Continental Mark II
Despite the fact Continental built this car as Ford’s short-lived luxury brand, it was engineered and produced by Lincoln. So, it is a part of the Lincoln model lineup and heritage. But in the mid-50s, Ford decided to establish a separate brand they called the Continental Division. They wanted to produce new luxury cars to position above the Lincoln brand.
The success of the original Thunderbird showed the way. So, Ford decided to build a bigger, more advanced, more expensive and prestigious luxury coupe. The first and only car was the famed Continental Mark II, which they introduced in 1955. Ford`s idea was to present a superb luxury coupe with the finest technology and comfort to market as a separate brand.
But even though the idea sounded good, the market response wasn’t so great. So, they shut down the Continental Division five years later due to the disappointing sales of the Mark II coupe. Sadly, that was despite it being one of the finest American cars they ever made and the ultimate Lincoln.