Ford set out to produce the most luxurious, carefully crafted production car in the land - on a cost-no-object basis - and the 1956 Continental Mark II was the result. Understated two-door styling, a long hood, a short, humped rear deck lid simulating a "continental" spare tire (which would become a Continental trademark) and a close-coupled chassis gave the car a slightly sporty, yet luxurious look - for a whopping $10,000! It's no wonder Ford lost $1,000 on each one sold and only produced 1,325 of them.

After teasing us with rotating driveshafts, crank operated windows and various "theme" accessories, FM seems to be taking a step backward with this image since none of the aforementioned items are in evidence. However, this example - done in gleaming black paint - isn't a disappointment by any stretch. It has a functional suspension on all four corners, excellent engine, undercarriage and interior detailing and sharp chrome accents. The only minus points I found were when I took my image out of the box and noticed that the finish and chrome seemed dull in places. It turned out to be the result of an incomplete polishing job, easily rectified by Yours Truly with a buffing cloth, which brought the luster up to a mirror sheen (watch for that tiny hood ornament when you polish yours). To my way of thinking, this should have been unnecessary. Otherwise the image is outstandingly good-looking.

With the Mark II, Ford seemed to be trying to hearken back to the custom luxury cars of the Twenties and Thirties. But folks living in the post-war Fifties suburbs - with a house, mortgage and 2.5 kids - wanted good-looking, well built, thrifty transportation to get from point A to point B. Ford overshot the mark with the Mark II, leaving us with a high-priced piece of nostalgic Americana. The price is $105.

-Tom Pine