Vehicle Description
The prestigious Model K served as Lincoln Motor Car Company's
flagship model throughout the 1930s. When introduced in 1931, the
K-series hit the showrooms featuring a new 145-inch wheelbase
chassis with power coming via the 348.8 cubic inch V8 engine. While
the V8 provided more than adequate performance for most clients,
Lincoln was feeling the pressure from Cadillac and Packard to offer
an engine of greater than eight cylinders. Ford Motor Company
responded to the Cadillac V12 and V16 with its own V12-powered
Model KB in 1932. The K-series was then split into two separate
ranges, with the KA carrying over the V8 engine and the KB
featuring the new 448 cubic inch V12. The early years of the Great
Depression meant that sales were slim, but the V12 remained a key
part of the Lincoln lineup well into the 1930s, keeping the company
at the sharp end of the luxury car market even through those
difficult economic times. By 1937, the junior model Zephyr had
joined the range as a bridge between top-line Fords and the
prestigious Model K. The Zephyr was also powered by a V12 engine,
albeit of smaller displacement, but Lincoln continued to offer the
Model K for high end buyers, who now had 17 different custom body
styles to select from. The basic styling was simple but elegant,
with art-deco inspired teardrop headlamps that were faired-in to
the streamlined fenders and V-shaped windscreens were fitted on all
standard bodies. On the mechanical side, the 414 cubic inch
flathead V-12 engine was updated with hydraulic lifters and a
revised cam shaft then placed further forward in the chassis to
allow for more passenger room. The resulting car was elegant and
understated, yet with an imposing presence and performance that
demanded attention. Edsel Ford, then in charge of Lincoln,
entrusted a select number of coachbuilders to supply catalog bodies
for the K-series. Edsel had a keen eye for style, and he partnered
with four independent coachbuilders - Judkins, Brunn, Willoughby
and LeBaron, whom he had determined offered the kind of quality and
style that Lincoln buyers demanded. To minimize overlap, each
coachbuilder was assigned a different style. For example, Judkins
focused on closed sedans and coupes, while Willoughby of Utica, New
York would specialize in limousines, landaulets and town cars of
the finest quality. One of Willoughby & Company's most distinct
offerings was the razor-edge style Panel Brougham, as fitted to our
featured 1937 Lincoln Model K, chassis number K8376. At $7,050, it
was the most lavish and expensive factory catalogued body available
and as a result, just nine were built, of which only two are known
to survive today. The distinct styling features sweeping door lines
that harken to the carriage days, as well as a steeply raked, thin
pillar V-windscreen, open driver's compartment, and an enclosed
passenger compartment with sharply creased corners. The period
brochure describes the Willoughby Panel Brougham as "An eminently
correct motor car for formal use..." Intended to be chauffeur
driven, as the driver's compartment can be opened with the removal
of the soft leatherette roof. Customers could opt for plain painted
livery or the fabulously intricate hand-painted "caning" as applied
to this car. Serial number K8376 is one of just two known survivors
to wear this magnificent body style, and it was once part of the
illustrious collection of J.C. Whitney founder Roy Warshawsky, who
had a particular fondness for Lincoln automobiles. The magnificent
restoration was performed by the highly regarded Rick Kriss, and
the car scored a Best in Class at the 1988 Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance as well as an AACA National First Prize in the same
year. Following the dispersing of Warshawsky's collection, this
Lincoln was acquired by Dr. Joseph Murphy of Pennsylvania, who sold
it two years later to the renowned collector, General William Lyon.
The stately Lincoln remained a fixture of Gen. Lyon's collection
for a decade before joining the most recent owner's stable of
important Full Classic automobiles in 2008. This wonderful
Willoughby-bodied Lincoln remains in beautiful condition, clearly
having benefitted from years of expert care in the hands of several
renowned collectors. The black paint befits the razor-edge styling
beautifully, and it remains in excellent condition with just the
slightest hint of patina beginning to appear. The gorgeous
coachwork is fully accessorized, with dual Senior Trippe Lights,
Greyhound mascot, dual sidemount spares with painted covers, dual
outside mirrors, and chrome wire wheels with wide-white tires. The
presentation is simply beautiful, the restoration having matured
slightly, though has obviously been treated to the utmost in care.
The driver's compartment is trimmed in black leather as original,
as it is hard wearing and easily maintained for chauffeur duty. The
dash retains its original instrumentation and controls, with
fabulous art-deco detailing. In the rear, passengers travel in lush
accommodations with gray broadcloth upholstery and matching
carpeting. The upholstery and fittings remain in excellent
condition, belying the years since the restoration was completed.
Luxurious details abound such as dual wood-trimmed vanity mirrors,
dual ash trays, a roll-down glass division, fabric roller blinds on
all windows, foot rests, dual jump seats and a handsome Jaeger
8-day clock. Wood trim and detailing is exemplary, with the car
still presenting very much in showable condition. The factory
original V12 engine is in fine running order, having been well
maintained and sparingly used in the hands of its previous owners.
Engine presentation is excellent, befitting a car that is a prior
class winner at Pebble Beach. The Model K was renowned in its time
for exceptional smoothness and power, and this example lives up to
that legacy, performing admirably on the road while exuding a sense
of quality and occasion with its fabulous coachwork. A very
well-maintained older restoration with important and rare
coachwork, this handsome Lincoln Model K is quite well suited for
local concours, CCCA or AACA events and would make a most elegant
choice for CCCA CARavan tours. Just as it did in 1937, this lavish
motorcar exemplifies pre-war grandeur and sophistication.
