Spotlight on Mark II Histories

[C.J. Larrick]

That's fascinating!

[CMSCPO]

There are many websites with Black Dahlia crime scene photos - not for the squeamish!

[Barry Wolk]

In the September-October 2021 Issue of Lincoln and Continental Comments LCOC Member George T. Lyons presented an article about Mark II #3694. This car was sold new to Francis S. Yenowine of Terre Haute, IN who immediately had the car customized by adding fins from a Chrysler Motors car of that era. (they look like a '57 DeSoto to me). The modification also included the addition of lower quarter panel side moldings similar to those on the Cadillac El Dorado.

Yenowine died shortly thereafter, and the car was immediately purchased by Tony Hulman who became famous for saving the Indianapolis 500 and turning it into the event that it is today, Hulman died in 1977, but the car remained in the possession of the Hulman Family until last year.

The car had been privately stored at the Speedway Museum for four decades and was never put on display.

George Lyon's article presents the history of the car, and the events leading up to his purchase of it last year from the Hulman Family. The article presents excellent photos of the car. I am contacting Mr. Lyons to obtain permission to present his photos of 3694 in the Forum.

This is the only Mark II that I know of that was taken from the Dealer's Showroom to a body shop to be modified. The workmanship was excellent as is the condition of the car. Of course we'll get responses from our cadre of modification haters, and I sure gasped when I first saw the photos. But Mr. Lyons in his article said "...I am sure that in 1957, just as today, the alteration of the beautiful lines of the Mark II was met with some criticism, but custom work such as this was not uncommon in the era and is part of this car's extraordinary history."

Here is the link to 3694's history in our Registry - https://www.markiiforum.com/showthre...highlight=3694

The only thing I'm going to say is, "nice interior".

Recent photos.

244598020_879041452730597_4677776628668743136_n.jpg

244988898_607388926953265_5221175235492824112_n.jpg

244598025_1757932367929352_1211763189568539325_n.jpg

245136167_263054909162801_630821020984026951_n.jpg

[Milsteads Garage]

I am seriously having fun with this thread. To all of you lurking, help us out! Start looking! Anyway, a little known fact about me is my second job that I started in 2000 is I used to disassemble Vietnam era Sikorsky helicopter rotors and sand blast them for $8 an hour. It was the most boring job I ever had. It did not stimulate my mind because I never got to do anything technical. It was my only entry and exit into the field of Aircraft.

Igor Sikorsky bought one of these cars brand new. Unlike all of the cars we’ve previously researched, this one took a pretty serious whack to the nose and was subsequently parted out.

[Pat Marshall]

The only thing I'm going to say is, "nice interior".

Well said, Barry, I totally agree.

A note to everyone. The Mark II Forum is a home to ALL MARK II’s, and their owners and to potential owners. Regardless of whether cars are 100 point originals, Resto-mods or Customs they’re welcome here. Constructive comments are always encouraged.

[Pat Marshall]

In December 1955, Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky

1918-Igor Sikorsky.jpg

purchased Marki II #C56B1918 from Bridgeport Lincoln-Mercury, Inc, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Sikorsky, was a Russian-American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. He designed and flew the world's first multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft, the Russky Vityaz in 1913,

1918 Sikorsky Russky Vityaz.jpg

and the first airliner, Ilya Muromets, in 1914

1918 Sikorsky S-22 Ilya Muromets.jpg

After immigrating to the United States in 1919, Sikorsky founded the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 1923, and developed the first of Pan American Airways' ocean-conquering flying boats in the 1930s

1918 Sikorsky S42 Flying Boat.jpg

In 1939 he designed and flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, the first viable American helicopter, which pioneered the rotor configuration used by most helicopters today. Sikorsky would modify the design into the Sikorsky R-4, which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter in 1942.
Sikorsky's final VS-300 rotor configuration, comprising a single main rotor and a single antitorque tail rotor, has proven to be one of the most popular helicopter configurations, being used in most helicopters produced today

1918 Sikorsky VS-300 Helicopter.jpg

Sikorsky died at his home in Easton, Connecticut, on October 26, 1972, and is buried in Saint John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cemetery located on Nichols Avenue in Stratford

Mark II #1918 has been owned since 2000 by LCOC Member Brad Luse of Tivoli, New York. In 2012 Brad reported that the car "was originally purchased by Egor Sigkorski (heliocopters) but the nose wrecked at 35,000 miles."

Source-Wikipedia
Parts of this instructional, educational thread reproduced from outside sources per US Code 17, 107

[Milsteads Garage]

I just found another good history I would like to bring up. In 1999, I placed 9th in a student auto skills contest put on by Ford /AAA. I was subsequently hired by Holmes Tuttle Ford and worked there a year or so before I took a job disassembling Sikorsky helicopter rotors. Holmes Tuttle sold car 3912 to Leonard Firestone, president of Firestone tires and was owned by two other notable people. Looking forward to what else I find reading these histories.

[Pat Marshall]

What a small world.

Holmes Tuttle.jpg

Back in the day, I knew Holmes Tuttle very well. I was Director of Internal Audit-Western Hemisphere of Dart Industries, headquartered in Los Angeles. Holmes was on our Board of Directors and was a close personal friend of Justin Dart, Chairman of Dart.

Justin and Holmes were very politically active and a young actor named Ronald Reagan caught their eyes. Over the years they supported Reagan and were a major influence in his deciding to run for Governor of California. When Reagan was president, they were members of his "Kitchen Cabinet" and provided advice and support.

Holmes Tuttle & Ronald Regan.jpg

Holmes Tuttle owned Beverly Lincoln-Mercury in Beverly Hills and Holmes Tuttle Lincoln-Mercury and sold many Mark II's in the Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Los Angeles area.

[Milsteads Garage]

E0839014-6915-4E04-B3E7-19245542675C.jpg

Found this blast from the past in a few boxes I had stashed away in the shed.

[Barry Wolk]

E0839014-6915-4E04-B3E7-19245542675C.jpg

Found this blast from the past in a few boxes I had stashed away in the shed.

Curious, did you post that picture in that orientation?