real numbers of 1956 & 57 ?? what are they [Archive]

jdsnoddy

03-22-2018, 12:26 PM

Ok. I'll start this conversation, as it has been previously discussed but, I can't find the threads. You can read Buddy Holiday's view as of August 1, 1975 by reading Pages 29 and 40 of "The Continental Mark II Restorer's Guide by Buddy E. Holiday. In it, Buddy cites the sales figures in Car Life Magazine. According to Buddy's math the total units were 3,014 (He assumed there was no 1000 since it had not been previously found.) with 2442 in 1956 and 572 in 1957 with 3418 being the first 1957 model. Further info may have surfaced since 1975.

So, please read Pat Marshall's count at:
https://www.markiiforum.com/showthread.php?4196-FAQ%92s-REGARDING-THE-MARK-II-REGISTRY-CODES-VINS-etc&highlight=number+units
Therefore 16 Mark IIs were manufactured before regular production began with #1001

REGULAR PRODUCTION CARS: Total of 2,989 Cars
EXPLANATION - Regular Production began with Chasis #1001 and continued through #3989. The formula for calculating the number of Regular Production Mark IIs is 3989-1001+1 which equals 2989 Mark IIs. Adding the 16 units produced before #1001 to the 2,989 Regular Production Cars gives a total of 3,005 Mark IIs produced!

WHY IS THE NUMBER OF CARS PRODUCED DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS LCOC CALCULATIONS?
Over the years the LCOC has reported various production numbers. The number most frequently reported was 3,015 calculated by LCOC President, Bob Davis. Recently Mark II authority Lowell Domholdt and Mark II Forum Historian Pat Marshall recalculated the number of units produced as the above 3,005. It was determined that the reason for the difference between the LCOC and Forum numbers is that Continental originally assumed more preproduction cars would be made than were ultimately produced and issued more chassis numbers than were actually assigned. Previous LCOC calculations had assumed the entire block of preproduction chassis numbers had been assigned to cars that had been manufactured. Domholdt and Marshall determined that there is no documentation that Continental produced preproduction units after chassis#985.

HOW CAN I DETERMINE WHAT WAS A CAR'S NUMBER IN THE PRODUCTION SEQUENCE?
For the Prototypes, Cobbled and Preproduction Cars see the listings above which indicate their production sequence.

To determine Regular Productions Car's production sequence subtract 984 from the car's VIN.
Example to determine car #1001 sequence subtract 984 from the VIN - 1001-984 = 17, the 17th Mark II manufactured.

HOW MANY 1957 MARK IIs WERE MANUFACTURED?

Despite all the different numbers that have been reported - There were 572 "1957 Continental Mark IIs".

Of those, 439 were produced in Calendar Year 1957.

Here's the math:

The first Officially Designated 1957 Mark II was 3418
The last 1957 Mark II was 3989
3989-3418+1=572 1957 Mark IIs

The First Mark II produced in Calendar Year 1957 was 3551
The last 1957 Mark II was 3989
3989-3551+1=439 Mark IIs Produced in Calendar Year 1957.

I hope this helps. And I'm certain I've just re-opened a can of worms. And I'd like to say the guy who came up with 444 units in (calendar year) 1957, please show me your spreadsheet.
Update: 03/31/2021
I corresponded with Barry Wolk on the above info. Barry has a computer generated print out which was authored by Axel Holm and Russ Upton etal. This print out shows 444 1957 Marks IIs invoiced in 1957. We know that this count is wrong for the production count b/c:
3418-3545 were produced and invoiced prior to January 1, 1957

Additionally, actual production ended in May 1957 yet some cars were not invoiced until much later in the year. And some units were returned to the factory b/c of damage and then later invoiced a second time.
Thus, the production count cannot be directly correlated to the invoice count during calendar year 1957.