1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II, Factory AC, Presidential Black

1956 Continental Mark II

Gracious, elegant and oozing class, few cars could match the Continental Mark II, in quality or price. We found another one of these rare and special vehicles here at MotoeXotica Classic Cars. We are very pleased to offer this 1956 Mark II. J.R. Johnson Lincoln-Mercury in Hartford, Connecticut sold this car to its original owner.

Finished in Presidential Black (code 01), the car’s paint and trim are in overall very good condition, as are the car’s glass panels, clear and crack-free. The Lincoln’s lights are clear and intact and the car rolls on wide whitewall tires, originally sized 8.20-15, with factory wheel covers. The body panels are all straight and solid, the engine bay is tidy, the trunk is clean, and the bumpers shine in the sunlight. This example has all-new suspension parts, including 4 Billstein shocks, new control arms, new ball joints, brakes and brake lines. This marked the first year Lincoln switched to a 12-volt electrical system.

Under the hood is Lincoln’s 368 CID Y-block V-8 engine. The Lincoln Y-block was Ford’s earliest OHV V8, introduced by Lincoln in the 1952 model year. Like the later and better known but even more short-lived Ford Y-block engine, its block’s deep skirts gave the block the appearance of the letter Y from the front. Its development was in response to the sales success of the competing Oldsmobile “Rocket” and Cadillac OHV V8 engines introduced in their 1949 models, as well as the need for larger and more powerful truck engines. Mated to the engine is a Turbo-Drive three-speed automatic transmission and a 3.07:1 rear end. Driver convenience features included factory air-conditioning (note the air vents in the headliner), electric headlight dimmer, separate heaters for driver and passenger, power steering, power brakes, four-way power front seat and even power vent windows! The factory air conditioning appears to be complete but currently inoperable.

Inside, the car’s white Bridge of Weir Scottish leather seats with red inserts (code 1F6M) are in very good order but with normal wear. The complementary red carpet is in good shape while the contrasting white headliner looks very good. The red instrument panel, with its round gauges with complete instrumentation, including a tachometer, looks splendid. The original, three-spoke steering wheel is present and the inner door panels continue the red-and-white theme started by the seats. The mirror glass and gearshift lever are in good shape and completing the interior are a Cartier clock and a factory Town and Country AM radio.

The Continental Mark II was revived in late 1955 as a separate marque, produced by a separate division of Ford Motor Company, as its sole model. This version was a unique design with the highest quality control ever seen in the automobile industry. High-class luxury abounded in the new Continental, and with very limited availability, it appeared even more exclusive than the original. This car was so exclusive, even celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley and political figures like the Shah of Iran and President Dwight D. Eisenhower had to follow Ford’s protocol to qualify for ownership. Actress Elizabeth Taylor received a Mark II from Warner Brothers as a gift; its exterior custom painted to match her eyes.

More important, the car was the personal vehicle of choice for many Ford family members. Josephine Ford, Henry Ford’s sole granddaughter, and his three grandsons, Benson, Henry II and William Clay Ford all piloted Continental Mark IIs. The Mark II sold new for $10,400, the equivalent of a new Rolls-Royce or two Cadillacs at that time.

Ford fun factoids – 98 percent of 1956 Continentals came with power brakes; 85 percent had power seats; 86 percent had power windows; 94 percent had radios; 99 percent had heaters; and 98 percent had whitewall tires.

Competition to the Mark II in 1956 included Bentley’s Continental, Cadillac’s Eldorado Seville, Chrysler’s New Yorker Newport two-door hardtop, Jaguar’s Mark VIII, Lincoln’s own Premiere Coupe, Mercedes-Benz’s 300d “Adenauer,” Packard’s Caribbean Hardtop, and Rolls-Royce’s Silver Cloud.

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 65,266 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

VIN: C56C2301

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