1956 Continental Mark II Convertible Convertible

In 1956, Lincoln-Mercury dealers wanted something that would draw an even higher caliber customer to their showrooms. With increased competition from various British and German automakers vying for a piece of the luxury car market, the Continental MK II was introduced as a separate, higher-level offering.

The Continental was technically not a Lincoln since Ford's new Continental division manufactured it. It was built between 1956 and 1957 and drew inspiration from the original Continental. The cars were sold and serviced through Lincoln dealers and used a Lincoln drivetrain. These elegant cars were designed to be the most luxurious and elegant American cars available. They were fitted with power steering, brakes, windows, seats, and vent windows. Most of the production was hand-built. Power was from a 368 cubic-inch V8 engine offering 285 horsepower, and the price tag was a staggering $10,000, the price of two Cadillacs. Production was understandably low, with only 2,550 delivered in 1956 with another 444 in 1957 before being discontinued.

Originally penned as a convertible in 1953, the MK II was introduced as a two-door luxury coupe. Though a convertible was never cataloged, Ford commissioned one by coachbuilder Derham of Rosemont, Pennsylvania. It appeared as the centerpiece of Ford's auto show exhibits for 1956, but the car never went into production. There were two Mark IIs damaged during shipping from Allen Park to Chicago, and the cars were refused by the dealers. Ford Marketing in Chicago sent the cars to Hess & Eisenhardt in Cincinnati, had them crafted into convertibles to gauge public interest in the concept, then later used them as dealer demonstrators.

The stock Continental frame was designed with a convertible body in mind. To further enhance the chassis, Hess & Eisenhardt used 1/4-inch plate steel, along with tubular cross-braces welded in an X to further support the A and B pillars. Then a sub-structure was fabricated to support the heavy convertible top. Hess & Eisenhardt then fitted a power top mechanism driven by a power pack in the trunk.

This example was originally painted black, re-painted green in the 1960s, and then refinished in 1994.