Former Resident, JC Daniels Collection: 1957 Continental Mark II

JC Daniels was a Texas oilman with an acute fondness for Lincolns. He owned several hundred in their various iterations, obsessively buying more inventory no matter the condition. His facilities even accepted deliveries after he had passed away. The pile of Lincolns and Continentals was auctioned off at no reserve by RM in February of 2003. More than half the cars did not run, with countless of these barely above “parts only” quality. Daniels had indulged in “restoration” of a few of his cars, using strictly vinyl upholstery and car-lot paint jobs. Reports indicate that bondo was prevalent, and frames were rotten. The entire lot sold for slightly over $1.2 million – an indication of the derelict quality of most of the herd. Today’s 1957 Continental Mark II was a former resident of Mr. Daniels’ collection, having been purchased by the seller’s grandfather from the RM auction. Said grandfather ran a Lincoln dealership in nearby Wheeler, Texas; the car was driven 42 miles to its new home, where it was lightly used until 2008, then displayed ever since. This Continental is listed here on eBay with bidding at $5700, reserve not met.

The Lincoln division produced its Continental over nine decades, interrupted by a few hitches for wars and divisional shifts. In 1956, the short-lived Continental division was formed, and the cars dropped the “Lincoln” moniker for two years. No matter the badge name, the Continental was a luxury car throughout its production, with only a handful of competitors matching its features and performance. This example is fitted with a 368 cu. in. Y-block V8 – Ford’s answer to the Oldsmobile Rocket V8, Chrysler’s Hemi, and Cadillac’s continually-refined OHV V8. The engine clocked 300 hp in ’57. The transmission was Borg-Warner’s Turbo-Drive three-speed automatic. The finned valve covers are original; as noted, this car hasn’t run in years.

The Continental was part of the burgeoning “personal luxury” niche, so options were legion. This example has a two-tone interior in decent condition. The rear seats are just as nice as the fronts. That’s where my enthusiasm comes to a skidding halt, however, because the rust shown at the base of the A pillar is daunting. A request for underside photos was met with a refusal, the seller noting that she does not live anywhere near the car. Too, this car’s paint seems to have been dashed on by the staff restoration “expert”, as what might be the original cream color is evident in several places.  Despite the marque’s high-brow aims, the dash is plain with nary a thought given to styling. On the driver’s seat is the original description from the long-ago RM auction, indicating this was lot #211: the sales price back then was $12,100.

Daniels installed wide white wall tires on every car he owned, often embossing them with his own initials. But for all the trouble he took with repaints, retrims, the new tires, and so forth, title activity among these dealers was lackadaisical at best. The seller’s grandfather never bothered to obtain title. Consequently, this car comes with an original bill of sale from RM along with a “Texas Bonded Title”, which we are assured will work at DMV. That might be true in some states, but my state is notoriously picky. After one failed sale already, this Continental will need to find another brave soul willing to step up.