There are 1950s luxury cars, and then there is the Continental Mark II. Ford’s newly formed Continental Division, under William Clay Ford, created it to stand alongside the finest automobiles in the world. Its 1956 base price of $9,966 made it the most expensive American production car of its day. Low-volume assembly and unusually strict quality control set it apart from any ordinary Lincoln. Instead of towering fins and heavy ornament, the Mark II offered clean, restrained lines and beautifully executed brightwork. Ford reportedly expected to lose money on every car in exchange for prestige. Only 2,550 were built for 1956, and the Continental Division lasted just two model years with the Mark II as its only production model.<\/p>\n
This late-production example, chassis C56J3352, carries the “J” production code, which places its build in August 1956. The Mark II production registry documents this exact chassis with D885 Special White paint, a Dealer Special Order (DSO) specification, over 1P6N Black and White leather. The registry also records factory air conditioning and Bright Group equipment. It names Beverly Hills Lincoln-Mercury as the original selling dealer and Carl Krueger as the original customer. That history fits the car’s known life as a California car for roughly its first 50 years before it moved east to Ohio and then Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
Today, this Mark II is a mechanically sound, better-than-driver-quality car that starts right up, runs smoothly, and drives remarkably well. The chrome is excellent, the body is solid, and the honest survivor interior gives you the chance to refine the cosmetics at your own pace while keeping its originality intact. If you’ve wanted a documented, special-order example of one of America’s most ambitious automobiles, this Continental deserves a close look.<\/p>\n
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1956 Continental Mark II Coupe: Documented Special White DSO Car with Beverly Hills Provenance There are 1950s luxury cars, and then there is the Continental Mark II. Ford’s newly formed Continental Division, under William Clay Ford, created it to stand alongside the finest automobiles in the world. Its 1956 base price of $9,966 made it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1362,"featured_media":1979102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"content-type":""},"product_cat":[31],"product_tag":[54,2842,109],"class_list":["post-1979101","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","product_cat-bid-continues","product_tag-classic-car-auctions","product_tag-continental-mark-ii","product_tag-continental"],"yoast_head":"\n