1956 Continetal MK II - Generation Auto Ep 2
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- čas přidán 20. 01. 2014
- Generation Auto Episode 2 - 1956 Lincoln Continental MKII
In terms of styling, the Continental Mark II was a departure from what Americans were accustomed to from a luxury car in the 1950s. With excellent proportions and lines penned by Ford's newly formed and independent Continental Division, the car possessed an understated beauty, striving for elegance in place of flamboyance.
Americans expected a car weighed down by chrome, set off by a high contrast two-tone paint scheme and space age inspired styling elements. What they saw in the Mark II was a long and low car with proportions similar to the Thunderbird but enlarged, all the while paying homage to the Continental of the 1940s with the trunk lid molded to the shape of the spare tire concealed within. Under the four-pointed star mounted on the hood, which would later become the Lincoln emblem, rested a 300 horsepower 368 cubic-inch V8 engine mated to a three-speed automatic transmission.
Mostly hand-made, the Mark II was a rolling piece of art and a product of exceptional craftsmanship. The paint was wet sanded, double-lacquered and polished to a shine industrial painting techniques could simply not achieve. Only the very finest materials were used throughout and the instrumentation displayed the precision of a finely crafted watch. These amenities and more did not come cheaply and even with a sticker price of $10,000 Ford lost an estimated $1,000 per car sold. With a price tag equaling a Rolls-Royce and far exceeding the Lincoln Premiere Series of the same year, the Mark II only attracted clients of considerable wealth -- the rich and famous. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Rockefeller, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower were all proud owners of a Mark II, as was the Shah of Iran.
Conceived as the height of automotive fashion, its public debut at the Paris Motor Show of 1955 was fitting. Before the car had been publicly released, 1,300 examples were sold with only another 1,300 sold during its first year of production. In 1957, only 450 were produced, making the total production of the Mark II only 3,000 examples strong. At present, it is believed that the number of surviving examples is far lower.
This particular 1956 Continental Mark II has undergone a complete, professional, and very thorough restoration. It may well be the nicest restored MKII in existence. Its exterior, benefiting from a unique wraparound windshield, is finished in rare and factory-correct Dark Red while the interior features matching, two-tone maroon and white leather upholstery. In addition to a smart dashboard with four-dial gold-trimmed instrumentation, this Mark II is fully equipped with a host of typical Continental extras -- power brakes, power steering, power seat, radio, white wall tires, heater.
In no way was the Continental Mark II a typical Lincoln. In fact, its development by the Continental Division and the virtual omission of the Lincoln name signaled a certain degree of autonomy for the super-luxurious two-door. With such marques as Duesenberg, Cord, and Peerlees relegated to the annals of history, Ford's project was aimed from the outset at luxury strongholds Packard and Cadillac. The Division's goal of crafting "the finest automobiles in America" was lofty but, by all accounts, a stylistic success, even if Ford lost money on each example produced. To this day, the Continental Mark II remains a vehicle of great distinction, a timeless American classic, and a welcome presence at any show event. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
What a stunning automobile
Dignified looking....Stunning design.
My Dad's Mark II is still running fine and zero rust. One problem is driving it ... the thing is as big as an aircraft carrier. I only put about 100 miles per year on the thing. Oh yeah, it doesn't like to stop either (drum brakes). Still, fun in its own way.
Bonjour merci magnifique voiture de collection. Très belle couleur. Modèle hors du commun merci beaucoup.
Like most works of fine art, it's iconic and timeless. The epitome of what is considered to be a classic. The understated design further lends to the car's subtle elegance. Simplicity is an art form. 👍🏻😎
one of the most beautiful cars ever,besides the mk3...
Wow! Quite the ride. Downside to cars like that is you can rarely drive them. They are art on wheels.
In case you didn't know Continental commissioned a gun maker to design the front hood ornament to be set up just like a balanced gun sight! Air conditioning was the only available option for 1956, which took the car from 4825 pounds to 5190 pounds. The air conditioning air intakes were external scoops located atop the rear fender kick ups, the condenser for the AC system was placed in the trunk and four registers were inserted in the headliner of the passenger compartment to keep the occupants cool! The Continental Division instituted a seven point quality control program and twice the man hours were spent to produce the Continental as compared to a Lincoln which were also very beautiful cars for the time! There were 43 standard upholstery trim choices to complement the 19 standard exterior lacquer finishes for 1956!
The Mark II was shipped to dealerships in fleece-lined plastic and canvas envelopes to protect its fine lacquer exterior finish!
The 368 cubic inch V-8 engine produced 285 hp at 4,000 rpm with 402-lbs.ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm.
The total production for 1956 was only 2,556 cars, which is an average of a little more than 10 cars per day based on an estimate of 250 work days for the year.
I could go on but its time to enjoy a beverage!
Thanks for the info. This was one of my favorite cars to review. I learned so much and you have told me so much more.
Elvis had one too. Thank-you very much.
Elvis also had a white one .his mom and daddy shown on video driving in it at Graceland.😎
The first car Elvis bought his mother was a fifty six Cadillac
Automobile magnifica, con un fascino incredibile
Still the greatest car built in the US!
michael cerza I agree. And the new "concept" Continental looks similar, a modern day version of this classic. Thanks for your comment
I have loved these cars since I was a child. One thing- no factory air conditioning with a dark finish? The original buyer was being a little cheap. In fact, my CZcams search algorithm brought up another 1956 Continental, black, again, no air conditioning, Hard to drive on a sunny day.
I was just 14 when my dad bought one of these, a black one. It did not have the AC option, but was quite an interesting car in its own right. I remember the problem with the wheel covers that would, all to often, "pop off". One day when I with my mom and dad were driving and the front right cover came off. It didn't just fall to the ground, but rolled along side of us! We watched as it headed to the side of the road and managed to avoid oncoming traffic! We stopped, got out and picked it up, undamaged! In another occasion my mother had returned from grocery shopping and that darned right front cover was gone. She thought that it might have come off in a particular area, so my dad and I went back to look for it, and after a 30 minutes of serious looking we found it. (It was worth the effort, as even at that time a replacement cover was bloody expensive)
What a story. I enjoyed hearing about your memory with your Dad. This car was one of my favorites to do a video about. Thanks for sharing
I always loved the continental mark 2....I discovered this car back in 1984 at 19 years old....I was into lincolns ..my older friend got me interested;;;;;;;;a well designed and built car''''''''''''''''''its on my bucket list at 53 still love them...............................
One of our favorite cars . I fell in love with this car. Thanks for the comment
This is not a Lincoln, it is a Ford
Fabulous
Underneath one sees the cast iron solid axle, leaf springs and drum brakes. Great body and interior.
The Ford Motor Company"s finest hour !
FRED WILEY I agree
Nicely done on all accounts.
Thanks. Glad you liked the video. Feel free to copy the link and share on Facebook, Twitter and other social channels
Fabulous car!!!
Just think 10k in 1956 is about $94,475.74 today 😳
I think this is an equivalent comparison to a top luxury car of today. The 2021 BMW 7 Series has a starting price of $86,800, which is about average for the class. The price rises to $103,000 for the sportier 750i model and rockets up to $157,800 for the powerful M760i variant.
I've always liked the Continental Mark series, and have driven the Mark 6, 7, & 8! This one is really awsome as well!
Which was your favorite
Beautiful car.
I always prefer G.M. offerings, but this and a few others from Ford are as good as it gets.
P.S. ... when did David Spade start doing car shows?
I totally agree
the new Lincoln Continental need the same grille type as the '56 Continental. Just imagine:
'56 Continental Grille + Suicide Doors + White-wall tires + hood ornament = pure seXXXiness
you forgat E L V I S
Kaya Sel I saw Elvis driving one of these lat week!
Absolutely no need to "see" the talking heads. A voice-over narrative would have provided all the pertinent information while the viewer could concentrate on savoring and absorbing the glorious beauty of this masterpiece. We want to see the car not the "talkers".
Is it an ego thing to be on camera? NO-ONE cares what the talkers look like. Adds nothing to the video content!
Then make your own video
Imagine pulling up alongside one of these in a Cadillac, you would feel kinda inferior.
You did NOT have to slam the doors on this car .Don slam the doors on any car
Exactly what my Mother always said, especially about her 1958 Buick Limited.
Thank you! I tell that to my grandchildren all the time.
Too much focus on the faces and not nearly enough focus on that beautiful car.
The American Rolls Royce but with working electrics.
So true. This is one of my favorite cars. We were honored to have done this video. Hope you liked it
Nowadays it would cost you 20 grand just for that paint job.
I agree. The paint job was beautiful on this car
It’s too bad what Ford has done to Lincoln. Every vehicle on the road today looks exactly the same. There’s nothing eye catching that you would turn your head and say “wow”. This Continental is a wow and much more.
John F . Kennedy , Barry.Goldeater , Elizabeth Taylor ,( violet blue like her eyes ).Mae West ,( deep.pink ,black leather ) owned one of these .
Referring to it as "the American Rolls Royce" denigrates the Continental.
The press used to call it the "American" Rolls Royce. We didn't mean to put it down...The continental was a very special car that stood on out on its own.
The Continental MK2 was superior over the Rolls.
@@WebVideoVision I believe the engine is 430 cubic inches...
All I saw were Two heads talking what about the fricking car!!!!!
And DON'T slam the hood Why did you do that . You DO NOT KNOW as much about this car as you SHOULD DON'T SLAM THE DOORS OR HOOD OR TRUNK
Ya, cause they might fall off.
We
Just another Cadillac wannabe