Continental Mark II

Continental Mark II
1956 Continental Mark II
Overview
Manufacturer	Continental (Ford)
Model years	1956–1957
Assembly	Allen Park Body and Assembly, Allen Park, Michigan, United States
Designer	John Reinhart (1953)
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop
Layout	FR layout
Related	Lincoln Futura
Powertrain
Engine	368 cu in (6.0 L) 4-bbl. Y-block V8
Transmission	Turbo-Drive 3-speed automatic[1]
Dimensions
Wheelbase	126.0 in (3,200 mm)[1]
Length	218.4 in (5,547 mm)
Width	77.5 in (1,968 mm)
Height	56.3 in (1,430 mm)
Curb weight	5,000 lb (2,300 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor	Lincoln Continental (1939–1948)
Successor	Continental Mark III Lincoln Continental

The Continental Mark II is an ultra-luxury coupé that was sold by the Continental Division of Ford for the 1956 and 1957 model years.^[2] The first (and only) product line of Continental, the Mark II was developed as the worldwide flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company.^[2] Developed as a successor for the 1939–1948 Lincoln Continental, the Mark II derived its nameplate from European manufacturing practice, denoting a second generation of the model family; Ford would later use this nomenclature for the Mark Series of flagship personal luxury cars.

As the most expensive American-produced automobile of the time, the Mark II was marketed against the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and the Bentley Continental.^[2][3] Produced solely as a two-door hardtop coupe, the Mark II was largely hand-assembled, sourcing its V8 powertrain from the standard Lincoln line.^[2][3]

Following the 1957 model year, the Mark II was discontinued, with the hand-built coupe replaced by a rebranded Lincoln. For 1969, Ford revived the Mark series chronology, debuting the (second) Continental Mark III coupe, leading to five successive generations, ending with the 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII coupe. Alongside its nameplate nomenclature, the Mark II debuted the integrated "Continental" spare-tire trunklid (in place of a bumper-mounted spare tire); each generation of the Mark Series (alongside the 1977–1980 Lincoln Versailles and 1982–1987 Lincoln Continental) used a variation of this feature. The Mark II also debuted the rectangular four-point star emblem, which remains in use on Lincoln-brand vehicles (in modified form) today.

The Mark II was assembled by Ford at Allen Park Body and Assembly in Allen Park, Michigan. Following the discontinuation of the Mark II, the facility was converted to the headquarters of the ill-fated Edsel brand. Today, it remains as the Ford Pilot Plant, where Ford pre-production vehicles are hand-assembled for testing and production development.