Some cars leave a paper trail; the Lincoln Y-block V8 engine left a name, a year — 1952 — and a place in Lincoln's list. What follows is what can be said with a source behind it.
The story
The Lincoln Y-block V8 engine was Ford's earliest OHV V8 engine, introduced by Lincoln in the 1952 model year. Like the later and better-known but even more short-lived Ford Y-block engine, its block's deep skirts gave the block the appearance of the letter Y from the front. The Y-block's development was in response to the sales success of the competing Oldsmobile "Rocket" and Cadillac OHV V8 engines, introduced in the 1949 model year, the Buick "Nailhead" engine introduced in the 1953 model year, and the OHV V8 Chrysler Hemi engine in 1951.
Also, Ford needed larger and more powerful truck engines. The basic engine design was produced through 1963. It was replaced by the newer MEL engine for car applications in 1958, and was replaced in heavy-duty truck applications by the FT (330/361/391) engines starting in 1964.
What is underneath
it is rated at 152-300 hp. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in Lincoln's history is not in doubt: the Flathead V8 came before it; the Ford MEL V8 / Ford Super Duty engine followed it. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Ferrari 225 S, the Ferrari 250 S, the Maserati 150S. Nearby in the Lincoln catalogue sit the Lincoln First Call and the Lincoln Funeral Car.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Lincoln Y-block V8 engine has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.