1952-1954 Lincolns. When luxury ruled the road.

[Ohighway]

MotorCities - Lincoln: When Luxury Ruled the Road | 2025 | Story of the Week

by A. Wayne Ferens Images Courtesy of the Ferens Collection Published 2.5.2025 A collection of competitors in the Pan-American road race (Ferens Collection) After the Mexican section of the Pan-American Highway was completed in 1950, a nine-stage, si...

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[ConradH]

It's got a Lincoln motor
and it's really souped up.
And that model A body makes it look like a pup
It's got eight cylinders; uses them all.
It's got overdrive, just won't stall.
With a 4-barrel carb and a dual exhaust,
With 4.11 gears
you can really get lost.
It's got safety tubes, but I ain't scared.
The brakes are good, tires fair.

 

[gadget73]

The earlier Charlie Ryan version of that song had twelve cylinders and used them all. Commander Cody only got 2/3 of the way there

 

[OBMG74]

“Son, you’re gonna drive me to drinkin’ if you don’t stop drivin’ that hot rod Lincoln”

 

[ConradH]

In one of my wife's old family photos, from around 1940, there was an interesting car in the background. By certain features, I finally nailed it down as a 12-cylinder 1938 Lincoln Zephyr. There aren't many old cars I'd like to own, but that's certainly one of them!

 

[highvoltage_]

We couldn't afford a Lincoln, but my father always bought Mercurys.

One day I said to him, "But Dad, it's basically a Ford."

"No it isn't."

Yes, sir (you didn't argue with him)

 

[gadget73]

Better trim and seats in a Mercury. Sometimes it was only a minor difference, but it was there. Even in the 80s if you bought the full size wagon, the Mercury got a chrome strip in the middle of the trim around the woodgrain, the Fords didn't get it. After many decades, the clear plastic that formed the woodgrain pattern on he Ford trim shrinks and looks like garbage. The Mercury trim aged much better.

 

[electronjohn]

When I was a kid one of my uncles had a 53 Merc ragtop. I thought it was the coolest thing on the road. He pulled his speedboat (inboard w/a Ford 60 V8)_with it. Another uncle bought a Lincoln Capri. The Merc was suddenly no longer the coolest thing on the road.