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Details
1956 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MARK II COUPE
Chassis No. C56D2702
Continental Beige with light beige and medium beige interior
Engine: 90 degree V8, two pushrod operated valves per cylinder, single four barrel carburetor, 368ci, 300bhp at 4,800rpm; Gearbox: three speed Turbo-Drive automatic; Suspension: independent front solid rear axle and leaf springs; Brakes: four wheel drums. Left hand drive.
Edsel Ford led Lincoln to a great classic history with consistently beautiful and powerful automobiles, but his greatest contribution was the landmark Continental of 1940, a design of style and grace that remained in production until 1948 and is still coveted by collectors. The success of the Continental was still in Ford's mind, when the Continental Mark II was introduced in 1955. It was again a triumph of subtle design that stood out among the offerings from Detroit where styling seemed to mean ever more flamboyant and extraneous decoration, chrome and embellishment. Its goal was to be the finest car of its generation, above even a Cadillac, and was the result of nearly three years of development by the Special Projects division of Ford.
Penned by Harley F. Copp, Chief Engineer at Special Projects, the chassis was a double-dropped 'cowbelly' design, which allowed a spacious interior without compromising the sleek avant garde styling. The interior was a brilliant example of modern simplicity with a plethora of toggle switches set into the brushed finish dash and door trims. In every aspect, the attention to detail reflected the handbuilt nature of the project, which was thorough to the point of trail fitting the bodies to chassis and de-bugging any problems, so that the cars arrived in the perfect order that buyers would expect when preparing to part with the massive $10,000 price tag. The only optional extra was air conditioning, as on this car, for an additional $740. Amazingly even at this figure, it is estimated that Ford lost $1,000 on each car.
Praised on both sides of the Atlantic, the Continental Mk II was to many a landmark car but this euphoria did not last, and with slowing sales in the second year of production a cheaper version was deemed necessary, the Mk II was curtailed after just 1,800 cars had been produced.
This particular example was acquired by the vendor in December 2000 and has been lightly used since. Complete with the convenience options of power windows, air conditioning, heat, defrost and tinted glass, this is a well-specified example. Trimmed in Continental Beige (appearing nearly white) with corresponding medium and light beige interior (brown and white) the car is presented in solid and complete order and is up and running. Famously known for costing a 'fortune to restore' this Lincoln Continental is a highly desirable tourer or a fun cruiser.
Chassis No. C56D2702
Continental Beige with light beige and medium beige interior
Engine: 90 degree V8, two pushrod operated valves per cylinder, single four barrel carburetor, 368ci, 300bhp at 4,800rpm; Gearbox: three speed Turbo-Drive automatic; Suspension: independent front solid rear axle and leaf springs; Brakes: four wheel drums. Left hand drive.
Edsel Ford led Lincoln to a great classic history with consistently beautiful and powerful automobiles, but his greatest contribution was the landmark Continental of 1940, a design of style and grace that remained in production until 1948 and is still coveted by collectors. The success of the Continental was still in Ford's mind, when the Continental Mark II was introduced in 1955. It was again a triumph of subtle design that stood out among the offerings from Detroit where styling seemed to mean ever more flamboyant and extraneous decoration, chrome and embellishment. Its goal was to be the finest car of its generation, above even a Cadillac, and was the result of nearly three years of development by the Special Projects division of Ford.
Penned by Harley F. Copp, Chief Engineer at Special Projects, the chassis was a double-dropped 'cowbelly' design, which allowed a spacious interior without compromising the sleek avant garde styling. The interior was a brilliant example of modern simplicity with a plethora of toggle switches set into the brushed finish dash and door trims. In every aspect, the attention to detail reflected the handbuilt nature of the project, which was thorough to the point of trail fitting the bodies to chassis and de-bugging any problems, so that the cars arrived in the perfect order that buyers would expect when preparing to part with the massive $10,000 price tag. The only optional extra was air conditioning, as on this car, for an additional $740. Amazingly even at this figure, it is estimated that Ford lost $1,000 on each car.
Praised on both sides of the Atlantic, the Continental Mk II was to many a landmark car but this euphoria did not last, and with slowing sales in the second year of production a cheaper version was deemed necessary, the Mk II was curtailed after just 1,800 cars had been produced.
This particular example was acquired by the vendor in December 2000 and has been lightly used since. Complete with the convenience options of power windows, air conditioning, heat, defrost and tinted glass, this is a well-specified example. Trimmed in Continental Beige (appearing nearly white) with corresponding medium and light beige interior (brown and white) the car is presented in solid and complete order and is up and running. Famously known for costing a 'fortune to restore' this Lincoln Continental is a highly desirable tourer or a fun cruiser.