Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional
and great daily driving and completely rust free and mostly all
original example of this long time southern California 1956 Lincoln
Continental Mark II 2 Door Hardtop with its 368/300HP 4BBL V8
engine in a beautiful 'Pearl White' repaint with a gorgeous
condition two-tone 'Black amp; White' two-tone leather interior and
loaded with factory options including:Turbo-Drive automatic
transmission,Air conditioning,Rear seat center armrest,Full floor
carpeting,Heater amp; defroster,Electric clock,AM
radio,Tachometer,Power front seat adjustment,Power windows,Power
vent windows,Trunk carpeting,Chrome window surround moldings,Rocker
panel molding,Power steering,Power brakes,Full wheel covers.Being
an exclusive, essentially hand built automobile, the Continental
initially sold well but demand fell quickly as the market for
$10,000 automobiles in the mid to late fifties was not large! The
1956 Continental Mark II was introduced on October 6th, 1955 as the
newest division of the Ford Motor Company. Since the demise of the
slow selling original Lincoln Continental at the end of the 1948
year, Lincoln had been left without a prestigious top-of-the-line
model, such as Cadillac had with the Fleetwood 60 Special and
Eldorado, or Packard with the Patrician and the Caribbean
Convertible. Ford management decided to bring back the original
concept of a large modern car that would be both powerful and
luxurious but also with an unparalleled exclusivity. The result was
the Mark II and the Continental division was formed to produce and
and market this limited production car. Among their engineering
feats was a prototype of the retractable hardtop which ultimately
did not find its way into the Mark II but which would be adapted
later for the 1957-59 Ford Skyliner.The Mark II was a personal
luxury coupe and among the first of its type on modern pastwar
automobiles. Designed specifically to carry 4 passengers in the
ultimate of comfort but within a 2 Door Hardtop environment and not
a sedan and which would set the standard for future personal luxury
cars.The Mark II's design was very advanced for 1956 with a low
slung chassis cradled between the wheels which would become
mainstream in the years to come. Power was provided by the 368 CID
Lincoln engine which was new for '56 and transmitted through
Lincoln's Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. Combined features of
near perfect proportions of a long hood and short rear deck the
Mark II was destined to be a classic milestone car immediately.Also
in an era of excess and excessive use of chrome the Mark II proved
that less was more when it came to bodyside trim with chrome only
to be used around the window areas and on the rocker panel. Both
the front and rear styling was also uniquely Continental with up
front rounded fender ends housing single headlamps and a relatively
simple bumper housing an oval parking lamp at each end. The grille
was a large yet simple affair with a now familiar Lincoln hood
ornament with a four point star within a rectangle atop the hood
and decorating the trunk lid.At the rear a hump on the trunk lid
introduced the world to the Continental's version of a 'Continental
kit' being formed into the sheetmetal rather than an appendage to
the rear bumper. This design would be a Continental trademark for
decades to come. Of course the interiors were luxurious with full
leather seating, plush carpeting and a full array of power
equipment. Every imaginable accessory of the period was standard
equipment on the Continental except for trunk mounted air
conditioning, the lone item on the option list at $595.Though the
car is still today popularly referred to as the Lincoln Continental
Mark II, Lincoln actually did not play a large part in the
development of the 1956-57 Continental Mark II, other than
providing the powertrain and the dealer network. Since the
Continental was an independent Ford division from 1956 through mid
1958 and continued to be marketed separately through 1960. Only
2,550 Mark II's were built in 1956 and even less, 444 in 1957 the
second and last year of production. Ford had not originally seen
the Mark II as a profit maker, even at the then breathtaking
$10,000 mark, yet because Ford lost some $1,000 on each one sold
and the production ceased in 1957.We recently acquired the car from
a priominent collector and this is an excaeptional example in every
way. He had purchased the car for his collection in 2017 and had
any issue that required attendance attended to! From the paint to
the interior to the AC and radio or clock! The total investment in
this car apart for the initial purchase price is very significant
and documented. Nothing of any kind needing attention was
neglected. The car will be sold with a thick file of service
records including recent history showing that at no time was any
expense spared on this particular cars preventive maintenance.
These cars were notorious for rust problems making this particular
example exceptionally rare and unusual, obviously an always garaged
example with no signs of any accidents or rust ever! The floor
boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are solid and
rust-free.The car has a beautiful and very professional repaint in
a striking 'Pearl White' color paint and has a beautiful classic
two tone 'Black amp; White' leather interior with most all its
original factory instrumentation intact including the beautiful
padded dashboard and factory air conditioning, all of which are in
quite exceptional and original condition throughout. All the chrome
is also in absolutely exceptional condition with no peeling or
pitting and which must have been rechromed at some point.The 368
c.i. V8 engine is extremely strong and powerful and sounds
absolutely magnificent and this particular car also drives
absolutely magnificently - must be driven to be fully appreciated -
does not miss a beat and purrs like a kitten - drives straight as
an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles - a truly
remarkable daily driver that will give any modern day car a run for
it's money! The transmission shifts smoothly through the gears and
the car is an absolute pleasure to drive!Rare with these
particularly sophisticated cars, all the options and gauges work
including all the power options! The car has its original spare
wheel and jack in the truck. Recent service history includes;
install both front amp; rear wheel cylinders, new fuel pump, brake
booster master cylinder, $2,299); a new harmonic balancer installed
($1,660); 2 new mufflers amp; 2 springs, 4 Extra Heavy Duty gas
charged shocks($2,655); rebuilt water pump, new hoses, AC fan belt,
p/s fan belt, installed new custom fit Holley carburetor with new
electrical circuit for automatic choke, fuel amp; air filters, new
heater valves ($5,830); new horn with wiring ($459); from 'Mark II
Enterprises': new interior carpet mats, carpet kit, headliner in
White basket-weave, complete Mark II exhaust system with U bolts
amp; clamps ($3,434); outer tie rod ends amp; sway bar links, front
amp; rear wheel alignment, temp guage sending unit replacedc
($641); set of 2 key blans, recored radiator, wiper motor electric
conversion, ($2,840); evacuate amp; service A/C refrigerant,
replace discharge hose from compressor to condenser, reseal suction
hose fitting to rear insulate blower motor housings, replace rear
blower motors amp; wheel ($1,603); new battery ($260); remove amp;
repair amp; reinstall radio amp; clock, blower motors, install new
leaf springs ($1,760); remove amp; replace wiper motor, hood light
wiring harness, labor to remove amp; replace radiator ($900);
remove amp; replace fuel filter hose, replace thermostat, repair
ground wires for s...for more information please contact the
seller.