1954 Lincoln Cosmopolitan

A cosmopolitan traveler is a sophisticated individual who is at home in all parts of the world. The word 'cosmopolitan' translates to 'pertinent or common to the whole world' and 'Having constituent elements from all over the world or from many different parts of the world.' When Lincoln introduced its first all-new postwar models on April 22, 1948, absent from the lineup was the Continental, having been replaced by a new model dubbed the Cosmopolitan. It was the top-of-the-line Lincoln wearing a streamlined 'pontoon' appearance with recessed headlights, a one-piece windshield, and a chrome feature line on each of its front fenders, above the wheel opening. Standard amenities included electro-hydraulically operated windows and front seat, rear fender skirts and whitewall tires, and a 336.7 cubic-inch L-head V8 engine paired with a three-speed manual transmission. A Touch-O-Matic overdrive transmission was optional, and shortly after the Cosmopolitan's introduction, a Hydra-Matic automatic joined the options list. Body styles included a club coupe, town sedan, sport sedan, and a convertible. The four-door body styles had rear-hinged 'suicide' doors. Due to a lack of popularity, the 'fastback' town sedan was a one-year-only body style. The bodies of the Cosmopolitan could be finished in 23 single color combinations including metallic selections, along with 24 two-tone combinations.

Mechanical Specification
Dimensions
The Cosmopolitan rested on a 125-inch wheelbase and began life with an overall length reaching 120.5 inches, growing slightly to 222.5 inches by 1951. It had a width of 77.8 inches and stood 62.7 inches tall.

The front suspension featured coil springs, while the rear received semi-elliptic leaf springs. Four-wheel drum brakes provided the stopping power.

Since Ford did not have a fully automatic transmission, they attempted to purchase Packard's Ultramatic transmission but instead purchased GM's Hydramatics when Packard was unable to supply sufficient quantities. Lincoln continued to use Hydramatic until 1955, even though Ford and Mercury had introduced automatics of their own in 1951.

Lincoln used manual transmissions until 1951.

Optional Equipment
The list of options offered on the Cosmopolitan when it was first introduced was a radio, vacuum antenna, power windows, a heater, and a handbrake signal.

A Redesign: The 1952 to 1954 Lincoln Cosmopolitan
Mild styling updates were applied to the 1950 and 1951 Cosmopolitan, with the 1952 version receiving a more substantial update. The most significant update was the Cosmopolitan no longer had a unique body and wheelbase but now shared its basic body design with other Lincoln and Mercury models. The Cosmopolitan was now the 'entry-level' Lincoln, resting below the top-of-the-line Capri.

Lincoln and Mercury vehicles were distinguished by their bumpers, grille, chrome trim, exterior lamps, and instrument panels. The Cosmopolitan and Capri were distinguished from each other by the level of chrome trim, interior appointments, and standard amenities. Both were offered as a hardtop sport coupe and a sedan, with the Capri also available as a convertible. The 317.4 cubic-inch V8 (Lincoln Y-block) engine shared between the two had overhead valves, 7.5:1 compression, a Holley two-barrel carburetor, and produced 160 horsepower at 3,900 RPM. The sole transmission was the four-speed HydraMatic. The wheelbase measured 123 inches, the length at 214 inches, and the front suspension was now a ball joint arrangement.

The styling was modern and elegant, with an integrated front bumper and grille, a wraparound windshield, a nearly full-length side trim, and slanted rear fender molding. The four-door body styles now had front-hinged rear doors.

The 317.5 cubic-inch, OHV, V8 now had 8.0:1 compression, five main bearings, a Holley four-barrel carburetor, and produced 205 horsepower at 4,200 RPM. Optional equipment included tinted glass, whitewall tires, a radio, a heater, a four-way power seat, power steering, and power brakes.

The hardtop sport coupe was priced at $3,625, 2,994 examples were built, and 4,447 examples of the sedan were built with a base price of $3,520. A total of 7,441 examples of the Cosmopolitan were built in 1954, far fewer than the 29,552 examples of the Capri that were built that year. The Capri was priced approximately $245 higher than the Cosmopolitan.

The Cosmopolitan was replaced in 1955 by the 'Custom.'

Pan American Road Race
Lincoln automobiles were very successful in the Stock Car category of the Pan American Road Race, taking the top four positions in 1952 and again in 1953. In 1954, Lincoln claimed the first and second spot.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024

Sold for $47,040 at 2024 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach.
The Carrera Panamericana racing event began in 1950 and continued to 1954 and is considered to have been one of the most dangerous and grueling races of any type in the world. It was a border-to-border, 2,178-mile competition that celebrated the opening of the north-south Mexican section of the Pan-American Highway. The inaugural race began on May 5, 1950, and was raced almost entirely along the new roadway. Lincoln automobiles were very successful in the stock car division, placing in the top four places in that class in 1952 and 1953.

The original Panamericana race was put on hiatus after 1954 primarily due to the numerous accidents and misfortune, but a new race was organized in 1988 to celebrate the spirit of the Carrera.

This particular Lincoln Cosmopolitan Coupe is believed to have been used as a race car in the 1970s. Around 2005, it was converted to rally specification and raced in the modern La Carrera Panamericana rally. It wears a period-style racing livery, and has been given many upgrades and modern rally improvements, including drivetrain, brakes, electrical, safety, and suspension modifications. The 341 cubic-inch overhead valve V8 engine has a single four-barrel downdraft carburetor and produces an estimated 300 horsepower at 4,500 RPM. There is a four-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes, an independent coil-spring front suspension, and a live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024