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1 of World's most expensive cars in 1956 Most were owned by the "Rich & Famous"
Exterior: Black
Interior:Olive Green and White
Serial Number: C56D2805
Mileage: 86,593 (Actual mileage title)
WE JUST RECIVED AN E-MAIL FROM EBAY THAT WE ARE NOW RANKED IN THE TOP 50 SELLERS IN THE WORLD IN AUTOMOBILES ON EBAYMOTORS.COM! THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITH & CONFIDENCE FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS!
Engine:Lincoln's new-for-1956 6-liter V-8 is fitted to the standard equipment 3-speed automatic transmission.
We began restoring this car almost one year ago. It was a very, very expensive! $12,500 just to paint the car and the body was straight to start with!
It is equipped with Factory AC and the factory ducts can be seen in the car's headliner....very unique for 1956! We went through the entire Air Conditioning system and it blows ice cold...just like it did from the factory...out of the overhead 4 roof vents built into the headliner.
The former owner had rebuilt the engine just prior to our purchasing the car and it runs perfect,...he stopped the restoration process due to the time and expense that he felt was required to complete the task...he was right! Other than a 57 or 58 Cadillac Brougham, this is probably the most expensive American car ever made to restore...other than possibly a Dusenberg.
The paint is gorgeous....it was a VERY expensive and time consuming process.
The frame and undercarriage is built like a BATTLESHIP!
NO rust.
Original floor pans and trunk pan. SOLID!!!
New mufflers and tailpipes will be installed in a couple of days.
For full details on everything we have done on this Magnificent Mark II, please call us at 1-800-930-4002 within the U.S. or 954-895-7940 outside the U.S.
We just installed the correct original battery and clamps which we were able to buy through Mark II Enterprises...although it is not shown in these photos. This is a great source for any of you who are restoring one of these rare 1956 Mark II's. The battery was $395 and the Clamps almost $100...we mention this just to give you an idea of how expensive it is to restore a Mark II.
We were able to buy brand new window motors so all of the windows work fine.
We are not claiming this to be a Perfect, Number One "Trailer Queen" If it was...the price would be $150,000 or more..Harbour restorations charges $150,000+ to do a complete Rotissiere restoration on a Mk II and that does not include the original cost of buying the car.
This car starts up the first time...every time and is a joy to drive...The prices of these cars are headed up and soon any nice Mark II like this one will be over $100,000...just like the 57 & 58 Cadillac Broughams which now routinely sell for $130,000-$175,000...another milestone car of the 20th Century. At our very reasonable reserve, this is one of the very best buys anywhere on a Factory AC restored Mark II!
If you wish to discuss money...or the car and what we have done during the restoration process over the past year...please call us...if you write and simply ask "What's your reserve" we won't respond.
Here is some of the very interesting history and background which we have gathered from very sources (sources are listed below)
The name 'Continental' was inspired by the 1940's Lincoln Continental powered by a large 12-cylinder engine. Bentley had used the name Continental on their model line, adding to the ambiance and prestige. In 1956 the Ford Motor Company formed the Continental Division for the production of the Mark II. Its general manager was William Clay 'Bill' Ford, son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford.
There never was a model designated as a Lincoln or Continental Mark I.
The Continental Mark II had an understated beauty; it was elegant without the need to be flamboyant. Unlike the flashy American style of the time, it was very tasteful in its design. It did not use chrome, two-tone paint, or sharp styling cues to accentuate its beauty. At the front was an egg-crate style grille and straight fenders. The hood was long and curvy, perfect for concealing the 6-liter engine. Mounted on the hood and in the back was the four-pointed star that later became Lincoln's emblem. The Lincoln 368 cubic-inch V8 was matted to a Lincoln three-speed automatic transmission. The back had the signature Lincoln spare-tire hidden in the trunk lid. Though sharing many similarities with the Thunderbird, these were completely different machines. The Continentals were mostly hand made; the paint was applied multiple times and then sanded, double-lacquered, and polished.
These rolling works of art were very costly. The $10,000+ sticker price was equivalent to a Rolls-Royce. Top-of-the-line American luxury brands, such as Cadillac, were selling for around $5000. Even at these high prices, Ford still lost an estimated $1,000 per car. At the time Ford was a private company and was willing to incur these losses .
The Continental Mark II Story
The Continental Mark II was the elite automobile of the 1950s' rich and famous: Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Louie Prima, Dwight Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater, Spike Jones, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry J. Kaiser, Howard Johnson, the Shah of Iran, and many other celebrities owned them.
The Mark II wasn't made by Lincoln, but by the short-lived Continental Division of the Ford Motor Company. Its general manager was William Clay 'Bill' Ford, son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford.
Fact: there never was a model designated as a Lincoln or Continental Mark I.
The Mark II's sticker price was $10,400, twice the price of the 1956 Lincoln. Much of the car was assembled by hand and Ford claimed it lost $1,000 on each Mark II it sold. The unprofitable Mark II and the Continental Division were discontinued after Ford went public in 1956, even though these cars brought people into showrooms to buy other Ford products.
Ford originally planned to build about 2,000 Mark IIs a year for five years. 2,550 Mark IIs were built during the 1956 model year (June 1955 through September 1956) and 446 (including 2 convertibles) during the 1957 model y ear (October 1956 through May 1957) for a total of 2,996 Mark IIs.
Our best estimate is that approximately 1,500 Mark IIs are still in existence. Less than half are roadworthy and only 50-75 cars left are in this beautiful condition.
Their current market value ranges from $15,000 to $100,000, depending on condition. (Although some have sold in the low-to-mid $100s) And the prices are heading skyward every month!
With restrained, modern styling and built with the finest materials available, the long, low continental MK IIs had a commanding presence of authoritative elegance as the most exclusive car on the market. Everyone of significance owned one from Elvis Presley to Frank Sinatra to D.W. Eisenhower to Nelson Rockefeller. And, yes, you did need to be a Rockefeller to afford one with a price of $10,000 when new - five times the price of an average Ford and half the cost of the average home in 1956. Even at this stupefying price, Fomoco claimed to have lost $1000 on every MK II they sold, and only two years of production could be sustained for the Continental brank. The Continental in 1956
Ford Motor Company's 1956 Continental MKII had two missions: to recapture the magic of the original Continental and to displace Cadillac as North America's most sought-after luxury car (even at a financial loss). In an era of excess, chrome trim was used sparingly, and no two-tone paint jobs were available. The fuel filler cap was concealed behind the left taillight, a la Cadillac. Extensive preparation and car went into body finishing, as panels were painted and hand-sanded several times, then two coats of lacquer were applied. Chrome plating was used extensively, not for appearance, but to protect such areas as the door end panels and doorjambs.
Even though it said to be the most expensive production car of its time, about 1,300 Continentals were sold during the last quarter of 1955, many to celebrities such as politician Barry Goldwater, actor Frank Sinatra and the Shah of Iran. But after strong initial sales, the popularity of this Continental began to dwindle. Only about another 1,300 were built during all of 1956, and only 450 in 1957, when production ceased.
In spite of its lack of market success, the Continental MK II is a beautiful example of classic elegance married to modern engineering. It was a valiant attempt to recapture the spirit of the great cars of the '30s, but unfortunately for Ford, that era had passed.
The Continental is quietly elegant inside. When the leather upholstery was ordered, it was from Bridge of Weir in Scotland; and the brushed-finished instrument panel holds four round gauges of equal size, including a tachometer.
Said to be one of the most expensive production car of its time, the Continental was introduced to displace Cadillac and Rolls-Royce as America's most sought after luxury car. Although a classically beautiful automobile, production ceased after only two years. The cars were equipped with power everything, including vent windows and air conditioning.
The Continental Division was created by Ford Motor Company to produce the Mark II and was folded into Lincoln after production ceased in 1957.
Generally regarded as the last car built in America without regard to cost, the Mark II was intended to be the 'American Rolls Royce.' Even with a factory list price of $10,000+, it was said that Ford still lost $1,000 per car.
Much anticipated as the successor to the original Lincoln Continental of 1940-42 and 1946-48, the new version would remain a very exclusive car. Just over 3,000 were produced, as 1956 and 1957 models.
Sources:
Credit and Thanks to:
Gooding & Company
Conceptcarz
AACA Museum
Cars From Yesterday
For financing...try or www.jjbest.com or for insurance and financing try www.hagerty.com
If you have a trade...please e-mail us complete photos....details and a phone number.
We accept most anything in trade but...Motorcycles, Kit Cars, or Ex-wives.
Thanks and best of luck!
As with all of our fine cars, we would suggest and welcome your in-personal careful inspection...you won't be disappointed! If you have a trade...or question, please send us the photos and your phone number to us at luvdg@aol.com We can easily be reached at 1-800-930-4002 or 954-895-7940.
This is another fabulous car from Marv, Rick and Shawn who have been selling, buying and trading Mechanical Art on EbayMotors.com since 2000. We have been collecting cars as a hobby for over 40 years! Please check out the many other fine Luxury, Sport, Antique and Vintage Cars we have available on Ebaymotors.com under "seller's other items" Thanks and best of luck and wishing everyone a HEALTHY & HAPPY 2008. from all of us in beautiful Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Vehicle Inspection
Arranging for an independent third-party inspection is a great way to validate a seller's claims about a vehicle's condition. There are many companies and individuals who offer such a service. Of course your personal inspection and scrutiny is suggested and most welcomed.
If you have any questions...please e-mail me at luvdg@aol.com..You can call us Toll-Free at (800) 930-4002 or you may reach me at 954-895-7940
Digital pictures are presented courtesy of the high speed server of Cars Of Yesterday.
To see the other eBay auctions from carsfromyesterday click here
Please be sure you have the ability to send a 20% Bank wire transfer or Bank cashiers check within 48 hours if your the winning bidder and be able to pay the balance within 7 days thereafter.(also a bank check) Do NOT place any bids on any of our cars if you first need to obtain financing. If you need to trade in a vehicle in order to purchase a car, please send me photos and details on your trade so we can discuss it's value on the telephone at 1-800-930-4002.
We are NOT a broker and hold a vaild Florida Dealer's license in good standing.. We own all the vehicles we offer for sale on EBay. In a rare instance, if we do not own an offered vehicle, we will state so in our auction copy.
This vehicle is being sold without a warranty, unless it is a relatively new vehicle which in that case is covvered by any and all remaining factory warranty.; If the factory warranty is expired,it is sold AS IS and WHERE IS. The description above is for informational and narrative purposes only. Information contain regarding serial numbers, engine numbers, trim numbers and other codes with reference to the authenticity of any vehicle offered is guaranteed to be the same as contain within a vehicle's ID plate or trim plate or any other numbers as stamped into a vehicles engine block, cylinder heads, transmission, differential or other mechanical components which make up the vehicle.The seller has made a diligent effort to accurately describe this vehicle but does not expressly or implicitly guarantee the accuracy of the above description. Bidders and prospective purchasers are urged and cautioned to conduct their own due diligence, including a physical inspection in person or through a qualified third party inspector or appraiser, before contemplating a purchase or making a bid on this vehicle.In fact, we would welcome and encourage such an inspection, and will make every effort to make the above described vehicle available at a time convenient to the perspective purchaser or their agents.
CARFAX reports are only available on vehicles made from 1981 until present. If requested by any potential buyer, we would be pleased to fax you a copy of a complete CARFAX report, as long as it is available and in our possession.
We do NOT charge any type of fees....NONE! We reserve the right to notify bidders and cancel this auction. We shall not be held liable for any such cancellation and/or closure. We reserve the right to cancel bids from those with excessive negative feedback. Placing your bid on this auction constitutes your agreement and acceptance of these terms and conditions. We have received many e-mails and phone calls over the past several years wondering why we are running private auctions, which conceal the identities of our bidders to the general public. The answer is simple. We become aware that unscrupulous individuals have been attempting to save auction fees by soliciting other sellers' bidders via unwanted, and sometimes offensive, emails. In order to protect our customers from this illegal and annoying practice, as well as to protect our auctions from such interference, we have elected to use eBay's Private Auction feature, which was designed to alleviate this exact problem.
A little about Cars From Yesterday.......
We have been collecting, buying, selling and trading vintage cars since 1960.
With a collection of just over 100 cars, the Cars From Yesterday Auto Museum was opened in 1993. Today we have a total of 421 great cars in the Museum. These cars are NOT offered for sale.
Some of our business policies.
We try very hard to describe every car honestly and correctly. We openly encourage every potential bidder or buyer to have the car of your choice inspected prior to winning an auction or to using the buy it now feature.
We are located just 10 minutes from the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport and would be happy to pick you up whenever possible.
If you have a private plane, we are only 1 minute from the Executive Jet Port in Ft. Lauderdale....we keep our plane there. We will pick you up in our Golf cart. We're that close!
Any new car or truck we offer, is covered by the remainder of any existing factory warranty. There is no charge from any manufacturer to continue the warranty when a vehicle is sold to another party when the warranty has not expired.
There are no warranties on any Vintage cars or cars when the manufacturer's warranty has expired.
If 10 different people look at a vintage car you can bet you'll get 10 different descriptions. I have purchased many, many cars over the Internet and off of EBay and for the most part have been pleased. Probably because of the fact I am a true car collector and realize there is no such thing as PERFECT!
If you buy a car from Cars Of Yesterday and are not happy with something, please call us and let us know. If we feel it's our fault, we are only too happy to make an adjustment on the price...even though the vehicle has already been paid for. This is not because of any guarantee or warranty...because there are none. It would be strictly a goodwill gesture on our part. We really like everyone to be happy & pleased.
If you opt to leave a Negative Feedback first without contacting us initially to try and resolve any problem, most likely we will not be able to assist you.
We believe a SALE is only a one time occurrence but a "CUSTOMER" is for life! We love to make everyone a CUSTOMER!
I have found, however, that no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to please everyone! Unfortunately some individuals are happy when they are unhappy...fortunately those individuals are few and far between.
Over the 6 years we have been selling fantastic late model Luxury cars and Gorgeous vintage cars over Ebay, we have been a subscriber to Square Trade. We are proud to be a member in good standing. If a problem arises and we cannot work it out to our mutual satisfaction, then we can arbitrate the problem through Square Trade.
If you have any questions on any of our polices, please e-mail them to us at luvdg@aol.com
We charge NO fees of any type. NONE!
We will help arrange to have your vehicle picked up on a bonded, licensed and insured carrier.
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