Continental Mark II production lasted just two model years and ended at about 3,000 cars. Ford built 2,550 of them for 1956 and only 444 for 1957. Each one cost around $10,000 new. That combination of a short run and a steep price is why the Mark II stands apart among 1950s American luxury cars.
It also wasn’t sold as a Lincoln. Ford created a separate Continental Division for it, which kept the car apart from the rest of the company’s lineup. Here’s how the numbers break down, why they stayed so low, and what these coupes bring today.
How many Continental Mark IIs Ford built
The year-by-year split is clear. According to Hagerty’s valuation profile of the 1956 Mark II, Ford built 2,550 cars for 1956 and 444 for 1957. Those two figures add up to 2,994.
RM Sotheby’s uses the same split. Its listing for a 1956 Mark II sold at Hershey in 2022 says just 2,550 examples were delivered that year and 444 in 1957.
Other sources round the total slightly differently. Conceptcarz puts total sales at about 2,996, a count that includes two prototype convertibles. Meanwhile, Old Cars Weekly simply says Ford made around 3,000 in 1956 and 1957.
Why Continental Mark II production stayed so small
The short answer is cost. RM Sotheby’s says Ford, as its catalog puts it, “still lost money on each Continental Mark II sold.” Conceptcarz goes further, putting the loss at $1,000 per car.
The price was already high, too. Hagerty describes the original cost as “a then-astronomical $10,000 plus.” Similarly, Old Cars Weekly gives the 1956 price as $10,000. Conceptcarz lists $9,965 for the 1956 model.
In fact, RM Sotheby’s calls the Mark II the most expensive American car of 1956. Even so, the price didn’t cover the work Ford put into each one.
Where the money went
Much of it went into the finish. Old Cars Weekly says each car was assembled in primer and fitted. Then workers took it apart, painted it with 14 coats of lacquer, and put it back together for final assembly.
Conceptcarz describes the cars as virtually hand-built. It also mentions multiple coats of hand-sanded paint, double-lacquered and polished.
The mechanical side got similar attention. Hagerty says the Mark II used individually tested, Lincoln-derived engines and a new Multi-Drive automatic transmission. It also credits the car with the first modern perimeter frame. That frame allowed a lower interior and a lower center of gravity.
The engine and the options list
Power came from a 368-cubic-inch V8. Hagerty rates it at 285 horsepower with a four-barrel carburetor. However, Conceptcarz lists 300 horsepower at 4,800 rpm for Lincoln’s 368 Y-block, so the figure depends on the source and likely the year.
Buyers had little to choose from beyond paint and trim. According to Conceptcarz, air conditioning was the only option, at $595. Old Cars Weekly adds that front bumper guards and possibly tinted windows were also offered.
Continental, not Lincoln
The badge matters to collectors. Old Cars Weekly explains that Continental was its own division of Ford Motor Co. The “Lincoln Continental” name, it notes, didn’t arrive until 1958 with the Mark III.
Ford also gave the car a European flavor. Conceptcarz says it debuted at the 1955 Paris Motor Show with understated, European-influenced styling. William Clay Ford, son of Edsel and grandson of Henry, served as general manager of the project. At the same time, Hagerty ties the car to a bigger company moment. It notes that Ford was then family-owned and was preparing a stock offering to the public in 1956.
Who bought one
The small production run went to a well-known crowd. Old Cars Weekly says Liz Taylor, Elvis and Frank Sinatra were among the first owners.
What a Continental Mark II costs today
For a car that cost about $10,000 new, recent sales are within reach of many collectors. RM Sotheby’s sold a 1956 Mark II, chassis C56C2363, for $67,200 at Amelia Island in 2022.
Later that year, RM sold another 1956 example at its Hershey auction. That car, Lot 364, sold for $96,250, one of fewer than 3,000 Mark IIs Ford ever built.
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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.
