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Low-Budget Baby Lincoln: 1950 Lincoln EL

While probably *not* destined for a stunning factory restoration, this 1950 Lincoln EL sedan could easily become an upscale ’50 Mercury-style low-rider, and in-fact numerous such examples exist. It would also make a stunning “wedding car” in tuxedo black and chrome, ready for Promenade or other events where packing 12 people into a stretch limo is too much or simply “been there, done that.” These Lincolns left the factory with the Frenched headlight buckets you see here – a DIY modification on many ’50s customs. Thanks to Matt W. who spotted this Lincoln here on Madison, Wisconsin craigslist with an asking price of $2900.

While not the largest Lincoln built in 1950, the EL featured “suicide doors” that extend the mini-limousine theme. The EL became known as the “Baby Lincoln,” compared to its larger brother, the Lincoln Cosmopolitan, which gained some cachet when 19 went to Washington, D.C. to usher President Truman and other high-ranking officials hither and yon’ in the nation’s capital. Lincoln also nurtured a far different clientele, supplying a series of open road racing cars for independent and factory efforts in La Carrera Panamericana, a race of epic proportion that demanded reliable high-performing cars and drivers who could handle fuel with radically variable octane levels and equally unpredictable road-blocking livestock. Lincoln garnered much success including outright wins in the Western Hemisphere’s version of the the Targa Florio.

The EL received an updated interior for 1950 and a number of improvements improving smoothness and longevity of its flathead V8 engine. The seats are as comfortable as your grandmother’s sofa, and equally supportive during aggressive cornering (thanks to topclassiccarsforsale.com and wikipedia.org for some details).

While the EL, produced from 1949 to 1951, deviated from Lincoln’s previous use of V12s with its more plebian V8, the EL one-upped Ford and Mercury automobiles by plucking this 337 cid flathead V8 from the production line of larger Ford trucks. This beefier flat-head made 152 HP and a muscular 275 lb-ft of torque. With this engine and the EL’s available General Motors-sourced four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission, Lincoln delivered an impressive combination of power and technology. So, who’s ready to plop down $2900 and build their own “hot rod Lincoln?”

Comments

  1. Avatar slickb

    great car !!!! it will be fun restored

    Like 1
  2. Avatar txchief

    Those are amongst the ugliest cars ever produced. Yuk!

    Like 0
    • Avatar slickb

      everyone has an opinion…

      Like 1
      • Avatar slickb

        and I don’t even find this the best looking but its still cool

        Like 0
    • HoA Rube Goldberg Member

      A face only a mother ( or owner) could love. It seemed a lot of post war cars had the “droopy, sad” face.( look at Buick) I always wondered why. I’m surprised this car never got chopped.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Bob

      I never cared for these when new, but now I like them!

      Like 1
  3. Avatar foxhunter49

    Why does everyone say hot rod when they see a fine classic as this one truly is?

    Like 0
  4. Avatar JW

    Any car sold new with suicide doors is cool IMHO !!!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Dick Johnson

      Until your mother opens the rear door at 70 mph. Our ’67 Continental made an immediate left turn into on-coming traffic.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Gaspumpchas

    Sure could have fun with this–fix mechanics,new sneakers and cruise. Would love see how this jewel runs with the big flatmotor and the 4 speedhydro! Dairy Queen cruiser!!!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar SAM61

    Lots of black. Black paint, powdercoat black chrome (except the spears). Black Detroit Steel Wheels with red line tires. Transplant a early/mid 60’s T-Bird interior with console (black and grey). 4 wheel discs/build the engine…

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Ben T. Spanner

    Harry Truman rode in Lincolns while President but bought a new Chrysler upon Ike’s inaugeration and drove himself and Bess back to Kansas. No Secret service. He was a Mopar man and his last car was a 1972 Chrysler.

    When Ike left office, he drove with Mamie, and the Secret Service escorted them to the Pennsylvania border. See ya, you are on your own. Vastly different times.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Wrong Way

    Interesting read! I don’t think that I ever heard of these cars before now! Now you have made me curious about them!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar George Soffa

    I had a very nice Low miles 51 Cosmopolitan and it was a great car !! Just floated down the road at 70 mph and whisper Quiet !! Ran out of gas at the top end of Colorados’ Cheyenne Canyon so coasted it back down to a gas station , unknowingly running the hydromatic pumps backwards and it wouldn’t shift into high
    ! Of course, I had traded a ‘46 Ford woodywagon for the Lincoln but that’s another story !!

    Like 0
  10. Avatar TouringFordor

    The headlights were frenched in because they were supposed to be pop-up headlights. The cost was prohibitive for production.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Del

    Very rare Lincoln. Like really rare. Must be some Boomer with too much money to restore it. Gawd knows I have seen way too many crappy Mustangs restored and sold on Barrett Jackson. Must be some that would treat this better option than another piece pony car crap ?

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Lion

    I had a 1951 Baby Lincoln in 1964. The ’51 did not have the frowning mouth grill and was a better looking car than the ’49 and ’50s. It also had sunken tail lights (like the 1951 Canadian Monarchs)…very sharp looking. It ran so quiet and cruised easily at 70 MPH.
    I sold it in 1967 before I married because I intended to take a 3500 mile honeymoon trip and needed a better car. I bought a 1960 LeSabre 2dr HT that gave me trouble all the way and finally died 250 miles from home.
    Boy I miss that Lincoln.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar bill nelson

    When growing up in eastern Montana, I had a buddy who outran every cop in Yellowstone county with a Lincoln like that. It had a 3 speed with overdrive, and we never found out how fast it would go because in second and overdrive, it filled the spedomitor? up at 110.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Chris

    For sale again. I purchased it but a drastic change in worknplans for the New Year means I need to let go.

    https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/d/1950-lincoln-el-baby-lincoln/6445194111.html

    Like 0
  15. Avatar EHide Behind

    1958, veryd rural village in SW WA state, Gravel road, country bumpkin rifle or shotgun in hand and dog bedide, Every Sunday two old Bachelor Brothers that let bumpkin hunt on their dairy farm fields woods and river marshlands.
    Every Sunday morn 10:00, chirch began at 10:30 , two old Finn bachelors wouid go to barn door 1 vehicle gsrage, unlock padlock, open doors, and soon the sound of a “big ” flattie V8 would be heard and out would come a grey 4dr baby Lincoln that since new was never washed or waxed, and slowly up grabel to main road it creeped , onto churcj began 10:30 and was 4 miles away and they were never late.
    After church to lost office pick up weeks mail, to grocery store that opened after church let out. If preacher went in his overdrive after 12:00 pick up groceries, and then motor. That’s what they called driving. Back home into garage, in time to do afternoon milking.
    Only other time Lincoln was driven was too other old Finns funeral.
    When they passed inmate 60′
    3500+ miles, grabbed up and driven off by a nephew and never seen again , except in head of a certain country bumpkin

    Like 0

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