Was it the phoenix rising from the ashes?

[Pat Marshall]

WAS IT THE PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES? LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD?

NO, IT WAS BUDDY HOLIDAY'S #3682.

Buddy Holiday was a towering figure in the post production care, restoration, service and development of the Mark II hobby. Holiday founded the Continental Mark II Owners Association and wrote the Mark II restoration manual "Ask Buddy". But, #3682 started the whole thing.

Buddy established a ranch, with an airport in the desert outside of Apple Valley, California dedicated to restoration of Mark II's, providing parts, services and education to Mark II Owners. In 1986 Buddy wrote in his Continental Mark II Owners Association newsletter:

"As a teenager, new to Hollywood in 1956 (From Portsmouth, Ohio) I had taken a job at a Mobil Station in Hollywood and one of the cars that I serviced was a new Mark II belonging to Welton Becket (a famous person) I fell in love then and there with the Mark II, but then on leaving the job it would be many years before that love would re-ignite itself in me. (years later)...my love was rekindled when I was driving down Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills and spotted two Mark IIs on a used car lot...one had a Leopard interior and fender skirts that extended all the way back to the bumper. The other #3682 was minus the complete interior and was white. #3682 was supposed to have been color #20, a medium green iridescent and was the one I bought and tenderly restored it"

FORUM NOTE, we don't have photos of #3682, but the following are our exemplar photos for specification Code D20-1C2D
D20-Green Iridescent Exemplar.jpg 1C2D Interior - Exemplar.jpg Deep Green Carpet-Cabin (Upper) & Trunk (Lower).jpg

As Buddy's business and fame grew, he developed relationships with the motion picture industry, with stars and executives becoming his customers and he regularly rented cars for use in movie making. One of those was his prized #3682. In September 1974 he rented his car for use at the movie sets at Columbia Ranch, Burbank, California. On September 8th a fire broke out which destroyed most of the sound stages and sets on the 8 acre "back lot" and severely damaged #3682.

A newspaper photo at the time showed #3682 cooking in the fire.

3682-Movie Fire.jpg

Buddy dragged the car back to his Apple Valley ranch and restored it for the 2nd time.

In 1982 he sold #3682 and wrote in his CMOA Magazine: "HOLIDAY MARK II GETS NEW HOME - During August and September Anna and I travelled to Kentucky and Ohio. Behind the Apollo, on the 24' trailer, was my green Mark II on her way to a new home deep, deep into the hills of Eastern Kentucky, a town with quite a bit of history called Hazard...we pulled up in front of Carl Engle's generator and starter rebuilding shop about nine the next morning...I am sure she will have a good home with Carl as he already has had two Marks and he has his own restoration shop..."

FORUM NOTE: When Buddy published his Continental Mark II Restoration Guide, he featured #3682 on the cover.
3682 On cover of ASK BUDDY.jpg