1956 Continental Mark II Convertible Convertible

In 1956 two brand new Mark II coupes were damaged in transit from Detroit to Chicago. Both cars had damaged roofs. Ford's Chicago district had these Mark II's made into convertibles by Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati, OH, a company with a long-standing relationship with Ford marketing.

The Continental Mark II was introduced in October 1955 at the Paris Auto Show. It was offered in only one body style, a two-door hardtop coupe, and was a virtually hand-assembled car priced at $10,000. The Mark II was powered by a factory blueprinted (the parts being hand-selected) Lincoln V8 engine with 368 cubic inches. Every luxury feature known in 1956 was available on this car, and all were standard except air conditioning, a factory option, and the electric eye dimmer.

The introduction of the Continental Mark II marked the return of a timeless classic originally designed by E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie and Edsel Ford in 1940. With its elegant design and understated beauty, the Mark II reminded the world of just how beautiful an American production automobile could be.

Like its predecessors, the Mark II was an instant classic. Unlike the flashy American style of the time, there was no need for the Mark II to be flamboyant. It did not use chrome or sharp styling cues. Instead, it had a long hood, short deck, and near-perfect proportions.

Continentals were loaded with convenience features. These luxurious rolling works of art came with a hefty price tag - nearly $10,000 - equivalent to that of a Rolls-Royce.

This Continental Mark II convertible is the first of three for the Ford Motor Company. Only two convertibles are known to exist today.
All Mark II convertibles started as a Stock Sports Coupe, as they were called by the Continental Factory. They were then sent to a custom shop and converted to convertibles.

The Continental engines were blueprinted and run on a dyno before being installed in the cars. It's a 369 cubic-inch engine with a 4-barrel carburetor, rated at 285 horsepower. The car weighs about 5,300 pounds.

The 56 Mark II is the first of Ford's products with ladder frame construction. This allowed for foot wells, which meant they could produce cars which were built much lower to the road.

A stock Mark II was $10,000 in 1956. Derham and Hess & Eisenhardt both estimated a convertible conversion to cost $18,000 to custom build. That's why there were so few Mark II convertibles.