PhillyMint-Franklin Mint 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II Dubonet Red 1:24th Diecast scale model

Franklin Mint / 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II / Limited Edition 1,000 / 1:24th Scale

Ford Motor Company decided to pull out all the stops and have a go at producing a super-luxury car that would give Packard and Cadillac something to think about. The Continental Division was formed and its debut car was the Mark II in 1956. The new super-luxury car was considered tastefully understated, with a lack of tailfins, air scoops, chrome moldings, two-tone paint, or other “jet age” styling cues. The only gimmick was the “Continental-style” spare tire bulge, which became a trademark, used until the late 1990s Mark VIII. The Mark II was manufactured under a seven-point quality-control program and took twice as many man-hours to build as did a contemporary Lincoln. It was as close to a hand built car as possible for a major, mass-production automaker. Only the highest quality materials were used throughout and the option list was nothing short of impressive. Talk about exclusivity—there were 43 standard upholstery trim choices to go with 19 standard exterior lacquer choices (23 in 1957), and standard features included power steering, brakes, antenna, and windows (with tinted glass), a dual heating system, premium Travel-Tuner AM radio with two speakers, a self-regulating electric clock, fully carpeted trunk and an engine dress-up kit. In fact, the only option offered was air-conditioning. If the buyer chose the option, the condenser was mounted in the trunk and four registers were set in the headliner to deliver cool air to the occupants. To put the cherry on the top of the sundae, each vehicle was delivered in its own fleece-lined plastic and canvas envelope to protect the finish. It’s no secret that this beautiful Lincoln cost the company money for each one produced, even considering the $9,965 price tag. Ford conducted market research in 1952 to see if there was a market for such a premium luxury car. Even though the numbers came in against them, Ford decided to go ahead with the project, figuring that the prestige and publicity gained would offset the financial loss. Alas, things didn’t work out as planned. Faced with falling sales in the soft luxury car market, and competition from GM in the form of the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, the Continental Division was dissolved in 1957 and a 1958 Mark II never happened. Only 3,014 Mark IIs were produced over its two-year run. Nevertheless, as the ad proclaimed, the Continental Mark II was “A motor car which, more than anything else, exemplifies the very finest expression of American automotive craftsmanship.”