1953 Lincoln Capri

The Lincoln Capri was a full-size luxury car sold by Lincoln from 1952 to 1959. Its name comes from the Italian island of Capri in the Gulf of Naples.

The Capri started as a premium trim variant of the Lincoln Cosmopolitan (a model line that ran from 1949-1954), but quickly became a stand-alone model offering the best of Lincoln luxury. Your 1953 example is from the first generation of the Capri—the early years were available as hardtops and convertibles, packed with features like power windows, power seats, power steering, and power brakes.

Your Specific Car’s Cool Story: This 1953 Capri actually has a special history—it was reportedly the 42nd car built in April 1953 and left Ford’s Wayne, Indiana assembly plant bound for Mexico to serve as a chase/support vehicle for the legendary 1953 Carrera Panamericana race! That year, Lincoln absolutely dominated the event, taking first through fourth place in its class and seven of the top ten overall finishers. While your car didn’t compete, it likely followed the 2,000+ mile course hauling gear and supplies between checkpoints.

Lincoln built the Capri through 1959, after which the model line was replaced by the Lincoln Continental Mark IV and the standard Continental.

Fun fact: Capri derives from Latin “capreae” for goats—appropriately, as the island was known for them!

Want to learn more about similar Capris? Check out the market page: https://classic.com/m/lincoln/capri/1st-gen/