Ahh, Lincolns
Bill Culver, president of the Road Race Lincoln Register, points out what separated the race cars from the regular Capri: Along with the new V8 and slick styling, a ball-joint suspension was introduced for the 1952 Lincolns and was a big improvement on the previous king-pin setup. Heavy-duty shocks were a must for the race cars, as was better ducting for the drum brakes and blueprinted engines good for 300 hp. Culver says by 1954 “rules required no variation in weight from stock, so the 4250-pound cars were lightened by removing unnecessary accessories, and the pounds were added back by safety equipment.”
Lincoln would finish first, second and 10th in the large stock class in 1954, the final Carrera Panamericana. Accidents and deaths, coupled with the horrendous 1955 crash at Le Mans that killed more than 80 spectators, marked the end of the race and Lincoln’s road racing glory.
This Lincoln Capri Special was never a race car. In fact, the only wheel it turned in anger was probably to get the choice spot at the local drive-in. Matt McCool, the car’s owner, bought it two years ago. McCool has owned four vintage Chevrolet Impalas, a 1966 Ford Mustang and a 1976 BMW 2002. “I’m not sure what drew me to buy the car,” McCool says, “but it’s fair to say I am a sucker for all old cars.”
McCool found the Lincoln on the web, less than 40 miles away from his home in Ringoes, New Jersey. Other than a decade-old repaint in the original color, the car is in exceptional condition, having covered 86,000 miles. The engine was never rebuilt, the four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission (a GM-built unit, used by Lincoln until 1955) is original, and the interior is as it left the factory. Even the Lincoln heating system works perfectly, while the original Firestone whitewall spare is in the cavernous trunk.
My father drove almost nothing but Lincolns for as long as I can remember, and though they varied in quality, they never failed to be fast and comfortable cars. Some of them, like the 1958 Premier
and the 1964 Continental,
were timelessly beautiful. Those monstrosities Ford tries to foist on customers today are shameful compared to them. (I know these are some raggedy-looking cars in the pics, but when you snag 'em off the net, you're kind of stuck with what's out there)