When Ford designed the second generation of its Continental luxury limo, it was very clearly targeting the more affluent clientele. Only around 3,000 such cars emerged in the mid-1950s priced from roughly $10,000 each – a small fortune at the time. Now, Moore Brothers restored one of them to perfection and someone bought it for $154,000 – nearly fifteen times the MSRP if you don’t adjust for the inflation.
The 1955 Continental Mark II depicted here was restored around a year ago. The bodywork was about the only thing that stayed stock, although it was still sanded, widened and resprayed in a shade known as the DuPont Black. 17-inch Truespoke Wire wheels shod in whitewall tires filled out the arches.
A 7.9-liter V8 built by Robert Pond Motorsports based on a host of modern components slotted in under the hood and was hooked onto a new four-speed automatic transmission. The output is estimated at a solid 650 PS (641 hp / 478 kW). Independent suspension at both ends and reinforced brakes rounded off the technical mods.
A peek inside the cabin reveals vivid red leather upholstery with a few modern niceties thrown in, like climate control and car audio.
Since it was built, the car proceeded to change multiple owners. The latest auction saw it fetch the $154,000 mentioned above; one has to wonder if the trend will continue.