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Produced by the Continental Division of the Ford Motor Company, this car was conceived to transcend the Lincoln marque. In fact, at a base price of $9,966 and sticker price of nearly $10,400, the Mark II was twice the price of the 1956 Lincoln. Interestingly, there was no Mark I. The Continental Division was created for this, the Mark II. The car's quality of construction, materials, such as fine Scottish leather, and attention to pre-testing was of the very highest standard in the industry. There were no less than 14 quality control stations to monitor the car's progress during manufacture. The Ford Motor Company intended the car to mark its reemergence into the luxury car field so it came as no surprise that they realized a loss of $1000 per unit sold as a result of the car's high materials cost and ample time to build and test.
This is the second iteration of FM's Continental Mark II model. The first was done in black. It was rumored that perhaps a white version would be issued to coincide with the 2002 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance commemorating the first such limited edition, the white FM 1961 Lincoln. However, the car was slated for a November 2002 retail store rally event instead. Not before now have so many vied for so few models. That alone should make this a very memorable diecast.
Even though the Mark II's technology is not of the ilk that separated the FM 1939 World's Fair Ford with cranking windows, or the advanced technology of DM's 1960 Chevrolet from the previous "Mint" cars, the model is still remarkably distinct and beautiful. The creamy Starmist White exterior paint is eggshell in appearance and FM applied it lavishly. The car's lines are better defined than the previous black version. The same detail is evident in the engine bay as before, wiring, hoses and fluid lines and the fit is precise on all closing panels. The suspension articulates well and the stance of the large model is spot-on! The limited edition plate is found in the trunk affixed to the rear of the continental spare cover. It reads XXX/500 and the limited number is etched in instead of penned on. I would have thought it better to affix this to the bottom side of the gas tank but that would necessitate a re-stamp of the maker and car designation name. On the top of our "Wish List" charts for a long time, this one was worth waiting for. The issue price is $195.
(11/09/2002)
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