If you thought that Iron Man was the only one who enjoyed naming his armors Mark I, Mark II and Mark III, well, you’re in for a surprise. Apparently, tin man isn’t alone. Way back in 1956, the Lincoln Continental brand produced a luxury model that carried that type of naming scheme. This was the Continental Mark II.

The Continental Mark II is considered one of the most expensive cars in the world. It went through rigorous quality control, which at the time, was the highest ever seen. But, despite this, it wasn’t enough to propel the sales of the Mark II. That was because during that era, the Mark II was considered one of the most expensive cars available. In fact, most of the people who could afford it were A-list personalities like Elvis Presley, the Shah of Iran, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger. So, the big question here is this: what made these top celebrities want to get their hands on the Continental Mark II?

Under the hood: No, the Mark II doesn’t sport any type of ultra-fast and powerful engine, so this isn’t the reason why celebrities went crazy over it. The Continental Mark II sported a simple 368 cubic inch displacement V-8 engine that could produce 285 horsepower. The engine was then paired up with a three-speed automatic transmission.

Special Features: As a luxury vehicle, you’d expect the Mark II to sport an array of high-quality and very expensive materials. Unfortunately, it wasn’t built that way. Very little chrome was used, compared to other less luxurious vehicles. It did however have power steering, brakes, windows, seats, and power vent windows. It also had a set of unique wheel covers that were bolted in the frame of the cover. Today, these wheel covers are able to command a price of $400 to $500. A high greenhouse - which is the area found between the window sill to the top portion of the roof - and a wrap-a-round windscreen were added to complete the look of the Continental Mark II.

At the end of it all, exclusivity was probably the deciding factor as to why these people purchased the Continental Mark II (there were even rumors of dealerships being picky about what type of customers would buy them). Although it may sound a bit prejudiced, with a $10,000 price tag, clearly not every one during that time could fork up that sum just to buy this car. So if you’re lucky enough to have parents of grandparents who were able to afford to get one, keep it. As of press time, only 1,500 out of the 3,000 units have been known to exist.

Sources: Wikipedia: 1956 Lincoln Continental, Wikipedia: Continental Mark II

1966 Cadillac Calais

1967 Cadillac Calais

When you name a vehicle after a French town, you’d expect the vehicle to be given some kind of special treatment. After all, how many vehicles can lay stake to that type of claim? Unfortunately, the Cadillac Calais, a full-size luxury car made by General Motors, wasn’t able to enjoy that kind of a treatment.

Ok, we’re not saying that GM did a terrible job in producing this vehicle, which was produced from 1965 to 1976. However, it seems like the company held back in giving it the features it gave its other vehicles. Let’s start it off with its windows and seats. Unlike other Cadillac models, both were designed to be manually operated. Although later Calais models sported power windows, the power seats still remained an option.

Next up are the upholstery of the Calais’ seats. Instead of using high-quality leather (or some other expensive material) GM just made use of high-grade vinyl and cloth. Although these materials are of good quality, they’re still not enough if you plan on marketing a vehicle as a “full-sized luxury car.”

GM even failed to provide the Calais with paint finishes exclusive to Cadillac models such as the Firemist paint. Known as a Cadillac exclusive, this metallic paint wasn’t even made as an option for this vehicle model.

But before you start feeling sorry for the Cadillac Calais, GM was nice enough to equip it with two unique features: the Guidematic headlight dimmer feature and the Twilight Sentinel feature. The Guidematic headlight dimmer allowed the Calais to change its headlights beams from low to high by using a photoresistor. The Twilight Sentinel, on the other hand, gave the Calais’ headlights the ability to automatically turn its headlights on or off depending on the outside lighting conditions.

Granted that GM was able to give the car the unique Guidematic and Twilight Sentinel features, having them all (luxury seats, power windows and seats) would have probably made the Calais a better luxury car that it’s other Cadillac siblings. It’s just too bad that GM kind of held back a bit with this model.

Sources: Cadillac Calais, Twilight Sentinel, Guidematic Headlight Dimmer, California Classics, Flickr

Top-selling model. That title is pretty hard to come by, especially in the automotive industry. This means that a car has to be able to meet everything that a consumer wants to get this type of recognition. In this aspect, the 1967 Chevy Impala doesn’t fail to deliver. Built as a full-sized automobile, the Impala held the title of being General Motors top-seller until the late 1970’s. Let’s take a look as to what made the Impala command this type of distinction.

Under the hood: The 1967 Chevy Impala was given a number of engine options. The first two were under the Big-block V-8 engine types. There was a Turbo-Jet 396 cu in., 6.5-liter engine that’s capable of providing 265bhp to 425bhp. The other Big-block engine is a Turbo-Jet 427 cu. in. 7-liter, which allowed the Impala to produce 335bhp to 425bhp. Aside from the two Big Block engines, the 1967 Chevy Impala also had two Small-block V-8 engines options. There was the Turbo Fire 327 cu. in. 5.4-liter engine that allowed the vehicle to produce 235bhp to 375bhp and the Turbo Fire 283 cu. in. 4.6-liter engine that gave the Impala the power to emit 195bhp to 220bhp. The last engine type used by the 1967 Chevy Impala was the Straight-6 engine. The 250 cu. in., 4.1-liter Turbo Thrift engine allowed this full-sized automobile to give off 155bhp.

Special Features: Because of Federal regulations imposed during that time, General Motors made sure that its 1967 Chevy Impala would meet these laws to ensure that this vehicle gets to run in the streets. This resulted in the Impala having fully collapsible steering columns, side marker lights, and shoulder belts. The vehicle also sported a unique roofline. Compared to other vehicles, its roofline was slanted and connected to its decklid.

So, is the Impala worth having? Well, given the number of safety features it has, as well as its number of engine options, it actually is something you’d enjoy having. It’s not just built as a stylish-looking ride, it’s also built as a ride that helps ensure your safety, wherever you may end up driving.

Sources: Wikipedia, How Stuff Works

The 60’s was definitely all about the future. From the furniture, to the manner of dressing, and apparently, even to the naming of cars, everything just seemed inspired based on what the people thought the future would look like. Even Ford jumped on the bandwagon when it named one of its full-size cars Galaxie Starliner.

Yes, it may sound a bit quirky but the futuristic sounding Galaxie Starliner was no slouch. Just ask Frank Laidlaw of Saddle Brook, New Jersey, who managed to score one in the classifieds more than a decade ago. While this vehicle was designed to come with a 292 V-8 engine, Ford created an option for car owners to upgrade to a more powerful 390 V-8 engine. And that’s what Frank got from his ride. As a result, the Starliner is able to dish out 375 horsepower every time it hits the road. Aside from the engine, Frank’s Galaxie Starliner also came with a Borg Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission that was complemented by a Hurst Competition Plus shifter.

For its exterior, the Galaxie Starliner retained its popular hardtop which was held in place by narrow B-pillars. Its hood was re-designed and given a teardrop shape on top while its bumpers were given a chrome finish. Black vinyl and pleated upholstery on the other hand, were used for its interiors. The good part about this is that the Starliner was able to retain its original instruments such as speedometer, gas gauge, as well as its clock and warning lights.

Around 345,665 base units of these babies were produced, with 29,669 units carrying the same engine details as that of Frank’s Starliner. So if you’re intrigued by this vehicle, try going through the classifieds. Who knows, you might get lucky, just like Frank Laidlaw did.

Sources: Mustang And Fords, Wikipedia