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Topic starter
25/09/2023 2:55 pm
In 1952, William Clay Ford led the new Special Product Operations team that included Cord genius Gordon Buehrig to develop a personal luxury car to replace the original Continental that was dropped for 1949. Once the basic design and engineering was complete, it was decided to form a separate Continental Division of Ford Motor Co.. Using the Lincoln chassis and its 368 cid V8 with 3 speed Turbo-Glide trans, the Continental was shorter, narrower and lower than the Lincolns. In the age of overly chromed, huge land yachts, the Mkll's tasteful minimalism gave its own style of elegance. These hand built cars had all the luxury amenities, electric everything, power everything and huge menus of color and pattern options. The only extra to purchase was an AC for a whopping $569 ($6500 in today's money). The build costs were astronomical but meticulous. The 368 V8 was pulled off the Lincoln assembly line, disassembled, blueprinted and given its own finned valve covers. Even at the MSRP of just under $10K, they lost $1000 per unit. Sales were slow with just 3005 produced over the 2 years of production, so plans for a convertible and a 4 door hardtop were scrapped with just 2 convertible prototypes built. While I now have a certain fondness for those mid-fifties land yachts, I hated them as a kid. I absolutely adored the timeless design of the Mkll, but it seems America was obsessed with chrome and fins at the time and the fever lasted until the beginning of the '60s.
Creamy and dreamy, I love this venerable FM model.
25/09/2023 5:41 pm
What a great-looking automobile and excellent 1/24 diecast model of it from Franklin Mint. It really is a classic and it looks exceptional in this light color. In 1/18 I have a black and also a white color one from Yat Ming Signature Series.It is such a lovely car (although expensive for the time) that diecast replicas are automatically stars of one's collection.
25/09/2023 7:12 pm
Have it along with all of the other colors and the convertible. Your pictures are superb Rich.
25/09/2023 10:15 pm
Wonderful pics Rich. I was fortunate to acquire one of these from my local FM Gallery store when they were first issued. Mine is number 165. I sure miss that store! It was like a candy store for diecast-addicted adults.
25/09/2023 11:47 pm
I used to frequent the one at South Coast plaza in Costa Mesa.
They had plenty of models to look at and drool over !
Steve
Pete Rovero and Charles Rockett reacted
25/09/2023 11:48 pm
And lucky for me I did meet Brian at a model car convention show in here in Anaheim. I don't know how many years ago it was but I was able to get the red Continental Mark 2 that I bought right from him for my brother.
He's a bigger Lincoln collector than I am. Although I wish I had access to that model so I could sell it for him if he wanted to sell it that is.
Steve
26/09/2023 8:13 am
Found an Artist's Proof of
this model quite a while ago. Absolutely perfect and a true stunner.
Rich Sufficool reacted