The Continental Mark II is an ultra-luxury coupé sold by the Continental Division of Ford, serving as the worldwide flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company. The Mark II was introduced for the 1956 model year. Like its competitor, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, the Mark II was essentially hand-built, making it the most expensive American-produced automobile sold in the United States at the time. Ford lost money on each unit sold. The Mark II was the sole product line of the Continental Division. The car derived its name from a practice in European manufacturing, with "Mark II" denoting a second generation (the vehicle was intended as the successor to the 1st Generation 1940–1948 Lincoln Continental). The Mark II was in production until 1957 and was replaced by the Third Generation Lincoln Continental.