Vehicle Description
Edsel Ford was the only son of Henry Ford, but the two men could
not have been more different.� Edsel Ford was worldly, gifted with
fine taste and a patron of the arts - including his many personally
funded commissions that helped American coachbuilders survive the
early years of the Great Depression.� It is an irony then that the
automobile created to be a tribute to Edsel Ford instead became an
embarrassment when it was introduced 14 years after Edsel's early
death in 1943, at the age of 49.� In his highly productive
lifetime, Edsel Ford become president of Ford Motor Company and
encouraged Ford's purchase of the Lincoln Motor Company from the
founding Lelands.� He persuaded his father to discontinue
production of the Model T - the most successful car in the world at
the time - and he led the development of the stylish Model A that
was sometimes referred to as �a little Lincoln'.� He also created
the first styling department at Ford in 1935, hiring E.T. �Bob'
Gregorie as styling director. The idea of for the Lincoln
Continental came directly from Edsel Ford's worldly view.� The
story has been told many times that the younger Ford returned from
a European trip struck with the coachwork he observed travelling on
the Continent.� Ford tasked Bob Gregorie to create a custom
coachbuilt automobile on a Lincoln Zephyr chassis with the clean,
unadorned lines and minimal chrome trim of the European cars he
admired.� The first Lincoln Continental prototype was shipped to
Florida in March 1939, where Edsel Ford and his family wintered at
Hobe Sound near Palm Beach.� Edsel Ford's Continental-style Lincoln
was greeted with rave reviews and questions about production from
just the crowd he hoped to attract.� A second prototype was
constructed for refinement and the Lincoln Continental went into
production just six months later in October 1939 as a 1940 model.
Like the first prototype, the Continental was constructed with the
same 125- inch chassis as the Lincoln Zephyr.� The engine in the
first production Continental was a 292 c.i. flathead V-12 producing
120 horsepower, with a three-speed column shifter. �The body was
all new.� In comparison with the Zephyr, the driver's seat was
moved back, the hood was longer and both the roof and the side
profile of the car were dramatically lowered.� The Cabriolet, like
the prototypes, had closed rear roof quarters that visually
stretched the length of the car together with the spare tire
mounted at the rear of the car.�� Interior trim featured a gold
colored finish.� The extensively revised 1942 Lincoln Continental
shared the Zephyr's new styling format that was distinguished by a
lower ride height and squared off fenders as well as the Zephyr's
wider, two-piece grille.� Engine size increased to 306 c.i. with
130 horsepower.� Like all of the industry, 1942 Lincoln production
was cut short for the war effort and a total of only 1,236 1942
Lincolns were produced including just 136 Cabriolets. The
automobile offered here is one of only a few 1942 Lincoln
Continental Cabriolets that are thought to survive.� The subject of
an older ground up restoration, the car presents beautifully today.
Finished in Victoria Coach Maroon paint, with a tan leather
interior and tan top, the condition of the leather is very good
showing only very slight signs of use on the driver's side.� The
paint quality is very good, with nice panel fit and finish.� The
fully restored dashboard is pure 1940s glamour, trimmed in proper
gold accents that gleam in elegant compliment to both the exterior
and the interior. Being a very prestigious car in its day, it is
well-equipped with a radio, heater, power windows, power operated
convertible top, clock, and full instrumentation.� The wheels are
finished with correct chrome hubcaps and trim rings that are in
very good condition and the polished chrome trim on the exterior is
also in very good condition. The flathead V12 engine looks
impressive and is very well detailed in the engine bay. This engine
was never intended to make big power, but rather, it was highly
regarded for its smoothness in operation. Quiet, silky and with a
broad, flat torque curve, it provides effortless operation whether
tooling around town or touring long distances on main roads. A
three speed manual transmission feeds power to a standard Columbia
2-speed overdrive rear axle.� The car drives smoothly and almost
silently, seeming to practically float over the road in comparison
with its pre-war contemporaries. This is more than a beautiful car.
The restoration has been done to show-driver standards, and it has
seen regular use since the restoration was completed. This pre-war
Lincoln Continental Cabriolet would be welcomed by the Classic Car
Club of America, the Antique Automobile Club of America and the
Lincoln & Continental Owners Club - as well as many other events -
and would be a standout at any of these gatherings.