When development began on the Continental Mark II as a “money is no object” exercise in excellence, the plan was for a 4-door Sedan and a Convertible version to join the range following the launch of the Hardtop. However, neither reached production, although a pair of one-off Convertibles did see the light of day. Our feature car isn’t one of those vehicles, but it is a stunning custom that will undoubtedly attract attention. It runs and drives, with the seller using it mainly for parades and car shows. When you scroll through the photos, you will be impressed by its presentation and the level of enjoyment it should offer its new owner.
Ford created the Continental Division specifically to produce the Mark II, aiming to build the world’s best luxury car. It left no stone unturned in its quest for perfection, with the company employing some of the most stringent quality control measures in automotive history. The attention to detail was truly astounding and is best demonstrated by the trim. Each item was attached by hand, while the beautiful hubcaps were assembled by a technician from an inner and outer ring and individual fins. Each body was fully assembled to ensure perfect panel fit before being dismantled to head to the paint shop. The Mark II was one of the most expensive production cars available upon its launch in 1956, but Continental still lost nearly $1,000 on each sale. The history of this classic is fascinating, having previously been owned by William R. Timken, former Diplomat and Chairman of Timken Company of Canton, Ohio. It is unclear whether he commissioned the car’s construction, but one look at its appearance confirms that the Mark II’s styling made it ideal for the still-born Convertible variant. Faulting the presentation is virtually impossible, with its Presidential Black paint displaying an incredible depth of color and shine. The panels are flawless, and the trim glows beautifully against the Black paint. The seller planned to add a power top, but with too many projects already on the go, this never happened. They mainly use the Continental for shows and parades, and it would undoubtedly draw crowds in either situation.
This Mark II remains quite conventional below the surface, retaining its stock drivetrain. The 368ci V8 sends 285hp and 402 ft/lbs of torque to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission. Power steering and power brakes were standard fare, which brings us to another interesting point about this model. It is typical for luxury car manufacturers to offer an enormous range of options, allowing buyers to tailor their purchases. Continental followed a different path because apart from paint and trim combinations, the sole option was air conditioning. Potential buyers can consider this custom drop-top as a turnkey proposition. It runs and drives, and is ready to hit the road for some classic motoring fun.
The theme of excellent presentation continues when we scrutinize this Continental’s interior. The upholstered surfaces wear Deep Red and White leather, with Red also found on the dash, carpet, and wheel. The leather looks soft and inviting, with no evidence of wear. The carpet is spotless, and the beautiful gauge cluster seems perfect. The buyer won’t need to spend a dime inside this classic, and it comes with the luxury touches you would rightly expect. These include power windows, a power front seat, power vent windows, full instrumentation, and an AM radio.
The seller listed this 1956 Continental Mark II Convertible here on eBay in Armada, Michigan. A single bid of $28,900 has pushed the price beyond the reserve, meaning it is only days away from finding a new home. Placing a value on any custom is challenging because cars of this nature write their own rules. The viewing history on the seller’s listing suggests this classic has generated plenty of interest. Whether that translates into firm bids is one of the great unknowns. I did find a similar Convertible that sold earlier this year for $77,000. Do you think this Continental will reach that level, or do you have a lower figure in mind?
For the sake of clarity, this is not a convertible. With no folding roof, it is technically an open car. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s probably a big part of why the reserve was so low for what otherwise looks like a very nice Mark II.
Ford’s original plan for the Mark II called for a sedan, to be called “Berline,” and a convertible, which was to be a retractable hardtop convertible. Engineering costs for the retractable hardtop were determined to be too high for the low-volume Continental, so the project was transferred to the 1957 Ford program.
I believe one of the two factory-commissioned convertibles went to Bill Ford’s wife.
CCFisher,
Thank you . You must know the history of the vehicle. It is exactly that, a parade car.
Thanks again,
Mr Z11
I would also be very weary to consider this car since it probably doesn’t have the extra bracing that’s necessary for a convertible. Unless of course, with the pristine looks, it was done when the roof was removed.
Somebody ruined a nice mkII.
No side view to see if the proportions look good or not. Just 15 pictures of a car like this is way too low.
I’m sorry, but the value of this Mark II just went down the crapper. A homemade convertible is not something any collector will want. I know I wouldn’t.
This car is ruined!
Kinda make a person wonder why anyone in their right mind would “chop” the top on a car with the body lines of these beautiful cars.
Only thing that comes to mind is that the car has been rolled.
And, there again…how many buckets of bondo are in the rest of the body?
Billy,
Come look at the car instead of making assumptions. Just another opinion.
The eBay listing says it was once owned by the Timken (bearings) family. Would be interesting to know when the conversion was done.
From the research I’ve done, somwhere between 2017 and present
A lot of concerns about this car. From how and why was it done. Specifically how well was it done? What was done that you can’t see. You can complain all you want, that the car was ruined, but it is a little too late for that. If someone has the resources and expertise to finish it to a very high standard ,I think it would be outstanding . Again B.S. walks and Money talks!
Okay…
As mentioned, I own more than one.
Well it doesn’t appear to be sagging in the middle. Maybe I’m wrong but weren’t these cars body on frame? That would make it more ridgid if the top was chopped I would think, but extra bracing would be welcome. Beautiful car though, the first time I saw one of these I was like what? It looked like the biggest two seater roadster ever built and then I saw the back seat.
Seeing this bid up to a mere $28k and appearing only on eBay tells me everything I need to know about the quality of the build, the restoration, and the seller. If this was a commissioned piece for the Timken family when new and culled from the factory, some sort of top should have been engineered to at least sit in place to protect the occupants and upholstery from the elements. Something like this with a pedigree and provenance to match would surely bring 6 figures on Bring A Trailer. And who knows, maybe this will end up on BAT after some sorting by the new owner? One can dream, can’t they?
Seller says it’s a parade car. It must sway like a wet noodle when driven.
Please see ad on eBay.
Additional pictures and video added. Questions and concerns have been addressed.
Any further inquiries can be addressed via eBay auction
Thank you.
OWNER
Was proper bracing done to reinforce the frame?
If you are familiar with the Continental Mark II, they were designed to be convertibles. The cow belly/ladder constructed frames allowed for that from the very beginning. This is NOT my first Mark II and certainty not my last. I am well aware of the potential with this vehicle.
Look at photographs and see for yourself no sags, no misalignment.
Thank you
I have seen this car in person. It is a very nice car. Someone is going to get a real bargain.
Additional comments have been posted on on eBay ad
Was not aware of cross advertising via barnfinds.com
Additional pictures and video have been added.
Thank you,
Mr Z11
Thank you Tom
No kidding…
First of all, it would have been nice if Ford paid attention to quality control on ALL of its vehicles, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury. It would be nice if they watched quality control today.
$28,000? OMG that is dirt cheap for such a unique car.
I am so glad prices are coming down and becoming more reasonable, only people’s bank accounts are dwindling also. 😔
This Land Yacht is a beauty and I’m sure someone else is going mention there are no photos of the top up or in action.
B.F. got a mention in the Auction Comments:
“On Jul-25-24 at 11:41:06 PDT, seller added the following information:
Additional photographs and video added for clarification. Received email stating car was advertised via BarnFinds.com.”
Ok, I missed that part. I was skimming again.
No top at all. Got it.
Plenty of photos of the underside with lots of extra bracing car would be rock solid.
If you knew where a basket case/parts car was, you could put a roof back on it. Such a cryin’ shame.
A striking car indeed. Why would you need a top when a simple tonneau cover would keep the interior dry? The top on my open car is never up, and any soft top on this one would ruin its spectacular lines.
Thank you Frank
Agreed
I have seen one other MKII convertible conversion and there are rumors there were one or two made by Lincoln to try to design a power top, but they have never been found is my understanding. There is an article about this mystery on Hemmings. They look great as a convertible.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/magazine/the-continental-conundrum-lincoln-mark-ii/
I worked for TRB Co., 1972-74 in the Gambrinus steel mill. Had a supervisor that owned two Continentals. Now I know from whence he drew his inspiration.
CCFisher: Wasn’t the design also used on Thunderbird and Lincoln convertibles until Ford stopped making ‘verts?