1956 Continental Mark II
Written by Keith Fudge

In this special segment of My Classic Car , not only does Dennis Gage have the chance to get “up close and personal” with one of the finest luxury cars ever built, but he also has a chance to see a car that has somewhat of a great history behind it as he travels to Ocala, Florida, to see a very rare 1956 Continental Mark II.

Owned by the Schmidt family who also own National Parts Depot, this car is one of more than 100 vintage and collectible cars they have acquired. When Dennis arrived, he was greeted by Rick Schmidt. First of all, Rick took Dennis around the exterior of the car and showed him some of the styling nuances that set this car apart from the competition. The exhausts were designed to come out of the rear bumper and the gas tank filler was located behind the left taillight! Luxury and styling weren't the only features that separated the Mark II from other luxury sedans, there was also the price. With a sticker price of $10,000, the Mark II was twice the price of a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado, and more than three times the cost of a 1956 T-Bird!

As Rick began to show Dennis the interior of the car, Dennis noticed the medallion in the center of the steering wheel, embossed with the letters “WCF.” It was then that Rick told Dennis that this Mark II was the personal driver of William Clay Ford, grandson of Henry Ford. William Clay Ford also owned the Detroit Lions football franchise and this explained the color scheme of the car as well: an exterior of Honolulu Blue, and a leather interior of the same with Silver accents and inserts! Rick commented that Mr. Ford drove this car daily and in 1968 he took it to Ford engineering to have them update the car with a 1969 Mark III drivetrain including the installation of a 460 cubic inch V-8 and a C-6 transmission. Front disc brakes were also installed at that time and there were other changes that had to be made such as a hand built distributor as well as some modifications to the frame. While they were looking under the hood, Dennis noticed a 1 st place sticker from the Antique Automobile Club of America for the stock class. Rick said that with all the extensive documentation that they had with the car, and since the car was modified at a Ford factory, then the car is considered factory correct for stock shows. Rick also told Dennis that another amazing thing about this car was that Ford asked to display it at their 100 th anniversary celebration. When they drove the car in front of the factory, many of the employees that had been with Ford for several years recognized the car and talked to them about it. Finally, since it was such a beautiful day in sunny Florida , Dennis persuaded Rick to fire up the Mark II and take a cruise. While they were riding, Rick told Dennis that his family had purchased the car in 1980, adding that it was “pretty rough.” He also said that it had been a twenty-year journey to get the car to its present state. We can only say that it was a journey well traveled! Rick, thanks for this peek into your family's collection and giving us a lesson in Ford history.