1956 Continental Mark II

Henry Leland started Cadillac Motor Cars from the remnants of a failed Henry Ford startup. And in 1917, he founded Lincoln, but it soon went bankrupt. Ford, who no doubt remembered Leland's boardroom putsch two decades earlier, bought Lincoln. Ford longed for the prestige that accompanied the true luxury marque. So, in 1956 the up-market Continental Division was created. It aspired to personify American luxury, to recapture the spirit of the great prewar classics, to be, in effect, an American Rolls-Royce. With great expectations, the Mark II two-door coupe debuted at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. Chrome was popular at the time, but the designers had opted instead for understated European-influenced simplicity. Virtually hand-built, it basked in multiple coats of hand-sanded paint, double-lacquered and polished to perfection.

The Continental nameplate first appeared in 1938 as a personal vehicle for Ford Motor Company President Edsel Ford. The one-off design was created by chief Stylist Eugene T. 'Bob' Gregorie using a streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr. Interest in the vehicle from Ford's well-off friends was immediate and so was the decision to put it into production. The name 'Continental' was chosen in reference to its European-inspired design. Production of the First Generation 'Continental' began in 1940 and continued until 1948.

The name was revived in 1956 after an eight-year hiatus and its production was brief, lasting until 1957. It used the 'Mark II' suffix to further highlight the European influence of the original Continental. Serving as the new flagship vehicle, it was positioned above Lincoln-Mercury and was marketed and serviced through the Lincoln dealership network.

The Mark II rested on a 126-inch wheelbase platform, the same size as the Lincoln Capri and Premiere. It wore unique body panels and interior, and each vehicle was hand-built, with hand-sanding and finishing of body panels. Steering clear of conventional American design trends of the time, the Mark II broke new ground by using limited chrome trim and was devoid of tailfins and pontoon fenders. Instead, it used understated elegance with clean, unbroken lines, a nearly flat hood and trunk lid, and a 'Continental spare tire' integrated into the decklid stamping housing a vertically-mounted spare tie beneath.

Powered by Lincoln's new 368 cubic-inch Y-block V-8, the engine was meticulously assembled. It had a tachometer, power steering, and power brakes. The interior was of the very best imported Scottish leather and air conditioning was the only option (at $595). At $10,000, it was definitely up-market and was the most expensive automobile sold by a domestic manufacturer in the United States. Still, Ford lost $1,000 per car. While the car was elegant, the marketing was muddled. Continentals were sold by Lincoln dealers and had Lincoln powertrains. Customers had trouble differentiating the two. And just 2,996 sales later (including two prototype convertibles), the Continental marque was gone.

The Continental Mark II was discontinued after 1957, and the Continental Division was re-branded as a competitor to Cadillac and Imperial (instead of Bentley and Rolls-Royce). Extensive changes were implemented including a drastic reduction in price to the $6,000 range to attract a wider audience and increase production. Despite the changes, the Continental marque's existence was brief, as Ford canceled the Division outright in 1959, with its model line discontinued after the 1960 model year. Ford lost $60 million in developing the 1958 through 1960 cars. For the 1961 model year, the Continental was consolidated into the Lincoln range. These fourth-generation Continentals were the first use of the Continental nameplate on the Lincoln marque since 1948. Body styles were limited to a four-door sedan and convertible until a refresh occurred in 1966. In this guise, Ford would succeed in making the finest mass-produced domestic automobile of its era.

The 1956 Lincoln Mark II
The 1956 Lincoln Mark II two-door Sport Coupe with seating for six was priced at $9,965 and a total of 2,550 examples were built. It was powered by a 368 cubic-inch, overhead valve V-8 engine with a cast iron block, a 10.0:1 compression ratio, a Carter four-barrel carburetor, and delivered 300 horsepower at 4,800 RPM. It rested atop a wheelbase that measured 126 inches and had an overall length of 218.5 inches. It was 77.5 inches wide and rode on 8.00 x 15 tires.

The 1956 Mark II was a well-optioned car that had an elegant and modern design and restrained use of brightwork. Standard equipment included power steering, power brakes, whitewall tires, a heater, a radio and a power seat. The only option was air conditioning.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2019