Vehicle Description
In the early 1930s, Ford's lineup was facing some significant
deficiencies. Edsel Ford, who had regularly shown a much sharper
eye for market trends than his pragmatic father, recognized the
tremendous gap between Ford's Deluxe models and the
ultra-exclusive, coachbuilt Lincoln K series. One result of the
Great Depression was that fewer buyers were willing or able to
incur the expense of a custom coachbuilt car, and Ford needed a
mid-range luxury car to meet the demand in this new and important
market segment. General Motors had already found great success with
the stylish LaSalle, to such a degree that it threatened the very
existence of Cadillac. While Ford was a bit late the party, their
all-new Lincoln-Zephyr debuted in 1935 as a 1936 model, positioned
as the style-leader at Ford Motor Company and their first true
mass-production luxury car. The new Zephyr was priced considerably
lower than the traditional, coachbuilt K-series, but offered
prestige and style in abundance. Edsel chose to power the Zephyr
with a newly designed V12 engine, which would offer the prestige of
the K-series, but at a far more reasonable price. In order to keep
costs in check, much of the new engine's architecture was shared
with the bread-and-butter Ford "flathead" V8. The silky smooth,
70-degree V12 boasted 110hp from 267 cubic inches, which was
updated from 1940 to 292 cubic inches and 120 horsepower. In 1940,
the Zephyr would form the basis of the higher-priced, more powerful
Continental which would shape Lincoln's future lineup well into the
post-war period. The Zephyr was as innovative as it was beautiful.
The platform was engineered by John Tjaarda, who developed a light
and strong structure that was a precursor to modern unitary
construction. Edsel Ford teamed up with his enormously talented
friend Eugene T. "Bob" Gregorie to design the gorgeous streamlined
body, which is characterized by its pronounced prow, waterfall-like
grilles and pencil-thin chrome detailing that subtly highlights the
curvaceous lines. A masterpiece of the Streamline Moderne School of
design, the Zephyr is often credited as the first commercially
successful American streamlined car, especially when compared to
the relative failure of the Chrysler Airflow. Particularly when in
three-window coupe form as presented here, the Lincoln Zephyr is
considered by many to be one of the most beautiful mass-produced
American automobiles of all time. This handsome 1940 Lincoln Zephyr
is one of just 1,256 examples of the elegant three-window coupe
produced. This is a lovely car that was treated to a restoration
some time ago, and appears to have enjoyed careful use since. The
understated Lincoln Maroon paintwork suits the flowing lines of the
Zephyr, and the quality of the finish is excellent, with a deep
luster to the single-stage paint. Bodywork is excellent, showing
consistent panel fit and crisp detailing. Exterior brightwork
consists of a mix of very good original pieces and restored items.
The bumpers appear to have been restored and present very good
order, while some of the smaller items and stainless steel trim
appear original. Factory correct steel wheels wear Zephyr wheel
covers and trim rings, and are shod with recent Firestone
wide-whitewall tires. As the sportiest body style of the Zephyr
lineup, the three-window coupe allows seating for two or three
across the front only, with abundant room for luggage either behind
the seat or in the generous trunk. High-quality maroon broadcloth
fabric is used on the seats, door cards and headlining. The
excellent soft trim appears essentially unworn, and is accented
with factory correct gold-plated fittings and hardware. Like the
body, the dash is heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement with
its clear, simple instrumentation and the finely detailed
"waterfall" speaker grille. The trunk is lined with what appears to
be original carpet, and it houses the correct spare wheel along
with the original jack, and a rarely-seen factory tool kit.
Lincoln's 292 cubic inch V12 presents in lovely condition, dressed
with appropriate clamps, fittings, original oil-bath air cleaner,
and an original FoMoCo oil filter canister. The engine runs well,
sending its turbine-smooth 120 horsepower through a column-shifted
three-speed manual gearbox. Like the engine bay, the undercarriage
is also remarkably clean and well sorted. Despite its considerable
size, the Zephyr was a surprisingly capable car for its day.
Relatively low weight and a rigid body contributed to confident
handling and outstanding ride characteristics, while the silky V12
provides ample motivation for high-speed cruising. This particular
example is very enjoyable to drive and would be a welcome addition
to any collection of streamline or Art Deco-era automobiles.
