1954 Lincoln Capri

The Lincoln Capri was built from 1952 to 1959 and its name was derived from an Italian island in the Gulf of Naples. It was the company's top-of-the-line model at the time of its introduction and straddled the line between luxury and performance. Power was initially from an overhead valve V8 engine displacing 317.4 cubic inches and delivering 160 horsepower at 3,900 RPM. Body styles included a hardtop coupe, sedan, and a convertible. The only other model in the Lincoln lineup in 1952 was the Cosmopolitan, wearing a new design that was lean and modern with an integrated grille and bumper, a wraparound windshield, and large vertical taillights.

The Cosmopolitan and Capri would continue to form the entirety of Lincoln's lineup through 1954. The A Holley four-barrel carburetor replaced the previous two-barrel unit in 1953, bring horsepower to 205 hp. 1953 was the second year in a row that Lincolns placed in the top four sports at the Pan American Road Race. They would take first and second place at the 1954 Pan American Road Race.

The 1954 Lincoln Capri body styles remained the hardtop coupe, sedan, and convertible, with 14,003 of the hardtop and 13,598 of the sedan produced. 1,951 examples of the convertible were built.

Both the 1954 Cosmopolitan and the Capri were very similar, with the most distinguishable feature being the nameplate. If it was a convertible, then it was the Capri, as a convertible was not part of the Cosmopolitan lineup. Another difference between the two was the chrome rocker panels and roof trim of the Capri being different than the Cosmopolitan.

The Lincoln Capri was replaced by the 1961 Lincoln Continental.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2020