For model year 1954, Lincoln’s styling showed minimal changes from a new look introduced in 1952. About the only story to advertise was on the performance side where the restyled and faster Lincolns had won the Mexican Road Race (La Carrera Panamericans) in 1952 and 1953 and would go on to win it again in 1954. Cadillac was the Luxury King and outsold Lincoln 3-to-1 in 1954 with only 36,933 Lincolns rolling off the assembly line. Some call the ’52-’54 models the “forgotten Lincolns” (unless you’re a road race fan), but here’s one that is still around and looks solid. Located in Branson, Missouri, this 1954 Lincoln Capril 4-Door Sedan is for sale here on craigslist for $14,975. A big thank you to Dan for sending this luxury Lincoln our way.
These Lincolns were still big, luxurious cars for the day, but when compared to the flashier, more stylish Cadillac, the Lincoln looked conservative with styling that some felt was too close to its Ford and Mercury cousins. No history is given by the seller and he’s very short on details and specs but says a knowledgeable owner is a phone call away if you have any questions. He states that “it’s been put in shows for years, has 94,000 miles, and is clean and very well maintained.” It could be a lot cleaner in my opinion based on the photos, but the black paint looks shiny and very presentable (those are weeds on the passenger side photo, not paint scratches) as does the all the chrome (including those outrageous dagmar bullet-shaped front bumper guards) trim, glass, and lenses. There’s no sign of rust or any accident damage and the trunk looks clean and presentable. The current tires could use a cleaning, don’t have the correct whitewall width, and the full wheel covers are missing the red circular paint in the middle that surrounds the Lincoln shield crest.
The exterior may be a bit conservative but the instrument panel and dash design looks very stylish and sophisticated. I like the ribbed design of the instrument panel that’s carried over into the large, awesome-looking steering wheel. The few interior photos provided don’t show any major flaws, but there are no photos of the headliner.
The seller gives no details about the Lincoln’s power plant other than it has 94,000 miles. Photos show a clean engine bay with gold-painted valve covers and air cleaner (and a sloppily spray painted aqua-colored engine). It should be a 317.5-cubic inch V8 that generated 205 horsepower when new. It’s mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. I don’t know about you, but you just don’t see many, if any, of these ’52-’54 Lincolns at car shows. This one is far from perfect, but it appears to be a straight, solid driver that looks darn good for a car that’s 70 years old.
You would think someone trying to sell a car (or anything) would try to play up the car by providing details, information, any history in order to generate some interest. However do often its the case as with this car….no information. Can’t help but chalk it up to laziness on either not wanting to take the time to do a writeup or being too lazy to get info on the vehicle, and then they wonder why there’s no interest. How many CL or FB ads have we seen with just “Ford for Sale” (or Chevy, etc) and the description being “good condition”.
Pardon my rant.
This is a vehicle that got by me somehow? Never seen one before.
It looks really good and probably well worth the asking price?
It doesn’t take a lot of body/interior work to equal a lot of money, even trying to do part or all of it yourself?
I know, i have restored vehicles before.
This might just be a bargain?
Hopefully a new owner will end up with a very presentable old car to drive and enjoy.
Just shows you don’t have to spend 80 to 100 thousand dollars just to have a nice old vehicle to cruise around in.
Good luck to the new owner.
Just my oponion!
A friend’s father had one, first car I was ever in with tinted glass, it was VERY tinted by today’s standards, we went to an Air Force air show where we toured a then new C-124, Globemaster, could carry 4 tanks, or 16 Jeeps, or 200 troops. Fast forward 20 years I was in a USAF MAC Group that had 8 C-124’s, by that time called “Old Shakey”, Vietnam in full swing, if we could get 6 of the 8 in the air at the same time, we would have ferried stuff from Japan to Korea, but, we could not get parts, and so, in 6 years of Reserve duty, I never got to fly in one, and only got inside one once, at an air show.
Dual master cylinder indicates brake updating at some point. Stock brakes were always a weak point in Road Race Lincolns.
Eons ago my dad got a 52 Cosmo Lincoln from a customer. Another semi junk but neat. Unfortunately, the engine gave up and for various reasons the guy who worked for my dad as a mechanic never rebuilt it so it ended up out back and another car, I learned on helping cut it up. This would be one I want if only.
I personally like the looks of this over a Cadillac of this year. Pedestrians, beware of those bumper guards, lol! BTW, if I’m not mistaken, the transmission should be the GM 4 speed Hydramatic.
Has kind of Packard looking tail lights.
Yes, this looks to be a very nicely-kept example. And yes, it does have too much resemblance to the Fords & Mercs of the same time. But that was also the case with the bathtub series of ’49–’51(though with that series it was closer to the Mercs). Really the only thing that I’ve learned as the distinguishing detail is the taillights.
Speaking of taillights, has anyone ever heard of the “Manta”? That one-off car had three taillights sourced from Lincoln. You can see it for yourself next time you pass through Manhattan, Kansas; the car now reposes in a car museum located there.
following one comment.. someone listed a 55 T-Bird saying ‘a Ford..’ (an ordinary Ford) bla-bla