Source: hemmings.com
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
1954 Carrera Panamericana-winning Lincoln
Intended to publicize the completion of the Pan-American Highway through Mexico, the Carrera Panamericana was a grueling multi-day race that stretched for 2,000-plus miles across all types of terrain. Ferrari would go on to dominate the sports car class, but American luxury manufacturer Lincoln ruled the stock car class, winning the event from 1952-1954. Today, just one of the original “road race Lincolns,” owned by the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, is known to exist, and it will be making a special appearance at the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum, on the Gilmore Car Museum campus in Hickory Corners, Michigan, from July 15 through September 15.
Like the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia, the Carrera Panamericana was held on public roads without speed restrictions, quickly earning it a lethal reputation. The first event took place in May of 1950, stretching from Ciudad Juarez to Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, covering nearly 2,200 miles and varying in elevation from 328 feet to 10,482 feet. Victory went to an Oldsmobile 88, though Cadillac and Lincoln automobiles delivered a respectable showing as well. Three participants and a single spectator were killed during the course of the event, a number that would rise sharply as the race grew in significance and popularity.
Lincoln ad courtesy Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum.
The following year, 1951, the race was run south to north and moved to November instead of May. Ferrari joined the fray, entering several factory-backed cars, and ultimately came away with the first and second place, but larger and heavier American cars (a Chrysler and a Mercury) took the next two spots. The deaths of numerous competitors prompted an outcry from the Mexican press, but did little to slow the pace or temper enthusiasm among participants.
In 1952, the race split into classes for sports cars and stock cars in order to level the playing field. Mercedes-Benz joined Ferrari in entering a factory team, and its tactic of using navigator-read pace to aid the driver was quickly adopted by the Lincoln team. Mercedes-Benz took the win in the sports car class, but it was Lincoln who established itself as the team to beat in the stock car class, capturing the first four positions at race end.
Lincoln would repeat this remarkable feat in 1953, a year that saw further division into large and small subcategories within both sports and stock car classes. The race counted towards the World Sportscar Championship as well, adding to the importance of a victory (or at least a respectable showing) for teams contesting the series. It proved to be the deadliest running of the rally as well, with a total of nine deaths, eight of these occurring in a single day on one stage.
Though no one would have predicted it at the race’s start, 1954 would prove to be the last year for the event. Lincoln once again proved dominant in the stock car class, earning the first two podium positions at the conclusion. The winning Lincoln was driven by Ray Crawford and Enrique Iglesias, completing the 1,908-mile route in 20 hours, 40 minutes and 19 seconds at an average pace of 92.22 MPH. For Crawford (already a World War II fighter ace), the win would open doors to a racing career that would include starts in the Indy 500 and in Formula 1.
The 1954 race claimed another seven lives, but it took the death of 84 people at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans to put an end to the Carrera Panamericana. Public sentiment had (temporarily) turned against racing, but officially the Carrera Panamericana was canceled because it had achieved its objective of drawing attention to the Pan-American Highway.
Car number 149, the 1954 Lincoln Capri driven to victory by Crawford and Iglesias, found its way into the Harrah Collection, and ultimately the National Automobile Museum, preserving it from the same fate that likely befell other racing Lincolns. To prepare the car for the rigors of competition, the 317.5-cu.in. V-8 was blueprinted, while dual shocks were used on the front suspension with air shocks fitted to the rear. Ride height was increased for improved ground clearance, while six-ply tires were mounted to reduce the chance of punctures. Power brakes were available on road-going Lincolns, but the racing cars received unassisted brakes with 12-inch finned drums, instead of the standard 11-inch units.
The road race Lincoln on display in Reno.
It isn’t clear what happened to the other road race Lincolns, though it’s easy to speculate. Built for competition, chances are good these cars were raced to the point of failure, or at least until they were no longer competitive. Some may have been parted out, giving new life to old Lincolns, while others were simply hauled off for scrap value; perhaps there’s even a survivor or two parked south of the border, still waiting to be rescued and restored.
The loan of the 1954 Carrera Panamericana-winning Lincoln coincides with the second-annual Lincoln Homecoming event, taking place at the Hickory Corners museum from August 10-14. The event is hosted by the Road Race Lincoln Register, one of four Lincoln clubs (including the Lincoln Owners Club, the Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club, and the Lincoln & Continental Owners Club) that supported the construction of the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum, which opened in August 2014.
For additional information on the Lincoln Homecoming, visit LincolnCarMuseum.org.
Source: blog.hemmings.com
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
1939 Lincoln Zephyr
This example has been finished in black. The paint and bodywork were recently done to a high standard with solid, rust-free steel underneath. The undercarriage was restored as well.
The red leather interior has been restored with an Art Deco design that complements the streamlined exterior. A woodgrained dash frames the famous Lincoln Zephyr speedometer and waterfall. Other custom touches such as a JB Donaldson Co. steering wheel make this Zephyr unique.
The V12 engine has been rebuilt, bench-tested, and cosmetically restored with polished aluminum heads and a custom ceramic coated dual exhaust system. The 306 cubic inch engine has been bored to 310, and the tri-carb manifold holds three new Stromberg 97s that give this car increased horsepower and attitude. In addition, the engine has been mated to an automatic transmission for hassle-free drivability, along with hydraulic brakes for safety, modern 12 volt alternator and 12 volt high performance starter. Rebuilt rear end and rebuilt brakes with new drums and master cylinder. The stance of the car has been altered, but not at the expense of ride quality. The car has new custom designed 12 volt electrical system. Not only will you want to stare at it, you will actually want to drive it.
Source: blog.hemmings.com
Sunday, December 4, 2016
What if… Edsel had its own version of the Thunderbird?
The Ford Thunderbird began life in 1953 as a direct response to Chevrolet’s recently unveiled Corvette prototype. Calling in some major players in the design field, the Thunderbird rapidly developed from idea to prototype in about a year. Ford was very pleased to see record-breaking sales of the Thunderbird reach 23 times the number of Corvettes sold in 1955.
With a new Edsel Corsair model staged for production in 1958, Edsel saw the great success and popularity of the Thunderbird as a viable platform for a mid-level entry personal luxury car within the Ford corporate lineup below the top-of-the-line Continental. In 1956, borrowing the Thunderbird’s basic frame and removable hardtop roof, Edsel had its design team rush to create a prototype similar to the Thunderbird in length, though being slightly heftier in general proportions to fit the fresh styling of the new Corsair.
Edsel was so confident it had a winner, that an operable prototype of the car was driven to a meeting with Ford execs where it was touted that the new Raven model would provide a bit more headroom and elbow room than the Thunderbird, and offer even more luxury options at mid-level pricing. Edsel also went on to elaborate how Ford could then focus more attention to racing applications of the Thunderbird as to be more competitive against the Corvette.
However Ford execs, fearing diluting the market for such a popular vehicle as the Thunderbird, quickly axed the project, and this specially made prototype was presumably destined for scrap. Edsel continued with its full-sized Corsair as planned for the 1958 model year. Though, sadly, on November 19, 1959, Ford discontinued the Edsel marque and the last Edsel car soon rolled off the assembly line.
Source: blog.hemmings.com
Canted Quads: Lincoln’s 1958 Models Offered A New Twist To Headlamps
1958 Lincoln Premiere; image by the author.
At Lincoln, engineers and stylists had the monumental task of completely revamping the entire 1958 Lincoln line. They eliminated the use of a full frame, and built the new Lincolns utilizing unit-body construction. This posed several teething problems, especially for the convertibles.
One of the more notable issues was the required use of extra heavy bracing, no matter the body style, bringing the total curb weight up to the 5,000-pound mark virtually overnight. Lincoln was trying to surpass Cadillac as the luxury leader, so the car was phenomenally long: 229 inches overall. It effectively vaulted the famed badge into the automotive history books as they became the longest unit-body car ever produced (it’s not the longest ever, as several full-frame cars from the late 1930s surpass it).
However, one of the more memorable features of the 1958 Lincolns is the canted dual headlamps. The use of dual lamps, in states where it was legal, had begun in earnest the year prior. Lincoln, rather than using side-by-side bezels in 1957, opted for stacked units in a fashion similar to that of a later 1963 Pontiac or a 1965 Ford.
Chief stylist John Najjar had observed the styling cues from the other luxury makes: Cadillac had the tendency to sport round lines, thanks in part to their P-38-inspired fins; Chrysler could attribute its wedge shape to a low nose and tall fins. Lincoln, thus, took on the position of sporting what was described as “aggressive angularity.”
The angle of the stacked headlamps during the three-year run that began with our 1958 model year really had no advantage when it came to night driving. Likewise, there was no structural motivation for the design. Essentially, the new angular look to the front end of the Lincolns required protection in the form of a redesigned bumper. The sharp design of the front fenders had a substantial roll. Some might recall the term “dog bone” when referring to the look of the grille and bumper, yet you can clearly see how the canted lamps would not be able to fit in a true vertical assembly.
Najjar was quoted in an interview appearing in Special Interest Autos (January/February 1997, #157) regarding the styling: “The most troublesome design area of the Lincoln appeared at the front fenders, which canted inboard with the headlamps and the need to protect the sheet metal with the bumper. It ended up looking much like its nickname, ‘dog bone,’ but it met the need for the proper package protection.”
As mentioned, Lincoln utilized the canted headlamp design until the substantially more popular 1961 redesign. That’s not to say that other manufacturers didn’t try to capture the racy look with better success. Buick, for instance, featured canted headlamps in every 1959 model, but reverted back to side-by-side configuration the following year. Chrysler blended the design element into its 1961 and 1962 lineup, as well. De Soto, in its abbreviated year of 1961, also featured canted headlamps.
In the end, styling predictions that had been set into motion during the mid-Fifties did not come into fruition to the degree that the Lincoln front office hoped for. Most know that 1958 was not exactly a banner year for Detroit to begin with, and the sharp, angular styling of 1958 was gradually toned down over the next two model years as Lincoln sales continued to plummet.
This article originally appeared in the February, 2008 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
Source: hemmings.com
1959 Edsel Ranger
The photography in the ad here on eBay for this 1959 Edsel Ranger leaves a lot to be desired due to poor resolution, but if I squint closely enough I see a pretty decent resurrected barn find looking for a new owner. It’s located in Amarillo, Texas and has been recently put back on the road after a 20 year storage period.
I’m not sure why it’s so hard for some sellers to just get the entire car in at least one 3/4 view picture. However, this shot does highlight the “new” tires fitted when the car was put into storage 20 years ago. The seller tells us that before the car was placed into storage, the engine was rebuilt and a new clutch, brakes, master cylinder were installed in addition to the tires. In the last two months, the seller has flushed the gas tank, installed a new fuel pump, disassembled, cleaned and reassembled the brakes and installed a new water pump and battery.
The seller has now driven the car 100 miles since recommissioning it. You can see some of the rust issues here in this closeup shot, fairly typical. The car is showing 127,445 miles–kudos to the seller for not trying to represent it as 27,445. There were 7,778 Edsel Ranger 2-door sedans made in 1959, and you can bet not too many have survived. I’m sure everyone knows the story of the Edsel marketing disaster for Ford; it was still being used as an example of what not to do in my business schoolwork in the early 2000’s.
I’m curious as to why the well-worn steering wheel is showing red, black and green; I’m guessing they were primed and painted? The rear seat and possibly even the carpet could be cleaned, and the trunk looks pretty good, even the original mat is fine for a driver/weekend cruiser. I’m guessing the front upholstery under the blanket isn’t too good. It does appear that seat materials are available, so maybe you could leave the back seat alone and redo the front one.
I was surprised to find an inline 6 under the hood rather than a V-8. And just look at that air cleaner setup! Apparently that is original as I was able to find other 1959’s with the same setup online. If it was stored correctly after the rebuild and started up sympathetically, there’s no reason to believe it’s not in fine shape. Someone’s already done the hardest work getting this car started and running–do any of you want to take over from here?
Source: barnfinds.com
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