'56/'57 Lincoln Continental Mk II

The Mark II had just the right combination of elegance and sportiness. Ford lost big bucks on every one they built but it was a beau geste for sure.
 
Those cars were more about Ford Motor's prestige than making money. Owners like Elvis preferred them over the Caddies that he purchased for friends & relatives.

Their limited manufacture makes them difficult to source parts for now days. Some were converted to modern 460 Ford drive train in stead of the old Lincoln engine and Turbo-Drive.
 
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rotorwrench said:
Those cars were more about Ford Motor's prestige than making money. Owners like Elvis preferred them over the Caddies that he purchased for friends & relatives.

Their limited manufacture makes them difficult to source parts for now days. Some were converted to modern 460 Ford drive train in stead of the old MEL engine and Turbo-Drive.
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They had a engine, that I always admired, the 368 Lincoln Y block, Fomoco's first OHV V8. 4 x 3.66 B&S (in '52 317 ci, 3.8x3.5), with a deck height of 10.94. More than 3/4" taller than the FE engine.
 
frnkeore said:
They had a engine, that I always admired, the 368 Lincoln Y block, Fomoco's first OHV V8. 4 x 3.66 B&S (in '52 317 ci, 3.8x3.5), with a deck height of 10.94. More than 3/4" taller than the FE engine.
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Yes, they were like a larger version of the Ford Y-Block. Too bad Edelbrock and others didn't make much speed equipment for them. I'm sure there were cams available. I know Hilborn made mechanical fuel injection for them.

Sal
 
[FONT=&quot]Probably one of the nicest looking American cars of the last half of the 20th century. I've heard they were probably the most hand-built of any of Ford's production cars. Also cost about 10 grand new - or three to four times what a typical full sized car was priced at back then. I think there were only like 3000 of the Mark II's made.
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[FONT=&quot]So how many of us will kick ourselves in the future for not getting one while they're still within the realm of affordable? They're not cheap, but nice examples of this rare car can still be had for not much more than the cost of a new Chevy Suburban.[/FONT]
 
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The 1956-1957 Continental Mk II are certainly beautiful cars.
They were styled conservatively with the best of workmanship going into each unit.
I believe that a few have been imported into Australia, but not very many.
 
I came close to buying a 57 in 1961 but couldn't bring myself to trade in my 55 Crown Vic-which I still have. That 57 was loaded and was very quite on the road test.
 
I found this info on them.
http://www.classiccardatabase.com/specs.php?series=5255&year=1956&model=27119

The '56 was almost $10k and 2556 were made. They dropped the price to $8,800, for '57 but, only made 444. And then they were gone :(

Hp for '56 was 285, '57 was 300.

Mercman, thank you for the pictures.

Added:
I liked Mk I and Mk II cars but, nothing else until the Mk VIII. I have one of those. The Mk VIII is almost the same HP but, 1200 lb lighter.
 
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Early photo of the all new 1956 Continental parked outside the new Continental Division Factory.
What a classy car. They don't come any better than this.
 
After seeing the original price of this car, in '56, I looked up the inflation rate today.

Today's prices are 9.62 times higher than average prices since 1956, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 10.40% of what it could buy back then.
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That makes the first year price, in today's money, $95,873. That puts in in the Mercedes "S" class range, their high class.
 
What does the roof line remind you of?


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Had they eliminated the wing glass, it would have look much more better (IMO).
 

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Had they eliminated the wing glass, it would have look much more better (IMO).
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Yes, but, smokers would have been upset (I used to be one of them), you gotta have that "Wind Wing" to flick your ashes, out of the car :)
 
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Notice how clean the BIRD looks w/o the wing glass and the A-Pillar slanted forward?


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I would find something to b!tch about in a pie factory ... ;)
 
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