On display and now available at the St. Louis Car Museum is a
beautifully kept 1957 Continental Mark II Hardtop surviving from
original long term, rust free California ownership! This beautiful
example is listed in the Mark II Registry as one of only nine
examples finished in the stunning color combination of Medium Gray
Metallic over a Two-tone Gray interior. It's important to note that
the 1957 models were updated offering refinements to the engine for
extra power and torque. With that said, if you are in the market
for classic packed with luxury and performance, this is the ride
for you. We are proud to offer for sale a splendid Continental Mark
II with factory appointed air conditioning and only 68,000 miles on
the odometer!
History Of The Continental Mark II Model:
The Lincoln Automobile Company had made great strides to identify
itself as a premiere luxury brand through the 20's and 30's. After
WWII, most manufacturers eagerly pursued new innovations and
designs to regain the vast market share of a booming American
economy. As the 1950's era rolled in, automobiles began to display
sleeker body lines, more powerful engines, electronic accessories,
and much larger price tags! With Cadillac arguably being the
frontrunner on luxury car lists, Lincoln set eyes on out performing
the impressive Eldorado by utilizing their Luxury Continental
Division and redesigning. No featuring terrific "long & low" body
aesthetics the build qualities were second to none! All body panels
were fully tested, fitted and perfected before being painted with a
superb lacquer finish. Only the best materials available would be
selected for the interior and all power accessories. Each model
passed through 14 quality control stations during assembly, with
each one road tested before delivery!
The only available option would be factory fitted, trunk-mounted
air conditioning. Appropriately named the Continental Mark II, only
3,014 units would be produced during the entire 2-year production
run! Of which, only 444 units were produced for 1957 before Ford
Motor Company would close the Continental Division for obvious cost
reasons. Each Mark II carried a high price tag of over 10k w/ AC.
Continental's obsession to make the finest car on the road would
quickly attract buyers from all around. A few of the most notable
owners include Frank Sinatra, Dwight Eisenhower, Elvis Presley,
Howard Johnson, Nelson Rockefeller, along with many others! Some
late changes to the '57 units included a body redesign for air
conditioned cars by eliminating the rear quarter panel air intakes
to inlet ducts to behind the front grill. The engine increased in
compression to 10.0:1 along with a change from the former 390cfm
Holley carb. to a new 408cfm Carter unit offering larger venturi's
and an auxiliary spark retard diaphragm, all of which added 15 hp.
and 13 ft. lb. of torque!
About Our Available Continental Mark II:
Offered for sale in St. Louis, MO is a beautiful 1957 Lincoln
Continental Mark II finished in factory correct Medium Gray
Iridescent (22) over a Light Gray/Deep Gray Leather seating
upholstery and Deep Gray Carpet. This example is powered by its
original 368ci V8 producing a stout 300 hp/415 lb. ft. of torque
through a Turbo-Drive automatic transmission. Features include the
exclusive, trunk-mounted air conditioning system with ceiling
ventilation,power side and vent windows, power steering, dual servo
power brakes, 4-way power front seat, leather wrapped steering
wheel, tinted window glass, driver's side outside mirror, wide
whitewall Coker Classic radial tires, full wheel covers, working
Town & Country signal seeking radio (converted by Aurora Design to
FM frequency internally), heat/defrost, passenger vanity mirror,
courtesy lights, trunk lamp, working electric clock, and added
front and rear seat-belts!
This wonderful, late production example sold new from Sierra
Lincoln-Mercury to its original owner, Stevens H. Hammond of La
Jolla, California. Mr. Hammond was a successful businessman and
acting chairman of Whiting Corp., a heavy machinery manufacturer,
and also the owner of one of California's largest thoroughbred stud
farms called Greenacres located in Chino, CA. He would maintain
possession for an uncertain number of years, before it would trade
hands to another California collector from 1990 through 1998. In
'09, the classic made its way out to Haverford, PA to join the
collection of D. Machel. Outside of one repaint to the exterior,
this example continues to remain virtually all original with
restoration efforts only performed on an as-needed basis. The most
recent owner, Jerry B. of Texas, added this model to his collection
in August 2014. In May 2020, it was purchased by our car experts at
the St Louis Car Museum!
Upon arrival, our in-house service department performed a detailed,
comprehensive inspection and servicing. including a complete
conversion of the air conditioning system to R134a and recharge,
engine valve adjustment, fresh engine oil and filter, new Tredel
Vac brake master cylinder, front brake hoses and brake cylinders,
front sway bar bushings and end links, along with, a complete
ignition system to include new spark plugs, plug wires, cap, rotor,
condenser, and points. This classic shows 68,228 miles on the
odometer which we believe to be original.
Those looking for a prestigious classic that checks all the boxes
in the classic and luxury arena, look no further! We would like to
note that the engine has been repainted sometime in the past to
traditional Lincoln blue versus the period correct Continental
gold, but retains its original number's matching engine #2867 (see
image).
To learn more about this restored Lincoln Continental Mark II for
sale, contact Jon Faust at (800)957-5707 or by emailing
[email protected]. Finance & Shipping options available to
those who qualify!