In October 1955, the Ford Motor Company introduced the Continental as a separate luxury subsidiary, showcasing the Mark II at the Paris Motor Show. The Mark II was designed by Ford’s Special Product Operations team, which comprised William Clay Ford, John Reinhart, Gordon Buehrig, and Harley Copp. Priced at around $10,000, the Mark II was the only model offered by the brand and only 2,994 coupes were manufactured between 1956 and 1957.

Positioned as a direct competitor to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, the Mark II was the most expensive American-produced car of that time. The Mark II was exclusively a two-door hardtop coupe and used standard Lincoln mechanical components, including its “Y-block” V8 and automatic transmission. While the vehicle was mostly hand-assembled, leading Ford to incur significant losses for each car produced.

This 1956 Continental Mark II is one of roughly 2,550 initial-year models built for the first model year. The vehicle was sold on BaT in August 2021 and is coated in black with red and cream leather interior. A 368 cubic inch V8 engine powers the car that was factory rated at 285 horsepower and is paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. It is equipped with power-assisted steering and brakes, 15-inch steel wheels, electric windows and seats, air conditioning, and a Town Country push-button AM radio.

Note: All photos are courtesy of Bring A Trailer