Ford Motor Company resumed passenger car production on July 3, 1945. The first Lincoln made its debut on January 10, 1946.. In either case, production couldn’t keep up with unprecedented pent-up demand and the desire for ownership which took years to satiate. Postwar Lincolns were a continuation of the pre-war 1942 dies and chassis, but were distinguished by a massive two-tier eggcrate grille. Only detail changes occurred during the final three years of production. Dashboards were less chrome encrusted than standard Lincolns despite being the top-of-the-line model.  Even though it was built on the same 125-inch wheelbase as the standard Lincoln, the limited production Continental actually had a longer hood, shorter tail and a more squared-off decklid with its signature exposed spare tire.

The car was powered by Lincoln’s 130-h.p., 305-c.i.d. V-12 and with a curb weight of almost 4,100 pounds acceleration was leisurely. After all, this was a Continental which was all about prestige rather than performance. Nevertheless, the 1946 Continental was selected as the Indianapolis 500 pace car for 1946. Ford Motor Company records indicate this particular Continental was built June 13, 1946 and assigned to Henry Ford II until sold by the company on May 29, 1947.