1957 Continental Mark II Hardtop Sport Coupe

This 1957 Continental Mark II, one of only 442 built, was originally assigned to the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company for the personal use of Mrs. Eleanor Clay Ford. Eleanor's husband, Edsel, the only child of Henry and Clara Ford, served as President of Lincoln Motor Company since shortly after it acquisition in 1922, and eventually succeeded his father as President of Ford Motor Company. Edsel was noted for his taste in automotive styling and his devotion to the fine arts. Following his death in 1943, Eleanor continued her husband's support of the arts and was an active civic leader in the Detroit area until her death in 1976, at the age of 80. Ford Motor Company featured Eleanor's Mark II at several special events, including the introduction of the redesigned 1995 Lincoln Continental to the automotive press in Washington, D.C., in November 1994.