On the first day of the 2012 Spring Carlisle collector car swap meet in Pennsylvania, I previewed many of the automobiles that were being prepared for the auction that was to be held on the second and third days. I photographed some of the cars, and I am presenting here the photos of a few of the more interesting ones. To view the auction results, visit this Web site: http://www.auctionsamerica.com .

There are a couple of things I would like to point out about one of my favorite cars here. "The clean, uncluttered lines of the 1956 Continental Mark II stand in marked contrast to most automotive styling of the 1950s," the Henry Ford Museum says of this Ford product. This car, by the way, is not a Lincoln, though it was sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers. In the mid-1950s, Ford intended to develop Continental into a stand-alone luxury brand reminiscent of the classic car era.

I took all the photos in this gallery with a handheld Nikon P7100. All have been resized for online viewing. Note that the images and other content here are protected by copyright laws. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use, copying, printing or direct linking is prohibited.

>>> CLICK ON A THUMBNAIL PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT, AFTER WHICH YOU CAN MANUALLY GO FORWARD OR BACKWARD TO THE OTHER IMAGES IN THIS GALLERY. THE PICTURES HERE CAN ALSO BE VIEWED AS A SELF-ADVANCING SLIDESHOW, BUT MINUS THE TECHNICAL AND OTHER DETAILS. SEE THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THIS WINDOW. HAPPY VIEWING! <<<