This is car porn. After viewing the video, you’ll need a cigarette.
Barry Wolk is a serious car guy, a regular Motor City Garage reader, and a collector with a unique approach. He and his wife Glynette Wolk pursue rare and beautiful things that have the name Continental. The collection currently includes a 1955 Porsche Continental Cabriolet, a 1956 Chris-Craft Continental power boat, a rare 1933 Continental Flyer sedan, and the stunner you see here: a 1956 Continental Mark II convertible by Hess & Eisenhardt.
Barry created the video himself with Apple iPhoto, using a collection of still images from a shoot in the Latcha + Associates studio in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The photos by Kevin Pearce are flawless, but merged together in this video montage, the visual statement is far more than the sum of its parts. Serendipity, according to Barry.
“The video is really a fluke,” he says. “I let the program make it. I arranged the pictures and turned it into a slideshow. I melded that with the music on ‘random effect’ and ‘random time on screen’ and the computer did the rest, I’m embarrassed to say.” Works for us. Maybe the power of the composition lies mainly in the car itself. After all, the Continental Mark II has often been called one of the most beautiful American cars of the 1950s.
Later this week, the Mark II convertible will be in Monterey, California at the Pebble Beach Concours D’ Elegance in a special feature class for coachbuilt postwar Lincolns. In the meantime, here’s the video. Enjoy.
Is that the one off retractable from Michigan?
The Retractable is still missing. If you find it, I’ll take it!
Oh yeah, NOW
NOW I see Barry’s name at the top. Duh!
Wow, I always thought the Mk II was a beautiful car but now I see it in a whole new light. Thanks for this.
That is indeed a beautiful car – no, not just a car, it’s art.
Who was the stylist responsible? I’d love to learn more about him and the car’s story. It is remarkably different in style from other American cars of the same period. Certainly there were other beautiful cars around this time – the TBird and Caddy for example – but none with the restrained understatement of this one. It looks like a much younger car, and still as beautiful as ever. Thanks Barry, thanks Mac.
That may set a whole new standard in automotive video. Beautiful.
Great car and great video. Barry, I’m looking forward to seeing you on the tour tomorrow. Just keep an eye out for any red Porsche convertibles you may encounter…
I was so focused on the million dollar cars in front of and behind me that I didn’t see much at all. One photographer took a great shot of us in motion with the ocean in the background that’s the only memory I have of looking at water. 88 miles is too long for only one break.
Do you still have your LeMons car? 🙂
That’s quite a beauty, Barry. Any chance of seeing it in SE Michigan any time soon? How about the Ruxton? I promise to wear a bib to keep from drooling on them.
The Ruxton will be at the Cocours of Southwestern Michigan in St. Joseph. I don’t know if it’s been invited to St. John’s or not, but it’s at Jocko’s shop in Monroe until it goes to Amelia. The Mark II might be there, too. It’s been a few years since we brought that car.
Well, that’s worth a road trip to Monroe! Too bad it’s not closer to home. That’s right on my commute.