1956 Continental Mark II Coupe

The original Continental was a one-off designed by Bob Gregorie for Edsel Ford, based on the existing Lincoln Zephyr chassis. Gregorie moved the driver's seat back, elongated the hood and front fenders, lowered the roof, and sectioned and lowered the cowl to match the hood. The sleek, unembellished styling was due to the rush to get the car ready in time for Edsel's vacation to Palm Beach, Florida.

Production began in 1940. The Continental was driven by people such as Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who customized one for himself. The Museum of Modern Art selected it as one of eight automotive works of art for an exhibit in 1951, showing a 1941 model loaned by architect Bimel Kehm.

The Mk II was styled by a team including John Reinhart, William Clay Ford, and Gordon Buehrig. Production was limited to 1956 and '57, when just over 3,000 cars were built. The original price was $10,000 — which would have bought you a Rolls-Royce or two Cadillacs. The Mark Ils were owned by people such as President Eisenhower, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley. The Continental Mark II was the most expensive American production car in 1956. Only was optional and was priced at $595.

This example was produced on May 9th of 1956 and is one of only 13 to sport medium-gray exterior paint paired with a red-leather interior. Originally delivered to Quincy, MA, the car spent most of its life in Palm Springs, CA; it only has 46,000 miles on it.