Continental [6] (United States)

Continental was a luxury automobile brand established by the Ford Motor Company in the United States, specifically under its Continental Division. The brand was active from 1955 to 1957 and was headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. The Continental Mk II was the flagship model, developed in response to requests from Lincoln dealers for a successor to the V12 Continentals produced between 1940 and 1948.

The Continental Mk II was designed to cater to a market segment identified through research, which indicated that approximately 250,000 to 300,000 American families had the disposable income to purchase a vehicle priced around $10,000. At the time, the most expensive American-made car was the Cadillac 75 Imperial Sedan, priced at $5,643, making the Continental Mk II's price of $9,695 a significant gamble for Ford. The division was led by William Clay Ford, the younger brother of Henry Ford II, who was only 26 years old at the time.

The design of the Continental Mk II, created by John Reinhart, featured a low and wide four-seater coupe that bore no resemblance to Lincoln models, which was crucial for establishing the Continental as a high-prestige brand. The bodies were manufactured by Mitchell-Bentley of Ionia, Michigan, rather than Ford's usual suppliers. The vehicle was powered by a Lincoln 603 cubic inch V8 engine, initially producing 285 horsepower, which was later increased to 300 horsepower for the 1957 model year.

The Continental Mk II was launched in June 1955 as a 1956 model, but the public response was underwhelming. Despite the market research suggesting a substantial potential customer base, only 1,325 units were sold, with a total production of 2,989 units, including 23 prototypes. Production ceased on May 13, 1957. Although the Continental name was retained as a separate marque for 1958, it shared styling with Lincoln and was fully integrated into the Lincoln range by 1959. A new Continental range was reintroduced in 1968, but it did not achieve the same level of distinctiveness as the original Mk II.