Background
For the 1949 model year, all three divisions of Ford Motor Company unveiled their first post-war product line, with Lincoln discontinuing the Lincoln Continental after six years of production (interrupted by World War II). Following World War II, the Lincoln and Mercury brands had been grouped together within a common division to streamline their operations. While the Lincoln Continental had gone on to build a positive reputation, the Continental was an aging design, as a variant of the 1936 Lincoln-Zephyr.
Following the withdrawal of the 1939–1948 Lincoln Continental, by the early 1950s, interest in a successor vehicle proved sufficient for Ford Motor Company to commence development on a successor.[5] In 1952, the company formed the Special Product Operations team (later Special Products Division).[6] Led by William Clay Ford, the team consisted of John Reinhart (chief stylist), Gordon Buehrig (chief body engineer; designer of the Cord 810), and Harley Copp (chief engineer).[7][8]
Initially meeting with rejection from upper Ford management, in 1953, design work was approved to bring a successor to the Continental to production.[8] A full-size clay model was approved in June 1953, “subject to minor revisions.” [9] The same year, the two-door luxury segment saw several American-produced vehicles enter production, with the launch of the limited-production Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Skylark, and Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta convertibles by General Motors (coinciding with the launch of the Chevrolet Corvette, as a sports car roadster), the Chrysler C-300 and the Packard Caribbean convertible.[5]
Under William Clay Ford, the Special Products Division set out several objectives. In addition to creating a successor to the 1939–1948 Lincoln Continental, the Continental Mark II was also intended to revive the memory of the 1930s coachbuilt Lincoln Model K, among the flagship American automobiles of the time.[8] In April 1955, the Continental Division was created by Ford Motor Company as a stand-alone division to handle the Continental Mark II. While a two-door hardtop would be offered as the debut vehicle, the model range would expand to a retractable-hardtop convertible and a four-door hardtop sedan.[8][10][11]
Ford noted in 1956 that: “At the very beginning of this program, four major design objectives were set forth: 1. The new Continental was to have distinctive styling. The styling was to be based upon clean, classic lines, rather than modernistic innovations. 2. The new car was to include technological advancements and special features which would enhance its value to the customer in terms of comfort, durability, safety, performance, and prestige. 3. The overall height of the car was not to exceed 58 in. 4. There was to be maximum interchangeability of chassis parts with Lincoln, including engine, transmission, rear axle, and suspension.”[12]
While the original Continental coupe sold relatively poorly in contrast to its convertible counterpart, the Special Products Division had set out to introduce a full range of body styles in contrast to the Cadillac Eldorado and Packard Caribbean.
