One of Four Built: 1959 Continental Camper!

“And now for something completely different.” I can just hear John Cleese (dressed in a black suit and sitting behind a wooden desk) saying that famous catchphrase now. And what a perfect lead in it would be. In all transparency, my eyes got diagonally canted like the front of this ’59 Continental Mark IV when I saw the photos of this campy camper. At first, I thought it was a well done one-off, but the seller says that Chinook RV (founded in Orange County, California, in 1938 by Sy and Rose Mair and operated as Mair & Son, Inc.) made a total of ten of these ’58 – ’60 Continental Conversion Campers: four in 1958, four in 1959, and two in 1960. It is currently residing in Spring Hill, Florida, and is for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for $50,000. A huge thank you to “T.J. the Wonder Spotter” for sending this ultra-rare ’59 Continental our way. As an old buddy, Frank Roy, used to say, “I ain’t never in all my ever!”

This is one of those vehicles where I wish we had more history about its origins, what it’s been up to the past 67 years, and more posted photos. I bet this rig wasn’t cheap when it was purchased back in 1959, and its restoration somewhere along the way wasn’t a cheap endeavor either. The seller, who says he “hates to part with her, but I’m getting old and not using it as I should”, did make the effort to contact Chinook RV and they verified that it’s indeed one of the four Continental Conversion Campers they produced in 1959. Based on the photos, the exterior is impressive with no rust or problem areas spotted. The white with medium blue trim on both the Continental and the camper looks very good as does the chrome, trim, glass and lenses. It’s a sharp looking unit and will definitely draw a crowd when it parks in the needed two (or three) camper spots.

There aren’t any detailed photos of the Continental’s interior; it’s only described as being gray in color. Inside the camper, the white and medium blue color theme continues with the cushioned seats, and the floor is finished in the obligatory 1950’s black and white checkerboard linoleum. There’s also a photo of the kitchen area with Avocado Green appliances that screams the 1960’s (we had them in my home growing up).

The original 430-cubic-inch MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) V8 engine, which generates 385 horsepower, has been rebuilt as has what the seller describes as the camper’s “original heavy duty automatic transmission.” The drivetrain has 48,000 miles showing on the odometer and the seller says the rig “runs and drives excellent.” The seller also shares that he’s only been able to locate two other survivors of these rare, cool Continental Campers, so it’s highly unlikely that the next owner will see another one at their local Coffee, Cars & Campers gathering.