1956 Continental Mark II Coupe

The Continental Mark II was an ultra-luxury, essentially hand-built coupe introduced in October of 1955 at the Paris Motor Show. They were sold through Ford's Continental Division, and at the time, they were the most expensive American-produced automobile sold in the United States. The only option offered was a $595 air conditioner.

The long and graceful hood concealed a 368 cubic-inch Lincoln Y-block V8 engine backed by a three-speed automatic transmission. The engines were effectively factory-blueprinted with each unit being disassembled and reassembled after numerous quality-control and performance inspections. These powerplants were connected to a specially tested 'Turbo-Drive' three-speed Lincoln automatic transmission. As a Lincoln product, albeit devoid of the 'Lincoln' nameplate, they shared design cues with the standard Lincoln model line. The limited-production Mark II two-door coupe was built under the direction of 26-year-old William Clay Ford, who was Henry Ford II's younger brother. The younger Ford was put in charge of a new 'Continental Division,' which created the Mark II.

1956 Continental Mark II Coupe by Derham

The most recent owner of this Continental acquired it from a no-reserve eBay auction paying just under $25,000. It was located in a garage on a street that was not able to accommodate the 48-foot truck that had been sent to collect it. So a tow truck was dispatched to retrieve the car which was leaning to one side due to the two flat tires. When the car arrived at the new owner's house several days later, another tow truck was commissioned to pull the vehicle off the trailer. Upon inspection, the vehicle was in poor condition - even worse than advertised - and a lot of work was needed.

Over three-and-a-half years and nearly 5,500 hours of work went into restoring the vehicle to its present condition. Since the Classic Car Club has the surviving records of Derham Custom Coach Works of PA, they were consulted to ensure accuracy. Black and white photos of the vehicle taken in 1955 outside of Derham's factory give hints that it may have originally worn a burgundy exterior - the color it wore when it rolled off the trailer. Its ownership history was tracked down to an individual named John Barnes of Osterville, MA.

This car is known as an introductory model - an early example of 100 units sent to dealers on consignment. The vehicles were elegant and unique, but their $13,500 price tag made them five times the amount of a new Chevrolet. Mr. Barnes was one of the few who could afford such a luxurious vehicle and decided to buy it if could house his golf clubs. Although the trunk appears large and more than capable of accommodating such a request, a spare tire residing in the trunk limited the storage capacity. The only way to access any usable space was to reach over the spare tire.

To accommodate Mr. Barnes' request, the car was sent to Derham where the hump was shaved off the trunk lid, and the spare tire was moved to a Continental Kit location which extended the car's length by 18 inches. A cantilever mechanism was designed to slide the spare tire out with ease, allowing access to the trunk. The area previously occupied by the spare tire was transformed into a minibar and concealed with a covering.

Along with the Continental Kit, the rear passenger windows were removed and replaced with limousine-style windows, similar to those found on a 1936 Ford Coupe. The roof section was famed out in steel and wood and covered in metal and eventually padded with an Irish linen top, resulting in an ostentatious appearance similar to a Howard 'Dutch' Darrin design bestowed upon Packards of the late 1930s.

The Restoration
Approximately 141 pictures had been included with the eBay listing, which described the vehicle as sitting inside on blocks since 1985. When it arrived in Pennsylvania and into the care of its new owner, the vehicle was found to be undrivable, as the brake pedal went straight to the floor, and two cylinders needed valves (among a list of other issues).

As with many restorations, the work is much harder than expected and numerous attempts are needed to achieve perfection. In this case, the exterior was stripped, sandblasted, and painted, requiring four attempts to get right (er, perfect). Rippling paintwork, lost parts, and items installed incorrectly lengthened the restoration's completion date. Three sets of brakes were installed in a quest to find a compatible unit. The original windshield had rub marks and road dust which did not fully go away after buffering and grit sandings. So an original windshield was sourced and installed, but immediately split. Another original windshield was tracked down, installed, but after moving the car, it too split. A third windshield was acquired and this time it was carefully 'sanded' down along the perimeter. After careful installation, the windshield remains intact. Even the claimed-OEM rubber seals for the window vents did not fit and had to be carefully reworked and adjusted to fit correctly.

The interior color selection was another lengthy and meticulous process, with various colors tested (sprayed on the interior seats by a paint shop that makes leather dyes) to find a suitable shade that complements the exterior.

The car was shown at the Boca Raton Concours and the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, winning honors at both. After these shows, a leak was discovered in the transmission, which required the entire engine to be pulled out of the bay, which required removing the hood and front end. During the removal of the hood, it slipped (due to a sneeze) and hit the fender, causing damage that required re-doing approximately three-quarters of the car.

The car was later shown at the Greenwich Concours where it continued its winning streak, placing First in Class. These results would not have been possible had it not received the money-no-object attention that its owner generously provided. Where most would have abandoned, let alone not even attempted, the labor-of-love bestowed upon this vehicle has guaranteed its existence and enjoyment by a whole new generation of automotive enthusiasts.

The first chapter of this vehicle's existence is attributed to a set of golf clubs, while its re-birth and second chapter is the work and dedication of a passionate collector.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021