1956 Continental Mark II Sedan

Drop the top, and cruise like a movie star! It sounds like fun. But movie stars live in sunny California -- most of us don't. Convertibles may draw people into showrooms, but sedans take them home. In 1956, only about 2.6 percent of Chevy customers drove home in ragtops. Despite that fact, the carefree appeal of 1950s convertibles has made them a symbol of that era.

Henry Leland established Lincoln Motor Company in 1917 and, with his son Wilfred, built allied aircraft engines during World War I. When peace returned, Lincoln reinvented itself as a luxury automaker. But a poor postwar economy forced the Lelands to sell to another father-son duo, Henry and Edsel Ford. Lincoln thrived under Ford ownership, surviving depression and war, and introducing designs and nameplates that continue to inspire.

Luxury cars offered the greatest in comfort and the latest in technology. They also provided status -- a large part of their attraction. Builders like Rolls-Royce specialized in extravagant cars with corresponding prices, while mass-market manufacturers like General Motors and Ford offered Cadillacs and Lincolns for customers of more modest means. Sport sedans and SUVs may have replaced carriage-inspired Victoria bodies, but luxury still sells.