This is a wonderful example of the iconic 1956 Continental Mk II that is a great car for local and regional shows and touring. This Mk II has benefitted from an excellent repaint in its original Light Blue (Paint Code 04) with painstaking effort to align the body panels and a beautifully polished finish.  The undercarriage proves that this car was not exposed to weather as it is without any rust or signs of repair or damage of any kind.  The chrome and stainless are also beautifully refinished and are mostly show quality.  Even the wheel covers have been restored to appear as new.  And the radial tires with the correct width white walls look just right.

This Continental is a very early example and was invoiced on October 11th, 1955 and was built as you see it today.  It was sold to J.W. Stanton Inc. in Painesville, OH.  J. William Stanton was a congressman and counselor to the World Bank for many years.  His father was a very early employee of the Ford Motor Co.

The chrome and stainless trim are in excellent overall condition. The bumpers and grill are in excellent condition. It is apparent that all the exterior trim has been re-chromed during the restoration. Some of the interior trim pieces have some very light pitting. The large chrome door sill and jamb pieces also look very nice.  Overall, the chrome and stainless is in very nice condition.

The interior is a combination of restored and original components in its original Medium Blue Leather contrasted with Light Blue Nylon inserts (Trim Code 2A1A). The Deep Blue carpet is original and is in overall nice condition with some sign of fading.  The interior is showing minimal patina and is overall in excellent original condition.  The dashboard and trim have never been restored, showing that this was a well-cared for example through the last 67 years.  The trunk is also very well detailed in deep blue carpeting and a deep blue custom fitted cover for the spare.  There are some cracks in the steering wheel and minor scratches in the high use areas within the interior.  Continentals offered 19 different exterior color combinations and 43 interior combinations.

The engine compartment is very well detailed and is show quality.  It is obvious that significant time and attention was given to the engine compartment and related mechanicals.  This is a very nice driving example with the venerable 368 CID V8 with 285 hp and the Turbo-Drive automatic transmission.  The chassis has been well cleaned and painted with some light undercoating applied to the floorplans.

The Mk II drives very nice and proves to be a very nice and solid car that has never been subjected to rust or significant issues. According to a Continental Mark II expert who evaluated this Continental, this would likely be an example with about 70-80,000 miles from new with recent full mechanical and suspension restoration.  It runs and drives better than any Mark II that we’ve experienced and could be enjoyed on tours with little to no effort.  All the instruments and gauges function well, even the clock is operating.

Ford created the Continental division, making the Mk II a Continental and in no way part of Lincoln. These were about the price of a new home ($10,000) and it was common for you to have to “qualify” to buy one of the 3,000 built when new. This was the most expensive American car made, targeted directly at the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Each example was painstakingly hand-built with the finest materials.  The Hagerty Price Guide shows a No. 2 value of $88,500.

The Continental Mk II will always be one of the most significant post-War American cars and is considered a classic. This is an example of one that is very solid and ready to enjoy.  For more details and information, call, text or email Harry Clark at +1.602.245.7200 or harry@classicpromenade.com. It is available for viewing in our Phoenix showroom.