Nicely Styled 1955 and 1956 Lincolns, Plus Some Context

Among the best model years for Lincoln styling were 1955 and 1956, and the 1952 models looked nice too.  Then for 1957 through 1960 designs became questionable, but were followed by the classic 1961s.  I wrote about late-1950s Lincolns and other cars with quad headlights here.

Let's go straight to the photos, and I'll provide narrative in the captions.  Unless otherwise noted, images are of cars listed for sale.

Gallery

1952 Lincoln Capri hardtop, RM Sotheby's photo.  The entire Ford Motor Company line was redesigned for 1952.  Lincolns became shorter, and to that degree were more competitive with Buicks than Cadillacs.  However, they were good-performing road cars and did well in the famous Mexican Road Race.  Styling was attractive.  Interesting elements included headlight assemblies where the lights themselves were "floated."  Integration of the bumper and grille was unusual at the time.  The most controversial detail was the faux air scoop on the car's flank.  Its non-functionality aside, it helped reduce the appearance of side bulk and added interest to what otherwise would have been a too-plain surface.

Lincoln styling was similar for 1953 and mildly facelifted for 1954, as shown here.  Bumper guards are canted outwards and the air scoop is now reduced to its residual sculpting overlaid by chrome trim.

Model year 1955 saw record-breaking sales levels for the American auto industry as a whole.  But Lincoln sales fell despite its attractive facelift such on the Capri hardtop shown here.  The reason for poor sales was Lincoln's lack of a panoramic (wraparound) windshield, a feature found on all other 1955 models save Studebaker coupés and the failing Kaiser and Willys marques.

Now for three Barrett-Jackson images of a 1955 Capri hardtop.  Headlights are now set within slightly "frenched" assemblies.  The bumper-grille ensemble is simple, yet having just enough variation due to the canted guards to make it interesting.

The faux air intake detailing is totally gone, being replaced by attractive, thrusting side sculpting.  Its chrome trim is nicely integrated and the carryover horizontal chrome strip helps keep the side design lithe.

The forwards-leaning theme embodied by the headlight assemblies and side sculpting is echoed by reverse-leaning tail light assemblies.  A very nice touch that helps add visual length to a comparatively short (for its price class) car.  Note the canted guards on the rear bumper: smaller than at the front, but they add unity to the overall theme.  My only complaint is the fussiness on the C-pillar.

A '55 Capri four-door sedan, rear quarter view.  Not as exciting as the coupé, but that's the cross most sedans have to bear.  Lincoln sales for '55 were only 27,222 cars despite the fine styling.

Lincolns got redesigned, larger bodies for 1956.  Above is a Premiere hardtop shown in a factory photo.  The essential (in the mid-1950s) panoramic windshield is now present.  Retained are the forward-leaning front and backward-leaning rear fender extremities.  These provide more physical and visual length for the fenderline.  Fender sculpting forward of the door handle was taken from the 1953 Ford X-100 dream car.

Frontal view of a 1956 Capri hardtop, Barrett-Jackson image.  Gone are the canted bumper guards.  Some variety in the grille ensemble is provided by the hood cutouts that echo the shapes of the ancillary light assemblies below.  This makes for an unusual composition because the emphasis is at the extremes and the center zone (the normal grille focus area) is contrastingly plain.

Although the body is new, the aft theme is carried over from 1955 Lincolns.  Altogether, a very handsome design.  Industry sales dropped from 1955 levels, but 50,322 Lincolns were sold -- the greatest number yet for the marque.

Side view of a '56 Lincoln Primiere sedan via Mecum auctions.  The logical, yet cramped and slightly fussy C-pillar feature made these sedans distinctive.

Rear quarter view of another sedan.  Somehow I can't take my eyes off that tiny quarter window.

Then all that good designing fell apart when Lincolns were heavily facelifted for 1957.  Pictured in this factory photo is a Primiere Laundau, the name given to the new four-door hardtop sedans.  Apparently stylists were told to add tail fins (the new, hot fad following wraparound windshields) and quad headlights (influenced by government legislation).  The buying public noticed, and Lincoln sales fell by about 18 percent.