Lincoln, a race champion? The idea seems preposterous today, but in the 1950s it really happened. Anxious to promote Lincoln’s new OHV V-8 engine and ball-joint suspension were Ford West Coast Competition Manager Clay Smith and his partner Bill Stroppe, who talked Lincoln into fielding a team for the Carrera Panamericana. The November 1952 event saw 1953 Lincolns finish 1-2-3-4 in the stock car class, and the following year, they managed a 1-2-3 sweep. As a result, that era’s cars are known as “Road Race” Lincolns, even to this day.

This 1953 Lincoln Capri is a refreshed original car that shows barely 20,000 miles, which are believed original. It is repainted in correct Empire Green and has been reupholstered with green and white pleated leather. The chrome was also redone at the time of freshening. The convertible top is of a black canvas, and it comes with a vinyl boot that matches the body color.

In addition to the standard Hydra-Matic transmission, it is equipped with power steering, brakes, and windows, a pushbutton AM radio, a heater-defroster, and a dashboard clock. The luggage compartment has been renewed with a correct-pattern liner.

The engine compartment is clean and well appointed and features a few items of modern hardware. The tires are Broadway Grand Prix wide whitewalls in the L78-15 size. This Lincoln Capri is rare, as it is just one of just 2,372 built, and it is also robust, as the Mexican race amply proved.