Vehicle Description
The Continental Mark II is a personal luxury car that was produced
by Continental in 1956 and 1957. An attempt to build a post-World
War II car to rival the greatest of the pre-War era, or anything
produced in Europe, it is regarded as a rare and elegant
classic
The new Continental was not intended to be the largest or most
powerful automobile; rather, the most luxurious and elegant
American car available, designed to recapture the spirit of the
great classics of the prewar period with prices to match.
There was something of the style of the early Ford Thunderbird at
the front, which was introduced earlier at the Detroit Auto Show on
February 20, 1954, with a tasteful egg-crate grille; a long,
curving hood; and straight fenders to the headlights. The fender
line went back to behind the doors, at which point the line kicked
up a little before curving back down to the taillights.
Little chrome was used compared to other vehicles of the time, and
the only two-tone paint combinations offered were limited to roofs
being contrasted with bodies. The car had power steering, power
brakes, power windows, power seats, power vent windows, and a
tachometer. The vanes on the wheel covers were individually bolted
inside the frame of the cover. It sported a high greenhouse and a
wraparound windscreen. Fueling was accomplished via a swingaway
left taillight. The Continental Mark II had only one option, air
conditioning, for $595. Cars with A/C had different body parts.
Most of the car was hand-built to an exacting standard, including
the application of multiple coats of paint, hand sanding, double
lacquering, and polishing to perfection.
From today's vantage point, it can be argued that the Continental
Mark II was successful at being what it was intended to be: an
American Rolls-Royce or Bentley, and a re-creation of the grand
cars of the thirties
Today, approximately half of the original 3,000 cars still
exist.