What is this, I can't tell? I'd rather ask then guess, still learning here. Great thread I have a thing for customs.
This is known as the second generation Continental 1956-57. It may have been released in late 55 as a 1956 model and then went one more year as the 57. The Continental name was revived in 1955 as a separate Ford brand, with its sole model being the Continental Mark II. This version was a unique design with the highest quality control ever seen in the automobile industry. High-class luxury abounded in the new Continental, and with very limited availability, it appeared even more exclusive than the original. Continental for 1956 was one of the most expensive cars in the worldwith a cost of $10,000 at a time when a regular Ford could be had for less than $2000 it rivaled Rolls-Royce. But despite its astronomical price tag actually lost money on each one sold. On a side note, Cadillac suffered a similar financial loss with its own Continental rival, the four-door Eldorado Brougham. Vehicles such as these were image builders for the two companies, as well as test beds for new ideas and concepts. The Continental Mark II was sold for just two model years, with about 3,000 total units built. Between the tales of dealers turning potential buyers away because they were not deemed to be the right kind of people to own a Continental and its sticker price found affordable by only the world's wealthiest, the Continental became almost mythical. Many celebrities drove them, including Frank Sinatra,Elvis Presley,Henry Kissinger, The Shah of Iran. Total production equaled 2,996 including two convertibles. Here are some photos of my friends car here in Australia.
OH YEA this car is awesome and Greg is a cool guy to talk to. Not afraid to cruze the long trips either.Talked to him in Salina. I think he drove it to Detroit show from Colorado Springs in the middle of winter,now that takes guts.
Both of those Lincolns are gorgeous, but that white & red ride from OZ gives me a bad case of "I wanna wanna wannas"!
Generally I agree, but primer can be a means to an end. And, I kinda think Quesnel's Merc looks pretty classy even in primer: -Dave
Primer is not permanent. The way the car is thought out is where the class comes from. Traditional styling. All of the kustoms of the past wore primer for a while...driving them in progress
Buick is perfect, it was so great to see this car in person at the Customs then and now building.It doesn't get any better than this.
Well, they were a '56 model, but many were shipped in September of '55. The first batch of 300, or so, were marked on their Production Order as "Introductory Units". They were not for sale. They belonged to the Continental Division and were put in showrooms for display, only. Once the pipeline was full these cars were sold to the dealership to be sold to the public. This tactic generated quite a few custom orders from some Klassy people. The Mark II was $10,000 in 1956. My parents bought a nice suburban home for $10,000 in '56, to put things in perspective. This car was damaged in shipment, along with another car, en route to Chicago. It ended up in the hands of Ford Marketing who had them both cut into convertibles by Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati. They had a long relationship with Ford and Continental as they are the firm that built the Mark II "Retractable". Talk about a Klassy Custom!
I really dig the T bird,love the baby blue color,it has a lot of style and class,i would go a touch lower with it.
The Jalopy Journal
