Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sotheby's Santa Monica event, June
24, 2017.
Estimate:
$300,000 - $400,000 US
A legendary and pioneering custom
Grounded in the design language of Streamline Moderne
Small block Chevrolet 350; three-speed automatic transmission
$60,000 in recent mechanical upgrades, including modern wiring
harness and new airbag low-rider suspension
Recently refinished in black, its creator's color of choice
As the first custom show car to sit completely flat on the ground
with its hydraulics dropped, the 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr "Scrape" has
become an icon of the custom car world. The product of a nearly
five year collaboration between Hot Rod Magazine editor Terry Cook
and custom coach builder Ramsey Mosher, Scrape is a masterful
contemporary interpretation of Streamline Moderne and combines
design elements of the archetypal Lincoln-Zephyr with modern
aesthetics into one truly stunning ride.
Despite the more than 4,500 hours of customizing that the barn-find
Lincoln received, the original design language of the Zephyr is
still clearly legible and this is no mere coincidence. Terry Cook
is a passionate disciple of the original designers of the Zephyr:
John Tjaarda, E.T. Gregorie, and Edsel Ford. Further inspiration
provided by Figoni et Falaschi, Jacques Saoutchik, and Gordon
Buehrig is discernible in nearly every line of Scrape.
The dominant feature of the heavily customized body is a 1941
Zephyr nose which has been grafted onto the 1939 Zephyr rear. It
also features frenched 1939 Ford headlights, widened fenders, a
custom rear window opening, and a heavily chopped roof. Under the
groundbreaking body, Scrape features modern mechanicals including a
1978 Chevrolet frame and running gear and is powered by a small
block Chevrolet 350 cubic-inch engine backed by a three-speed
automatic transmission. With the Lincoln-Zephyr banjo steering
wheel, black and white tuck and roll interior, Cadillac split-bench
power seats, air conditioning, power windows, power brakes, and
power steering, the result is both beautiful and comfortable.
After its public debut in 1998, Scrape became an international
phenomenon. It was the feature attraction of more than twenty
premier car shows in the United States and Canada, including the
Concours at Meadowbrook, the Louis Vuitton Classic in Manhattan,
and SEMA and was also featured on the cover of the November 1998
issue of Street Rodder magazine. Scrape's pioneering streamlined
design and stance proved so popular that Mattel created a sold-out
run of 1/18-scale Hot Wheels toys commemorating the car. This
uncommon honor further cemented Scrape's status as arguably the
most influential show car of the period.
Once referred to as a "Bo Derek, a Big 10" by the King of the
Kustomizers himself, George Barris, the pioneering Scrape recently
completed a 3,500-mile shakedown cruise after receiving some
$60,000 in mechanical work, and is now ready to leave its mark
wherever it goes.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/.
