You Can Try to Buy This Legendary Lincoln Race CarBonhams (Bonhams)This 1954 Lincoln Capri Coupe is an artifact from a time when Lincoln entered and won races.Racing at the 2000-mile Carrera Panamericana, this big coupe took on Ferraris and Porsches.Of the five cars that raced, this is the only one left, and it'll cross the Bonhams' auction block on Saturday, June 13.Despite Charlie Ryan's 1955 rock 'n' roll hit Hot Rod Lincoln, a Lincoln is probably not the first thing you think of when it comes to endurance racing. In the 1960s, they carried U.S. presidents, in the 1970s they were as long as fashionable lapels were wide, and from then on they've always been big and luxurious, not so much fast. In the 1950s, however, Lincolns ruled Mexico's deadliest race.Held between 1950 and 1954, La Carrera Panamericana was a roughly 2000-mile race that ran from Mexico's northern border near Texas to its southern one near Guatemala. It was a prestigious event, to the point that when the little Porsche 550 won its class, Porsche ended up calling its fastest cars "Carrera." It's why the 911 Carrera exists today.Lincoln (Lincoln)And when it came to cars in the 3500-cc-and-up engine class, Lincolns were the cars to beat. Year after year, big Linc' coupe bruisers wrestled these difficult roads into submission, shrugging off difficult ascents and sweltering temperatures. It was great publicity for the brand: perhaps you might be interested in a luxury car that had beaten Cadillac for speed and toughness?AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, that danger was not great publicity for Mexico, and by 1954, the government was about to pull the plug. It would be the last year for the race, although it later re-merged as a vintage race with better safety some decades later and is still run today. If you're interested, the winners always seem to drive lunatic 1000-hp Studebakers.Bonhams (Bonhams)Still, 1954 was a tough year for Lincoln, as most of the factory-backed team racers were knocked out at the beginning. Happily, a privateer from Los Angeles named Ray Crawford persevered until the end, holding off a Cadillac-driving rival and winning the race for Lincoln.In turn, Lincoln was so tickled by the win, it bought the car back from Crawford, had all the race entrants painted to look exactly like the winner, and had them shipped all over the country to sit in showrooms. The victor of Mexico helped turn a lot of Lincoln shoppers into Lincoln buyers.Since they were later made to be identical, the actual identity of the race-winning chassis was lost over time. Worse, in the space between becoming just an old race car and then collectors recognizing it as a historic artifact, nearly all of the Panamericana Lincoln racers disappeared.Bonhams (Bonhams)Except for this one, which spent most of its life at the Harrah's Automobile Collection museum in Reno, Nevada. A restoration commissioned by the museum in 1967 saw the car return to the Holman & Moody-Stroppe shop in Los Angeles, the specialist who had prepped all the racing cars in the first place.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis Lincoln is currently going under the hammer next Saturday, June 13, at the Bonhams National Automobile Museum auction. In all likelihood, it is not the actual race-winner, which seems to be long lost, as some details note it was originally ordered in white. Crawford's Lincoln was red, so this is probably one of the repainted factory entries instead.Despite this, as the only survivor, prepped and then restored by the LA racing team, it's a piece of history. There are all sorts of fun details, from original reconnaissance maps of the course to a hand-painted Dennis the Menace illustration that's a nod to Crawford's underdog privateer-made-good story.In addition to winning his class, Crawford was mixing it up out there with Ferraris and Porsches and Alfa Romeos. He finished within the top 10, beating plenty of nimble little sports cars with his big 'ol Lincoln.It's a neat part of the company's history, although perhaps an overlooked one. These days, the brand is more about prestige and ultra-comfortable seats. In the 1950s, though, Lincoln knew how to rock n' roll.AdvertisementAdvertisementI said, 'Look out, boys, I've got a license to fly,'And that Caddy pulled over and let us by.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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