This is a stunning example of the iconic 1956 Continental Mk II that is a great car for local shows and touring. This Mk II has benefitted from a gorgeous show quality repaint in Deep Red (Paint Code 13) 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 show quality.  Even the wheel covers have been restored to appear as new.  And the tires with the correct width white walls look just right.

The interior was redone at an earlier time and was executed in gray vinyl contrasted with a very correct deep red matelasse brocade fabric. The carpet is also a deep red and shows some sign of fading.  The interior is showing some patina and the dashboard and trim have never been restored, showing that this was a well cared for example through the last 65 years.  This is the rare and desirable air conditioned model, with the air conditioning working well and it has been converted to R134a and is blowing blowing cold.  One hose will need replacing as the copper tube has been crimped.  The trunk is also very well detailed in deep red carpeting and deep red custom fitted covers for the spare and the original jack.

This Continental was built in January of 1956 and was originally black (Paint Code 01) in color, with a gray leather interior (Trim Code 6E4L). While we don’t know the history from new, we know that it was sold new in the Northeast and spent some time in Florida before staying in California for many years, mainly in storage.  This would help explain the chassis that is devoid of any history of rust issues.

The chrome and stainless trim are in excellent overall condition. It is apparent that all the exterior trim have been re-chromed during the restoration. The interior trim pieces have some light pitting, which we’ve seen on our own California since new Mk II’s. The large chrome door sill and jamb pieces have been chromed well and look very nice.

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. It seems likely that the mileage is correct and original at just over 83,000 miles.  It runs and drives very well and could be enjoyed on tours with little to no effort.  We have the complete 158-point inspection report available for your review.  The tachometer and speedometer are presently not functioning, but the sale includes new cables and gears to make them operable.  The antenna is also not working.  Please review the inspection report for details.

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 $126,500 and a No. 3 value of $56,650, including the increase for the air conditioning.

This Mk II comes complete with the most comprehensive library of books and manuals that we’ve seen.  Included are the body manual, service manuals, technical data manual, factory brochure, a rare dealer selection book and an original owners manual.

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.