1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan

The 1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan was an odd mix of old and new. The latter included Lincoln's first fully independent front suspension and optional self-shift Hydra-Matic Drive (hastily "imported" from General Motors). On the other hand, Lincoln gained no prestige by trading its aging V-12 for an old-concept 336.7-cubic-inch flathead V-8 borrowed from Ford trucks. And though Lincoln's smooth but massive "bathtub" styling was new, it was clearly the stuff of the early '40s, not postwar thinking. The '49 Lincolns thus sold reasonably well, but the similar 1950-51s managed only some 25-30 percent of their volume.

The 1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan's exterior design was known as "bathtub" styling

Still, the "bathtubs" were no less solid, refined, or luxurious than prior Lincolns, though new "junior" models were much like contemporary Mercurys, thanks to some cost-conscious platform sharing decreed at the last minute. The "real" Lincoln of these years was the 125-inch-wheelbase Cosmopolitan, which included a line-topping convertible. For 1951 it cost a hefty $3891, which partly explains why only 857 were built.

The 1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan offered Lincoln's first independent front suspension