Today, very few manufacturers produce “money is no object” vehicles that record a financial loss on every car sold. Volkswagen is a notable exception with its Bugatti models, but Ford pursued that approach in the 1950s with the Continental Mark II. Sold for only two years, the Mark II was an exercise in automotive excellence. The company aimed to produce the world’s best luxury car, and it is claimed the company lost $1,000 on every vehicle. This 1956 example is an original and unmolested survivor that has hibernated for two decades. It is rock-solid and ripe for revival. The owner feels it deserves a new home, listing the Continental exclusively here at Barn Finds Classifieds. You could become this beauty’s new owner for $50,000.
The eye for detail set the Continental Mark II apart from its logical competitors. Each car was hand assembled as a “body in white” to ensure perfect panel fit before being disassembled for painting. The vehicles were meticulously bolted back together, with every badge installed by hand. The hubcaps probably encapsulate the company’s philosophy more than any other item. In an era when these components were typically stamped from steel and chrome-plated, the center and outer sections on the Continental were made as separate parts. A worker joined the pair using individual fins that were attached by hand. This Mark II retains every piece of its trim and chrome, which looks dazzling against the Starmist White paint. The entire exterior shines beautifully, with no significant paint flaws or defects. The panels are as straight as an arrow, and potential buyers will welcome the news that this classic is rust-free and as solid as the day it rolled out of the Continental factory. The tinted glass is crystal clear, meaning this car’s exterior has no cosmetic needs or shortcomings.
Continental adopted a “one size fits all” philosophy when developing the Mark II’s mechanical specifications. Buyers received a 368ci Y-Block V8 coupled with a three-speed automatic transmission, with power assistance for the steering and brakes reinforcing the car’s luxury leanings. The 368 produced a very respectable 285hp and 402 ft/lbs of torque. This car tips the scales at around 5,000 lbs, meaning performance won’t be in muscle car territory. However, that wasn’t the company’s aim. The high curb weight came courtesy of plenty of luxury fittings and significant sound-deadening material. Continental wanted owners to experience the ultimate in luxury motoring, allowing the car to cruise on the open road at 70mph while cocooning its occupants in total isolation. It achieved that aim, helping explain why the Mark II was a favorite with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra. The seller states this classic is mechanically complete and original, although it has hibernated for twenty years. They haven’t attempted a revival but recently fitted new tires so the vehicle rolls freely for easy loading. The mechanical components hold no great surprises or challenges, meaning returning the Mark II to active service for summer is a realistic goal.
One area of older classics that can show age is the interior. However, that isn’t a problem with this Mark II. Continental followed an unusual approach with upholstery, sourcing its Bridge of Weir leather from Scotland. The reason was surprisingly simple but reflected the desire for excellence. Leather producers in North America applied dye using a spray process, while Bridge or Weir leather was vat-dyed. This process improved color penetration and consistency, making it the ideal choice for what was supposed to be the ultimate luxury car. Those who weren’t drawn to leather could specify various types of cloth, with the company offering forty-three interior trim combinations. The interior didn’t merely look good because it was loaded with the features buyers expected when paying a premium price. They received power windows, a power front seat, deep carpet (including in the trunk), a self-regulating clock, and a Travel-Tuner AM radio with twin speakers and a power antenna. The only option beyond upholstery material was factory air conditioning. This feature lightened the buyer’s wallet by $595, a considerable sum in 1956. Only around 500 buyers ticked that box on the Order Form, and this is one of those cars. The seller says the interior is in excellent condition, with no wear or physical damage. The photos suggest it will benefit from basic cleaning, but that should be a satisfying way to spend some time once the new owner parks this gem in their garage.
The Continental Division was designed to be Ford’s flagship company, and the idea of cars selling at a financial loss was acceptable as long as the business remained in the family’s hands. However, floating Ford as a public company on the Stock Exchange meant the situation would be potentially unpalatable to shareholders, spelling the end for Continental. Under 3,000 production examples of the Mark II were produced during the vehicle’s two-year lifespan, and finding a solid and unmolested vehicle can be challenging. That is the opportunity awaiting this car’s new owner, so if you crave a luxurious classic motoring experience, it deserves a closer look.
This has been a Dream Car to own all my life. I’m 78 now and that dream is impossible. I hope it goes to a new owner who will cherish its true value and beauty. It is an extraordinarily exceptional find! Congrats.
GODZILLA with a 4R100….
You’re joking right? This is one gorgeous car and I wouldn’t touch a thing. I used to see one of this parked in a driveway in Norfolk, VA during my daily walks but I don’t ever recall seeing it on the road. Probably the one problem with owning one of these, you don’t want to drive it and possibly get into an accident or even leave it parked somewhere and get a ding.
No I am not….you don’t like it to bad
Don’t worry about him. His mouth is likely many times the size of his bank account.
@ Tim S I’m sure its not as big as your manflower & don’t let your big block mouth overload your small block acc…lol
To all the ELETISTS giving thumbs up to manflowers remark equating $ to human worth you are the problem with this hobby & the world. Just remember the more you have the more you have to lose, or as a person with more $ than all of you put together say’s….YOU WILL OWN NOTHING AND BE HAPPY …
Saw one sell for $11,000 at an auction a few years ago,of course it needed some TLC but I figured the car would go for at least twice that amount,original drive train with loads of potential
Gentlemen, PLEASE! Give it a rest! Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone! ✝️ And I am not Pontificating, just trying to a reminder.
Some are sicker than others…
Absolutely. Also, 2″ off the Pagoda top.
My parents got one of these in the later 60’s and restored it and took it to car shows with lots of other cool Continentals and vintage cars. They belonged to the Continental owners club. I remember as a kid riding in the Mark ll and it would turn heads everywhere, a real show stopper. My mom called it “Big White”, since it was the gorgeous white, like this car. My parents finally stopped driving it in the mid 70’s since they were concerned about it getting hit or damaged, which almost happened a couple times. It then was parked in the garage for 10 years before they sold it in the early 80’s to the guy that painted it and told my dad he wanted that car someday. Rex was his name and he had multiple Continental show cars, 40’s into the suicide door 60’s. All of them were show winners.
My dad let me drive it when I was 17, but I was nervous and didn’t go far. Great piece of automotive art for sure, along with the story of how they were designed and built.
“Today, very few manufacturers produce “money is no object” vehicles that record a financial loss on every car sold.”
Doesn’t this describe every EV?
Interesting that roof line and pseudo tire on trunk appeared on later Lincolns. This is a beautiful and rare survivor. But as a long time lover of The GREAT AMERICAN LAND YACHT, it is too small for my tastes. The $50,000 price (if I had it) could buy at LEAST two 80s Mark V or Town Cars. As to losing money on every car, typical of how a family owned business ( when it goes public) no longer has control . Recall IMPERIAL being promoted as The World’s Most Carefully Built Car. NOW quality as well as great design is a thing of the past. Even LINCOLN no longer builds anything worth looking at.
It reminds me of the T-BIRD in AMERICAN GRAFFITI…no SUSAN SOMERS though…:(
Agreed they (77 Mark V and Town Car) were about a foot longer than a Mark II but I had a 77 Mark V and still have a Mark II and the Mark V’s advantage in length were those extended 5mph bumpers. The 72 Mark IV was the (IMO) nicest one in the 70’s era and it was only 2″ longer than the Mark II so bumpers notwithstanding they were all pretty consistent in size.
Open the trunk and there is indeed a real tire. in that bump. I remember seeing one new when they came out. I have s 56 and a 57. The lines of the car are near perfect for a large 50’s car. The hood is bigger than a early Honda. Cheers.
It’s not fair that you have two and I don’t have even one, but to show you that I am a nice guy I’ll be happy to store one of them at no charge for you and I would love it and wash it regularly and take it for a drive occasionally to keep the fluids circulating. Let me know when you want me to come pick it up, LOL.
I lost track of the number of people who asked me if the spare tire was fitted to the underside of the trunk lid on my ’62 Imperial, mine had the ’61 trunk lid fitted, if it did I’d have needed two people to lift it.
1961 LEBARON was one of two dream cars for me. (The other was final 61 DeSoto) Grand finale for Exners fabulous finned fantasies for Chrysler. Your 62 was still a beauty. And the faux tire on the trunk was another OTT styling issue. As advertised The Incomparable Imperial. LOL 🏆
Beauty, but at $50,000 and not able to take a test drive you got to have a lot of faith!
I can see that opinion … but this is a Continental Mark II, *the* best car America (some may argue the world) built in the ’50s. If I had the $50g’s and the real estate I’d snatch it up. Factoring in inflation of 70 years, $50g’s isn’t a bad price for a car like this, in this condition.
A nice unmolested survivor to be sure. But as the saying goes…”these things don’t sell for that much”. I appreciate that the seller believes that it is a positive that it hasn’t been driven for two decades. As a buyer, that is cause for concern. More like a $30,000 car as is, no test drive, because the buyer is taking on considerable risk of what they will have do do and spend $ to correct.
These car were and still are gorgeous. I think $50k is pretty reasonable, based on the car’s presentation and photo’s. Yes, the engine is a concern, of course. Heck, the wheel covers are worth $2500 by themselves!
Yes they are as they’re prone to fall off and 56 & 57 are slightly different. Fortunately I’ve got 5.
Volkswagen no longer owns Bugatti.
If I were trying to sell a car priced as this one is, I’d have included engine, trunk, floors and probably 50 or so other pictures. I expect this one is worth every penny, I know I’d give $50K for it, if it weren’t for “She Who Must Be Obeyed”!
I quite agree on putting out gobs of pictures, and NOT under fluorescent lights.
Perhaps the owner is having “second thoughts” on really parting with it.
If I was truly interested in buying this or any other $50k collector car I would go see it in person and not worry about posed pictures. I get that they give you an idea, but nothing like seeing it with your own eyes.
$50k is steep for a non runner! But man, these Continental’s were gorgeous.
I think the Cadillac Celestiq would be a modern example of a “money is no object” vanity project that was never expected to make a profit.
Such an elegant design – a Brooks Brothers suit in a sea of letterman and leather jackets. It’s not hard to see why it was scaled down for the original Mustang.
Always loved this car, but I agree that for 50 large, a car that was inoperable for that long must at minimum show evidence of viability. It is also not a plus that it sat for that long. Critical parts will need replace or reconditioning and I don’t even want to imagine what it would take to get the ac to work. Some parts are available, but others must be rebuilt, or are unobtainable. Also need pics of interior and under carriage.
The mechanical parts of the car aren’t too bad as almost all of it was used in other Ford products of the era. It’s the body itself, frame and shiny parts that were Mark II specific. If memory serves the 368 V8 is a well tweaked truck motor at its core. They used it because at the time it was the biggest engine Ford had to pull a car that weighed nearly 2 1/2 tons.
A decent, complete example of *the* best car made in America (some would say the world) in the ’50s, for only $50g’s in 2024 dollars?? If I had that kind of cash and the real estate, you bet I’d jump on this! With the only problems being El Paso dust and decades of dormancy (pardon the alliteration), how could I refuse otherwise?
As I walked home from school in the mid-late 60’s there was one the same color that sat in a garage behind the Risser Clinic in Bonham Texas……belonged to Dr. Risser, who by this time had retired, I never saw it move……Until sometime later, it was gone……Doc Risser was Sam Rayburns personel Dr.
In fact Mr. Sam passed away in this location…..Reckon it’s the same car?
What`s up with the driver`s door?
When I was growing up, a local business owner & his wife had 2; HIS was black on black, HERS was white on white. They drove them both to work every day!!!
This Mark 11 is the car of dreams for many a car lover, but $50K for a non running example is a huge gamble IMO. But if you got it to throw away, go for it.
I admittedly know nothing about the value. But in the early 90’s I used to ride my sportster past a house that had a white 56 as well as a red 56 caddy series 62. One day I saw the owner out in the yard and pulled over to ask if he would show me the cars. This was an absolute stunner. Smelled like worn leather and craftsmanship. It made the Caddy look bloated. Great car, good luck!
My favorite car of the ’50s. I would take this over any Cadillac ( and yes even the vaunted ’59). The styling of these(IMO) is unmatched and I would love to own one. The ’56-57 El Dorado Brougham could not touch these( even though they look good too).
Engineering and performance wise these are pedestrian and undistinguished. Terrible handling and sluggish acceleration. Very much a Ford underneath the fancy skin. They used lots of lead to finish the bodies.
A family in my hometown in Southern California were the only people in town to own one of these. It was, if memory serves, a tan color. The Dad would drive it to work daily. He would pull up in front of our junior high school and drop off his daughter (her brothers were younger and attended elementary school two blocks away from our school so he dropped them off first). As she would get out of the car we guys, who willingly waited there every school day, would tell her good morning…to which she replied : “You just like to see my Dad’s car.” To which we would reply in all sincerity (ha!), “oh, no, Gina. “
I have often thought this was one handsome car. Strikingly chrome free from an era that used chrome on nearly every vehicle except for the cheapest models. Still, a lovely car that deserves a good home. Far out of my price range.
It’s a little funny how many comments are about someone’s first time to have seen one of these. I can add another one. When these were first introduced, my school bus passed through an affluent area of Savannah, Georgia. I had heard about them but I had a hard time thinking that anyone could actually spend what amounted to two or three times the average annual income of most people. Then I spotted a maroon one parked in a driveway one morning on my way to school and couldn’t believe that I was really seeing one. The school bus returned home by the same route so I sat on the side that would give me the best view of that car as we passed it. I still have that picture in my mind. Adjusted for inflation I don’t think the price of this one is too high at all.
I didn’t even know these cars existed until about 1981. An older friend of mine, who sold Lincolns back in the 50’s and 60’s bought one and had it stripped to metal and refinished (original lacquer paint had cracked like a dropped mirror).
Car had no rust, no body damage and only 43,000 miles on it. I thought it was the best-looking car I’d ever seen and that if he ever sold it, it was mine. He remembered and it’s been in my garage since 1997.
A neighbor had one of these brand new when I was 11. As I recall they sold for $10,000 new in ‘56. It didn’t appeal to me as a kid and still doesn’t, but it was an impressive car.
I’ve seen non running examples Mark 11s go from $25-$30k and I think that’s more realistic, given the expense and unknowns of bringing them back to at least driver condition. Although this one is in great unmolested shape, I think $50k is the sellers, I don’t want to sell it price. For this money I would hire an inspector to determine what it would cost get it in running, driving and stopping status.
IMHO, this car needs nothing. I saw this car up close and personal about 7 years ago
I saw this car in person about seven years ago in a garage in Round Rock, Texas. It’s pretty much as described. It’s beautifully stunning. I didn’t hear it run or look under the hood. $50k stunning? We shall see.
You may have seen it in person,. and it looked ok, but you never saw or heard it running.. but with the asking price of $50k, that’s the problem.
dear seller; interior pics of seats , headliner, dash & carpets,would help a lot, chassis pics underside & history of owners, how long since it was run? thank you ……….tom collins certified auto appraiser, im a cash buyer, lets chat..