West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional and great daily driving and completely rust free and mostly all original example of this long time southern California 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II 2 Door Hardtop with its 368/300HP 4BBL V8 engine in a beautiful 'Pearl White' repaint with a gorgeous condition two-tone 'Black & White' two-tone leather interior and loaded with factory options including:
Turbo-Drive automatic transmission,
Air conditioning,
Rear seat center armrest,
Full floor carpeting,
Heater & defroster,
Electric clock,
AM radio,
Tachometer,
Power front seat adjustment,
Power windows,
Power vent windows,
Trunk carpeting,
Chrome window surround moldings,
Rocker panel molding,
Power steering,
Power brakes,
Full wheel covers.
Being an exclusive, essentially hand built automobile, the Continental initially sold well but demand fell quickly as the market for $10,000 automobiles in the mid to late fifties was not large! The 1956 Continental Mark II was introduced on October 6th, 1955 as the newest division of the Ford Motor Company. Since the demise of the slow selling original Lincoln Continental at the end of the 1948 year, Lincoln had been left without a prestigious top-of-the-line model, such as Cadillac had with the Fleetwood 60 Special and Eldorado, or Packard with the Patrician and the Caribbean Convertible. Ford management decided to bring back the original concept of a large modern car that would be both powerful and luxurious but also with an unparalleled exclusivity. The result was the Mark II and the Continental division was formed to produce and and market this limited production car. Among their engineering feats was a prototype of the retractable hardtop which ultimately did not find its way into the Mark II but which would be adapted later for the 1957-59 Ford Skyliner.
The Mark II was a personal luxury coupe and among the first of its type on modern pastwar automobiles. Designed specifically to carry 4 passengers in the ultimate of comfort but within a 2 Door Hardtop environment and not a sedan and which would set the standard for future personal luxury cars.
The Mark II's design was very advanced for 1956 with a low slung chassis cradled between the wheels which would become mainstream in the years to come. Power was provided by the 368 CID Lincoln engine which was new for '56 and transmitted through Lincoln's Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. Combined features of near perfect proportions of a long hood and short rear deck the Mark II was destined to be a classic milestone car immediately.
Also in an era of excess and excessive use of chrome the Mark II proved that less was more when it came to bodyside trim with chrome only to be used around the window areas and on the rocker panel. Both the front and rear styling was also uniquely Continental with up front rounded fender ends housing single headlamps and a relatively simple bumper housing an oval parking lamp at each end. The grille was a large yet simple affair with a now familiar Lincoln hood ornament with a four point star within a rectangle atop the hood and decorating the trunk lid.
At the rear a hump on the trunk lid introduced the world to the Continental's version of a 'Continental kit' being formed into the sheetmetal rather than an appendage to the rear bumper. This design would be a Continental trademark for decades to come. Of course the interiors were luxurious with full leather seating, plush carpeting and a full array of power equipment. Every imaginable accessory of the period was standard equipment on the Continental except for trunk mounted air conditioning, the lone item on the option list at $595.
Though the car is still today popularly referred to as the Lincoln Continental Mark II, Lincoln actually did not play a large part in the development of the 1956-57 Continental Mark II, other than providing the powertrain and the dealer network. Since the Continental was an independent Ford division from 1956 through mid 1958 and continued to be marketed separately through 1960. Only 2,550 Mark II's were built in 1956 and even less, 444 in 1957 the second and last year of production. Ford had not originally seen the Mark II as a profit maker, even at the then breathtaking $10,000 mark, yet because Ford lost some $1,000 on each one sold and the production ceased in 1957.
We recently acquired the car from a priominent collector and this is an excaeptional example in every way. He had purchased the car for his collection in 2017 and had any issue that required attendance attended to! From the paint to the interior to the AC and radio or clock! The total investment in this car apart for the initial purchase price is very significant and documented. Nothing of any kind needing attention was neglected. The car will be sold with a thick file of service records including recent history showing that at no time was any expense spared on this particular cars preventive maintenance. These cars were notorious for rust problems making this particular example exceptionally rare and unusual, obviously an always garaged example with no signs of any accidents or rust ever! The floor boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are solid and rust-free.
The car has a beautiful and very professional repaint in a striking 'Pearl White' color paint and has a beautiful classic two tone 'Black & White' leather interior with most all its original factory instrumentation intact including the beautiful padded dashboard and factory air conditioning, all of which are in quite exceptional and original condition throughout. All the chrome is also in absolutely exceptional condition with no peeling or pitting and which must have been rechromed at some point.
The 368 c.i. V8 engine is extremely strong and powerful and sounds absolutely magnificent and this particular car also drives absolutely magnificently - must be driven to be fully appreciated - does not miss a beat and purrs like a kitten - drives straight as an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles - a truly remarkable daily driver that will give any modern day car a run for it's money! The transmission shifts smoothly through the gears and the car is an absolute pleasure to drive!
Rare with these particularly sophisticated cars, all the options and gauges work including all the power options! The car has its original spare wheel and jack in the truck. Recent service history includes; install both front & rear wheel cylinders, new fuel pump, brake booster master cylinder, $2,299); a new harmonic balancer installed ($1,660); 2 new mufflers & 2 springs, 4 Extra Heavy Duty gas charged shocks($2,655); rebuilt water pump, new hoses, AC fan belt, p/s fan belt, installed new custom fit Holley carburetor with new electrical circuit for automatic choke, fuel & air filters, new heater valves ($5,830); new horn with wiring ($459); from 'Mark II Enterprises': new interior carpet mats, carpet kit, headliner in White basket-weave, complete Mark II exhaust system with U bolts & clamps ($3,434); outer tie rod ends & sway bar links, front & rear wheel alignment, temp guage sending unit replacedc ($641); set of 2 key blans, recored radiator, wiper motor electric conversion, ($2,840); evacuate & service A/C refrigerant, replace discharge hose from compressor to condenser, reseal suction hose fitting to rear insulate blower motor housings, replace rear blower motors & wheel ($1,603); new battery ($260); remove & repair & reinstall radio & clock, blower motors, install new leaf springs ($1,760); remove & replace wiper motor, hood light wiring harness, labor to remove & replace radiator ($900); remove & replace fuel filter hose, replace thermostat, repair ground wires for speedometer ($1,190); install electronic ignition ($725); as can be seen no expense spared, any incidental issue, however small, was attended to....
This is an extraordinarily rare opportunity to own a great daily driving and mostly all original and beautifully restored only as required example of a rust free 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II 2 Door Hardtop! A true all American classic car for the Continental enthusiast or any classic car enthusiast to enjoy today!
