1957 Lincoln Premiere

Fins flew higher than ever in 1957, and the 1957 Lincoln Premiere had some of the tallest in Detroit- -- a literal big change from the low, handsomely sculpted rear fenders of 1956. The appendages might have been even higher, but cooler heads fortunately prevailed in the design studio.

The 1957 Lincoln Premiere featured QuadraLites: 7-inch headlamps
above the others

Otherwise, Lincoln's successful '56 formula was little changed for '57. The only other visual difference was "QuadraLites," conventional 7-inch headlamps above 5-inch "road" lamps. Under the hood, Lincoln's 368-cubic-inch V-8 gained higher compression and 15 horsepower for an even 300.

The 1957 Lincoln Premiere's 368-cubic-inch V-8 produced an even
300 horsepower.

The Premiere convertible again headed the line, but joined other models in being quite a bit more expensive -- $5381. Only 3676 were built. Even then it wasn't the rarest '57 Lincoln, but as a ragtop, of course, it was surely the most desirable.

The 1957 Lincoln Premiere was expensive, as convertibles go, but still desirable

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1956 Lincoln Premiere

Lincoln was one of the few makes to miss out on Detroit's 1955 sales boom, but it came back strong with the 1956 Lincoln Premiere: dream-car styling, massive new proportions, and horsepower to match. Ads proclaimed the '56s "Unmistakably Lincoln," but there was nary a trace of the lithe and lively Mexican Road Race-winning models of 1952-55.

The 1956 Lincoln Premiere was the only Lincoln convertible for that model year

Styling borrowed heavily from the 1954 Mercury XM-800 show car and conveyed substance without looking fat or resorting to glitter. Wheelbase grew three inches to 126, overall length added seven inches, and width swelled by three inches. Even so, the '56s didn't weigh much more than corresponding '55s, and with a mighty new 368-cubic-inch big-block V-8 packing 285 horsepower, they were the quickest Lincolns yet. They also cost a whopping $500-$700 more than the '55s, but such was the price of "progress" in those days.

Lincoln continued with two series for '56: Capri and new upmarket Premiere, each with a four-door sedan and hardtop coupe. A convertible was exclusive to Premiere and the priciest '56 Lincoln at $4747. Though just 2447 were built, Ford's luxury nameplate moved just over 50,000 cars in all, versus some 27,000 for '55.

The 1956 Lincoln Premiere also came in a four-door sedan or a hardtop coupe.

Today these Lincolns are bona fide collector's items, the rare ragtop especially. Considering all they offered, it's a wonder they didn't "go gold" a long time ago.

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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

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