
www.corvettemikeanaheim.com to see more pictures of this vehicle or
call us at 800-327-8388 today to schedule your test drive.
