1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Is Amazingly Original, One of 30 Known To Exist

But it wasn't Lincoln's only flagship model. Before the Continental arrived in 1940, Lincoln had the Model K. The latter debuted in 1931 as a replacement for the Model L, Lincoln's first ever vehicle. Then there's the Cosmopolitan, which was offered from the late-1940s to the mid-1950s.

Introduced for the 1940 model year, the original Continental was discontinued in 1942. That's when all automobile manufacturing was halted due to the US entering World War II. The Continental returned when automobile production resumed in 1946, but it was phased out in 1948.

Lincoln dropped the Continental because it wanted a 1949 vehicle lineup based on the existing Mercury platform rather than a bespoke architecture. The range included two distinct automobiles, the EL-Series (which was actually sold without a model nameplate) and the Cosmopolitan. 

Both shared much of their bodies with the Mercury Eight. They were also the first Lincolns to not offer a V12 engine. The Cosmopolitan was the more exclusive of the two, sporting extra luxury features and a slightly longer wheelbase.

The Cosmopolitan remained in production through 1954. Lincoln offered two generations, with an extensive redesign introduced for the 1952 model year. Although it was relatively popular for a luxury car at the time, the Cosmopolitan is a rare sight today. This 1951 four-door sedan, for instance, is one of only 30 examples known to exist.

It's also the oldest 1951 iteration still around. The car boasts serial number 5031, which makes it the 30th Cosmopolitan built that year. It's also a semi-survivor, retaining all of its original features except for the paint. The vehicle was refinished decades ago, but it still sports its factory-correct color combo of Sheffield Green over Kent Grey.

This Cosmopolitan is a two-owner car. It belonged to the same person until 1990, when it was purchased by the current owner. Fortunately, he also took great care of the Cosmopolitan, which presents itself like it just rolled off the showrooms floor. And that's mighty impressive for an automobile that's a whopping 75 years old as of 2026. 

It still has the original interior (although the seats have been reupholstered), the gold-plated body ornaments, and relies on the original engine. The latter hasn't been restored. These Cosmopolitans were equipped with Ford's 337-cubic-inch (5.5-liter) Flathead V8 engines. These massive mills were commonly used in Ford trucks at the time. Lincoln offered both manual and automatic transmissions. This sedan features the four-speed Hydra-Matic.

Much like the Mercury Eight, the 1949-1951 Cosmopolitan was quite popular with car customizers in the late 20th century due to their sleek, pontoon design. With many of these rigs having been turned into "lead sleds," it's quite refreshing to see a Cosmopolitan that's nearly all-original. When's the last time you saw one?