1956 Continental MkII €89,500
La Salle Classic Cars, Netherlands. +33 (0)172 242043, www.lasalleclassiccars.com
what does the mob boss who has everything buy himself? Well, in the case of Californian gangster Joe Cerrito, he rings up a salesman from the newly created Continental division of Ford and orders a Deep Bronze Metallic Continental MkII, to be picked up from the factory in person.
One hesitates to wonder by what means the aforementioned Mr Cerrito (who also owned Lincoln and Mercury dealerships) acquired the money to pay for his luxury coupe, because in 1956 when equipped with optional air conditioning the elegant Continental cost $10,430, as much as a contemporary Rolls-Royce. Still, Mr Cerrito’s gain was Ford’s loss – the company reputedly threw away $1000 on every Continental MkII produced, happy to do so on the proviso that the Europeaninfluenced land yacht boosted the prestige of the Blue Oval in general. Much of the loss stemmed from a focus
on build quality, the MkII taking twice as long to make as a Lincoln, Ford’s other upmarket brand.
Talking of long, from chrome grille to spare wheel enclosing boot lid the MkII measured 18ft 2.4in. And it also held the honour of being America’s heaviest car at the time – 5190lb (2354kg) for the air-con model. But it was truly luxurious and a delight to waft down the turnpike in.
Despite its rarity – just 3014 MkIIs were produced before Ford dissolved the Continental division at the end of 1957 – values have traditionally been modest. The one-time travel companion of Mr Cerrito has been subject to a 2000-hour nut-and-bolt restoration and is described as possibly the best Continental MkII in the world, yet it still sits just shy of £70,000.
A piffling sum, one might argue, for a ‘motor car which, more than anything else, exemplifies the very finest expression of American automotive craftsmanship’.