Vehicle Description
This 1956 Continental Mark II is nicely preserved 50s luxury car
that was one of the nicest cars money could buy in its day and
still is today! The origin story of the Continental Mark II dates
back to the early 50s when Edsel Ford, the youngest son of William
Clay Ford, led the newly created "Special Product Operations"
division of Ford Motor Company. The Special Products Operations
Division was tasked with creating a successor to the highly
prestigious Lincoln Continental that would live up to the high bar
set by the premium model thats final year of production concluded
in 1948. Ultimately, Edsel Ford's team came up with a design that
they would end up calling "modern formal" that featured functional
yet timeless design. On October 16, 1954, William Clay Ford made a
major announcement to the Ford Motor Company; that the Special
Products Operations Division would become the Continental Division
and that the newly renamed division would be Ford Motor Company's
top-of-the-line flagship brand sitting even higher up than Lincoln.
Initially teased as the "Rebirth of A Proud Tradition", the new car
would finally make its public debut on October 6, 1955, at the
Paris Auto Show, with the Continental Division debuting its brand
new Continental Mark II. The low production Mark II bore a nearly
$10,000 price tag so everyone knew that this new Continental Mark
II was a car of consequence and its owners were people of both high
society and high net worth. In fact, it was said that new Mark II
sales were reserved for celebrities and extremely wealthy and
prominent members of society. Like its predecessor, the Lincoln
Continental, the Continental Mark II became an instant classic!
With its long hood, short deck, tasteful chrome usage, and perfect
proportions, the Mark II set the standard for how beautiful an
American production car could be. The front end treatment included
a ribbed mesh style grille with overlaid ribs that sat between a
pair of headlights that tucked into recessed hooded pods. Above the
ornate front end is wide flat hood appointed with distinctive
Continental stars. Down the sides of the new Continental were body
panels what felt more substantial and weighty than other cars of
the era and they were sculpted in a tastefully subtle kind of way.
In the rear, the quarter panels were slightly raised and
incorporated a unique vertical taillight housing. Completing the
rear end look was a faux-spare tire motif on the decklid that
harkened back to the original Lincoln Continental. The interiors
were extremely luxurious as well sporting very comfortable, heavily
padded front and rear seating along with Tiffany-style dash accents
and integrated door panel controls. Powering this Mark II is 368
Cubic Inch V8 engine fed by a single 4 barrel carburetor that was
said to have pushed out almost 300 horsepower when new. The 368 V8
is backed by an automatic transmission, ensuring that just about
anybody can take this '56 Continental for a spin around the block.
Exhaust exits the 368 powerplant via a dual exhaust setup that
generates a nice throaty sound. Being that the Continental Mark II
was the most luxurious car in FoMoCo's lineup in 1956, these cars
came loaded with options. Power steering makes turning in this '56
Mark II much easier and improves the overall driving experience.
With power brakes, bringing this nearly 5,000 pound luxury car to a
complete stop a breeze, especially all that horsepower under a
hood. Riding on a set of wide whitewall tires, each paired with a
Continental full wheelcover, this Mark II has a truly elevated look
going down the road. The exterior of this 1956 Mark II has been
refinished in a beautiful Starmist White that completes the
exquisite exterior look of the car. The interior of this '56
Continental Mark II is absolutely gorgeous! The front and rear
bench seat have been reupholstered in beautiful two-tone
arrangement consisting of Ivory and Blue vinyl. With a power front
bench seat and power windows, this '56 Mark II is loaded with
options! The blue carpeting, color-matched steering wheel and dash,
and door panels are all in wonderful condition and appear to retain
their stock configuration. The instrument cluster is equipped with
a 140 MPH speedometer, 5,000 RPM tachometer, oil pressure gauge,
amp gauge temperature gauge, and fuel gauge, along with a clock.
Sitting above the under-dash temperature controls is a Town and
Country push-button AM radio that completes the interior appearance
of this 50s cruiser. Whether you're buying your first classic car
or you're adding to an existing FoMoCo collection, this 1956
Continental Mark II would make an excellent choice. Give
Ellingson's a call today at 763-428-7337!
*368 Cu. In. V8
*Single 4 Barrel Carburetor
*Automatic Transmission
*Power Steering
*Power Brakes
*1 of 2,550 Produced
*Starmist White Exterior
*White/Blue Bench Seat Interior
*Power Windows
*Power Seat
*Stock Instrumentation
*Odometer Reads: 30,876 Miles
If an inaccurate automobile price is inadvertently listed on this
Website, Seller reserves the right to NOT honor the erroneous
price.
For more information and a current list of vehicles, call
763-428-7337.
