Lincoln Domination of the Racing Scene

Okay, not anymore. Believe it or not, though, Lincoln used to dominate the racing scene in Mexico in from 1950 to 1954. The Carrera Panamericana tore across Mexico for only five years, but the legend continues. Competing with an exclusive lineup of cars-- Ferraris, Mercedes-Benz Gullwings, Lancias, Hudsons, Porsches, and Packards-- the Lincoln line of vehicles dominated the field for those five years.

Legends Bill France and Juan Manuel Fangio showed off their racing capabilities in the Carrera Panamericana all over the Mexican heartland driving their Lincolns. They made the Gullwings, previously thought to be unbeatable, look like amateur cars. The performance and durability of those vehicles that continues to this day by Ford Lincoln Motor Company is what separated them from the rest of the Carrera Panamericana field.

Unfortunately, the Carrera Panamericana was just too dangerous to carry on. Based off the number of races run and the mount of participants and spectators killed, it was one of the most deadly cars of all time. While this ceased its racing for some time, it was not forgotten. A rebirth of the Carrera as a rally in the same vein as the Mille Miglia was created in 1988, and runs to this day.Old school Lincolns can still be seen in this race, and  it is certain that Ford Lincoln Motor Company has had a lasting effect on this race and has some other variations of their vehicles in this Mexican marathon. Over a week long currently, racers can be seen on public roads driving at top speeds, mostly through mountains of central Mexico and being observed by over 2 million spectators in all. Lining up in southern Mexico and racing nearly 1800 miles north, it passes through the city of Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico City, Queretaro, Morelia, Zacatecas, and ends in Durango.

For more information about the original race, here is an original article from the 70s detailing the race.

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