This is an old subject, and my reply may not be noted by anyone. However, my family worked for Lincoln Mercury, and I can say, with 100% certainty, that two different things are being discussed here: corporate and marketing. In a nutshell, Continental stood, alone, as a brand, on Ford's corporate books for 1956 and '57, but in 1958, Continental merged with the Lincoln brand and never again had its own corporate books. However, Ford marketed the Continental Mark as being distinct from Lincoln. What they didn't ad was, "In spirit". Consequently, classifying the Continental Mark series as a Lincoln or not becomes a matter of perception or popular opinion.