1939 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe

1939 Lincoln-Zephyr Coupe
Sold for $99,000 Including Commission
RM Auction, Monterey, CA. 2014
Chassis no. H70816
Type 72. 110 bhp, 267 cu. in. flathead V-12 engine with hydraulic lifters, three-speed sliding-gear manual transmission, front and rear transverse leaf-spring axles in the front and rear and on “wishbone” arms and a torque tube rear end, and hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 122 in.
•Formerly owned by Skip Barber
•Restored by a Lincoln Owners Club member
•Beautiful design and technically advanced
•Many recent upgrades to ensure reliable touring
The Zephyr, conceived by Edsel Ford and refined over a five-year period by Ford styling guru E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, was a lower-priced luxury car, which, along with the Mercury line that rolled out in 1939, served to bridge the gap between Ford’s V-8 Deluxe and the huge, expensive Lincoln Model K. Its monocoque body/chassis construction was engineered by Briggs Manufacturing Company’s Dutch-born, aircraft-educated John Tjaarda.
The Lincoln-Zephyr was an extremely modern and attractive design that had a low raked windshield, fully integrated fenders, and a short hood that terminated in an attractive grille. Sales promptly took off, and in 1936, the first year of production, a whopping 15,000 were sold, accounting for some 80 percent of Lincoln’s total sales!
Later, when New York’s Museum of Modern Art conceived their list of the world’s most functional and influential automobile designs, it named the Lincoln-Zephyr the “First Successful Streamlined Car.” Notably, the Zephyr also offered a significantly lower drag coefficient than Chrysler’s controversial market failure, the Airflow Series from 1934 to 1937.
Mechanically, the Zephyr adapted Ford’s tried and true system of transverse leaf springs and wishbone locating arms, and even the engine was Ford’s “flathead,” with four cylinders added to make it a V-12. However, the Zephyr’s interior was anything but pedestrian, as it featured Gregorie’s fabulous mix of aircraft and art deco, which combined to present a dashboard and instrumentation quite unlike anything else seen in a 1930s automobile.
The 1939 Zephyr was much improved over the previous year’s version, as it now featured a more powerful engine, hydraulic brakes, a heavy-duty torque-tube rear axle, and 5.5-inch bolt-circle wheels, along with new concealed running boards, a grille, a hood, and twin split front bumpers.
The car offered here was one of only 2,500 three-window coupes produced in 1939, and it features an older but still highly attractive restoration, which was performed by a long-time member of the Lincoln Owners Club. It was acquired in 2008 by noted collector and enthusiast Skip Barber, who retained ownership of the Zephyr for several years before passing it to its present owner. Since then, the car has been treated to many mechanical improvements to its engine, suspension, and brakes, and it has also been fitted with a NOS gas tank. As a result, it is now described by the consignor as being ready for any road rally or sunny Saturday tour.
Few cars so successfully combine beautiful design and fascinating engineering in such a wonderful package.
Robert Myrick Photography