LINCOLN DOMINATES CARRERA PANAMERICANA!

Posted on May 23, 2026May 23, 2026 by MartynL

Between 1952 and 1954, Ford’s luxury nameplate LINCOLN DOMINATES CARRERA PANAMERICANA! It was the 160-horsepower, 317-cubic-inch Lincoln V-8 that gave Ford its first OHV engine bragging rights. Lincolns prepared by Bill Stroppe & Associates, Signal Hill, CA, were winners of the grueling road race across Mexico, the Carrera Panamericana. First run in 1950, the race crowned a single winner. It was then expanded in 1952 to include multiple classes: Sports Cars and Stock Cars, with large- and ...

‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR

Posted on June 6, 2025June 6, 2025 by MartynL

Ford offered OHV V-8s, dual quads & superchargers; yet it was the worst of times: the AMA racing ban. The ‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR, however, represents the prelude to TOTAL PERFORMANCE. The 1950s ushered in an era of aggressive competition, both on the street and racetracks. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors did whatever it took to lure buyers into showrooms. Detroit’s competitive spirit during the mid-to-late-1950s set the stage for some of the most exciting years i...

’66 MERCURY COMET CYCLONE 390 GT

Posted on May 10, 2025May 10, 2025 by MartynL

Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury Division joins the Supercar Sweepstakes with the ’66 MERCURY COMET CYCLONE 390 GT! No longer a compact model, the Comet-Cyclone lineup for 1966 received styling and big-block power updates to compete with midsize models from GM and Chrysler, as well as Ford’s revamped Fairlane. The most stylish and powerful model - ’66 MERCURY COMET CYCLONE 390 GT - came stock with a 390 cubic-inch FE big-block with four-barrel intake and dual exhausts under its scooped fiberglass...

SPORTS RODS: ROAD-RACING V-8 HYBRIDS!

Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by MartynL

Rod & Custom historian, Pat Ganahl blogs about the birth of hot-rod-engined Imports, also known as California Specials: SPORTS RODS: ROAD-RACING V-8 HYBRIDS! In the 1950s, imported English Allards, could be ordered with American V-8 engines – Ford Flatheads to Caddys and Chrysler Hemis – while MGs, Austin-Healeys and others required hot rod surgery to replace anemic four-bangers with V-8s. Plus, there were limited-production domestic Kurtis 500-S sports cars available with as much V...