In the early-1950s, while Cadillac was setting style trends with airplane-inspired fins and "Dagmar" bumpers, Lincoln was quietly sweeping its class in the Carrera Panamerica. Lincolns of that era were swift and handsome but clean to the point of being benign. However, by 1956, a brand-new Lincoln made subtlety a thing of the past. Influenced by the 1954 Mercury X-800 and 1955 Lincoln Futura show cars, the 1956 Lincoln finally gave luxury buyers a stylish alternative to the Cadillac juggernaut. Offering 285 horsepower from a new 368-cid V-8 with "Turbo-Drive" automatic and a wheelbase that grew three inches to 126, the 1956 Lincoln was a car that embraced Atomic-era futurism at its finest. The nation's car buyers agreed, spiking production to over 50,000 units – an improvement of over 85% from 1955.

The Premiere series debuted for 1956 as the new top-line model (aside of the Continental Mark II) and pushed the Capri down a notch. Available as a sleek two-door coupe, dignif