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This Lincoln Zephyr is one of only 640 convertible coupe produced in 1939. The car is in an amazing state of preservation. With the exception of one repaint in its long history, it is untouched and retains all of its original features.
The car was a longtime fixture at car shows in the area around Allentown, PA. Spotted by The NB Center staff it took nearly seven years of off-and-on negotiations to convince its owner to sell.
When the car arrived in the collection in 2016 it was running and driving but in need of major maintenance work. The car was rewired to make it safe and got new exhaust to replace the rusted out pipes. The instruments were cleaned and calibrated, the fuel tank was cleaned, the cooling system flushed and the carburetor rebuilt.
The torn and dried leather on the seats was removed. The material was cleaned and treated with a softening agent. The seams were restitched and the seat covers reinstalled.
The original paint is still visible in the door jambs and under the hood. -
Company
Ford Motor Company,
Make
Lincoln
Model
Zephyr, H-76
Body Style
Convertible Coupe, 2-dr, 6-pass.
Body Manufacture
Briggs Manufacturing Company
Model year
1939
Wheelbase
125 inches
Length
210 inches
Engine
V12, L-head, 267.3 cid
Horsepower
110 @ 3900 rpm
Transmission
3-speed manual
Original Base Price
$1,700
Brand Production
21,133 model year
This Car Production
640 -
Lincoln Motor Company was always in the business of producing large, powerful, luxury cars even after its purchase by Ford Motor Company in 1920. Lincoln was never a volume producer, in fact, they generally lagged behind the other luxury manufacturers such as Cadillac and Packard, by a wide margin. By 1933, with the Great Depression choking off sales of new cars and the luxury car business in dire condition Lincoln needed to make changes to stay in business despite being part of Ford.
Edsel Ford wanted to enter the mid-priced car market and he turned to long-time Ford supplier Briggs Manufacturing company and its head designer John Tjaada to propose a product. The resultant car ultimately became the Lincoln Zephyr that debuted in 1936.
The new car required a new engine, something above the traditional Ford V8 and below the expensive V12 of the top of the line K-series cars. The answer from the Ford engineering department was to take the Ford flathead V8 and add four cylinders. This new design used as many parts as possible from the V8, keeping production cost low.
The Zephyr managed to increase Lincoln sales and broaden the brand's appeal but it never reached the volumes of similar cars offered by Cadillac and Packard.
The Zephyr got updated styling in 1938 with a new front end featuring a lower wider grille, headlights integrated lower in the fenders, the fenders themselves were longer and more flowing. The interior also got a major refresh with the metal surrounds on the front seat removed, a new “banjo” style steering wheel, a rearranged dashboard and most uniquely a gear shift lever that protruded from the dashboard.
The basic styling of 1938 was carried over to 1939 with a revised grille, hood sides and bumpers. The running boards would be tucked under the lower body panels. The centrally located instrument panel remained but the instrumentation changed. Most importantly, hydraulic brakes would finally become the norm.