54-Years-Owned 1956 Continental Mark II

This 1956 Continental Mark II coupe was initially invoiced to Palomar Garage of Santa Cruz, California, on September 30, 1955, but it was first delivered to San Francisco for a promotional event at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. The 368ci V8 and three-speed Turbo-Drive automatic transmission were both rebuilt in August 2025, while the seats were re-trimmed in two-tone gray broadcloth in 2019. Additional equipment includes 15″ steel wheels with turbine-style covers, power steering, an egg-crate grille, an AM radio, a cabin heater, power windows, and a power-adjustable front bench seat.

Continental was introduced as a stand-alone luxury subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company with the debut of the Mark II at the Paris Motor Show in October 1955. Designed by Ford’s Special Product Operations team consisting of William Clay Ford, John Reinhart, Gordon Buehrig, and Harley Copp, the Mark II was offered as the brand’s sole model and carried a base price of approximately $10,000. Just 2,994 coupes were produced between 1955 and 1957.

A copy of the dealer invoice shows the aforementioned delivery plan as well as factory equipment and an invoice price of $7,593.96. A Production Order copy from The Henry Ford and additional literature are shown in the gallery.

The car is finished in black (01) and features a hood ornament, a wrap-around windshield, a driver-side mirror, a retractable antenna, an egg-crate grille, chrome bumpers and trim, and dual exhaust outlets that exit through the rear bumper. The driver-side taillight swings away to reveal a fuel filler, and a spare tire hump is integrated into the decklid. The passenger-side window is cracked with replacement glass included, and paint imperfections are shown up close in the gallery.

Steel 15″ wheels wear turbine-style covers and wide whitewall radial tires, the latter of which were replaced in July 2020. The Mark II rode on a Y-shaped chassis with a 126″ wheelbase and utilized temperature-sensitive front shock absorbers, which were replaced with factory-style soft ride units in May 2016. Power-assisted steering and power-assisted drum brakes were equipped from the factory.