Originally published in the Fall 1976 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 126)
The Lincolns featured on the following pages and the cover belong to club member Don Marmaduke of Denver. Don has been a Lincoln owner for many years and has owned several impressive examples. Though we are featuring the Marmadukes’ Mark II, I feel that the 1930 LeBaron convertible roadster and particularly the 1934 KB Brunn Victoria convertible helped set the trend which let to the designing which became known as Continental Styling.
The Model L LeBaron has been part of the Marmadukes’ collection nearly as long as their Mark II. It came to Denver in 1958 after several owners, the first being in of all places, Pasadena, California. Designated the type 185, this is one of the early Lincoln convertibles.
The convertible with roll-up windows became very popular with Lincoln owners, so popular in fact, it led to the demise of the roadster. With the convertible in production, styling efforts began to evolve to the five-place sports convertible. Don’s 1934 represents the “continental styling” available to Lincoln owners after Waterhouse no longer supplied bodies for K series chassis. The graceful “Victoria” roof lines are the legacy left to the modern Continentals. This is but one of two known surviving examples of less than ten built in 1934.
Like the other Marmaduke Lincolns, the Mark II is very much part of the Marmaduke family. Don and his wife bought it in Kansas City in 1957. The Mark II was then only 6,000 miles old. The Marmadukes were on vacation in KC when their late model large brand X fell apart. On the way to the large brand X dealer to try again, Don spotted the Mark II on a used car lot. When he returned with Ginny, she approved of the Mark II and its looks at first sight. Of all the automobiles Don has owned, this is the one which can truly be called “their”, the Marmadukes’ car. Today it resides in the family four-place carriage house alongside the 1930 LeBaron, the 1934 Brunn and the Mark III. With 32,000 miles showing on the clock, the English say, the Marmadukes’ Mark II ranks among the best of the surviving low-mileage Continentals.
