To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Elkhart Collection event, 23 - 24 October 2020.
Estimate:
$125,000 - $175,000
- One of the most attractive models and body styles
- Features desirable Columbia overdrive rear end, radio, and
heater
- Stylish door-mounted rear-view mirrors and wind wings
- Lincoln & Continental Owners Club major award winner in
national competition
Lincoln's new Zephyr, introduced in 1936, had been developed from
designer John Tjaarda's innovative rear-engined Sterkenburg concept
studies of the late 1920s. For the production version to be
manufactured by Ford, the engine was moved to the front, but the
advanced bridge-truss integral frame was retained. Since it was to
carry the Lincoln name, a V-12 was called for, but instead of the
big engine from the Model K, a twelve based on the Ford V-8 was
developed. The result offered a "Zephyr-smooth ride with all the
passengers cradled between the axles."
A particularly sleek and handsome three-window coupe debuted for
1937, and the following year designer E. T. "Bob" Gregorie gave the
car a new nose. For 1939, Lincoln-Zephyrs received hydraulic
brakes. External changes included a raised hood line and a new
grille with vertical bars; running boards were concealed by
extending the bottoms of the doors and quarter panels. The front
bumper was given an open center section that allowed greater
airflow. The instrument panel was redesigned as well.
The three-passenger Lincoln-Zephyr coupes are recognized as some of
the most beautiful designs of the period. Sleek and seductive, they
appeal to one's inner instincts. This example, in Lincoln's Coach
Maroon, is no exception. Completed on 25 November 1938, it features
the Columbia overdrive, radio, heater and defroster, a tan leather
interior, and rear fender skirts. The "weeping willow"
hinge-mounted rear-view mirrors and wind wings on the doors give
the car an elegant air.
Just 2,500 Lincoln-Zephyr coupes were built for 1939, of which this
car is a splendid example.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/el20.
