Lincoln-Zephyr

Introduced on November 2, 1935,[3] as a 1936 model, the Lincoln-Zephyr was extremely modern with a low raked windscreen, integrated fenders, and streamlined aerodynamic design, which influenced the name "zephyr", derived from the Greek word zephyrus, or the god of the west wind. It was one of the first successful streamlined cars after the Chrysler Airflow's market resistance, and the concept car Pierce Silver Arrow, which never went into production. In fact, the Lincoln-Zephyr actually had a lower coefficient of drag than the Airflow, due in part to the prow-like front grille on the Zephyr, reflecting the popularity of leisure speedboats like Chris-Craft. The Lincoln-Zephyr succeeded in reigniting sales at Lincoln dealerships in the late 1930s, and from 1941 model year, all Lincolns were Zephyr-based[4] and the Lincoln-Zephyr marque was phased out. Annual production for any year model was not large, but accounted for a large portion of the Lincoln brand's sales. In its first year, 15,000 were sold, accounting for 80% of Lincoln's total sales. The Zephyr was offered as a sedan with either two or four doors, and was manufactured in right hand drive for export, and the only options listed were an electric clock, leather upholstery and a matched luggage set from Louis Vuitton.[2] The two door sedan was listed at US$1,275 ($26,888 in 2022 dollars[5]) and the four door sedan was listed at US$1,320 ($27,837 in 2022 dollars[5])[2]

Production of all American cars was halted by the Government in 1942 as the country entered World War II, with Lincoln producing the last Lincoln Zephyr on February 10.[6] After the war, most makers restarted production of their prewar lines, and Lincoln was no exception. The Zephyr name, however, was no longer used after 1942, with the cars simply called Lincolns.

The idea of a smaller and more modern luxury car to fill the gap in Lincoln's traditional lineup was revisited in the 1950 Lincoln Lido (The Lido was the same size as other two-door Lincolns, though[7]), 1977 Lincoln Versailles, 1982 Continental, and 2000 Lincoln LS. The Zephyr name was resurrected in 2006 for the car's spiritual successor, the Zephyr, which was quickly renamed the MKZ for 2007.

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  Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 four-door sedan 1936
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  1937 Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 four-door sedan
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  Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 coupe 1937
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  Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 convertible coupe 1938
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  Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 convertible sedan 1938
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  Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 four-door sedan 1939
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  Lincoln-Zephyr 1939
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  Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 convertible coupe 1939
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  Lincoln Zephyr club coupe 1942

1942 Lincoln Zephyr coupe

The following were the Zephyr models for 1936 to 1940:

• Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 (1936–1940)
  • For 1936, available as two-door sedan or four-door sedan, a locking glove box was standard.[8] Radio was optional. The turning radius was 22 feet (6.7 m).[9] For 1937 the 2-door Sedan was renamed Coupe-Sedan, a Coupe (3-Window) was added along with a formal Town-Limousine. For 1938 a Convertible Coupe and a Convertible Sedan was added. For 1940 the Coupe-Sedan was replaced by the Club Coupe, the Convertible Sedan was discontinued. Trunk space was increased in 1940.[10]
• Lincoln-Zephyr Continental (1940) was the first time the name Continental appeared on a car from Lincoln, as a model under Lincoln-Zephyr rather than a separate model. They were partially hand-built since dies for machine-pressing were not constructed until 1941. Production started on December 13, 1939, with the Continental Cabriolet, from June 1940 also available as Continental Club Coupe. Just 350 Cabriolets and 54 Club Coupes were built.[11]

When the last Lincoln V-12 (Model K) had been delivered on January 24, 1940,[12] the Lincoln Motor Company was soon to be transformed into Lincoln Division, effective on May 1, 1940,[13] and for 1941 model year the Lincoln-Zephyr was no longer a separate marque. All 1941 models were Lincolns and the Zephyr-based Lincoln Custom replaced both the large Lincoln K-series cars and the Lincoln-Zephyr Town-Limousine. It also had full instrumentation.[14]

The following Lincoln-Zephyr heritage models were sold under the Lincoln name after Lincoln-Zephyr was merged into the Lincoln marque for the 1941 model year:

• Lincoln Zephyr V-12 (1941–1942)[15] Both years available as Sedan, Coupe, Club Coupe and Convertible Coupe
• Lincoln Custom (1941–1942) Sedan and Limousine, some with blinded quarter roof option[16]
• Lincoln Continental (1941–1948) Cabriolet and Coupe
• Lincoln (1946–1948), or H-series

H-series

Lincoln H-series
1948 Lincoln Sedan Style 73
Overview
Manufacturer	Lincoln (Ford)
Also called	Lincoln
Production	1946–1948
Assembly	Lincoln Assembly, Detroit, Michigan
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size luxury car
Body style	2-door coupe 2-door convertible 4 door sedan
Powertrain
Engine	292CID 2-bbl. 130hp V12
Dimensions
Wheelbase	125 in (3,175 mm)[17]
Length	218 in (5,537 mm)[17]
Width	77.8 in (1,976 mm)[17]
Height	68.5 in (1,740 mm)[17]
Chronology
Predecessor	Lincoln Zephyr
Successor	Lincoln EL-series

1946 Lincoln Club Coupe Style 77

When Lincoln resumed production after World War II the Zephyr name was dropped and the full-size luxury cars sold without a proper model name, known just by their body styles - Sedan, Club Coupe, or Convertible Coupe - during the 1946-1948 model years.[18][17] For identification purposes, they are typically referred to as the H-Series, while the approach of offering a luxuriously equipped vehicle in a smaller size was ceded to the all-new Mercury in 1938. Their appearance was very similar to the contemporaneous Lincoln Continental coupe and convertible. An electric clock was standard.[17] This series of vehicles continued to use the 292 in³ (4.8 L) 65° L-head Lincoln V12 engine. The four-door sedan Style 73 with the Custom-spec interior was listed at US$2,486 ($37,307 in 2022 dollars [5]).[17]

• Ford Zephyr
• Mercury Zephyr
• Lincoln MKZ

• Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club
• The Old Cars Manual Project Original Lincoln and Lincoln-Zephyr sales material for comparison.