A little bit of history
The Lincoln-Zephyr was the first moderately priced Lincoln, introduced for 1936 in an effort to keep the marque
alive during the Great Depression. Yet despite its cheaper price (still twice that of a regular Ford), the Zephyr had
several things going for it: leading edge streamlined styling, a V-12 engine, unibody construction (a first for Ford),
and the Lincoln name.
It was an unqualified success, with 1937 production just under 30,000 units. The look evolved over the years,
developing a smoother front end in 1938 and 1939, and a somewhat more conservative, yet still swoopy, shape for
1940 and 1941. The Zephyr also served as the jumping off point for the 1940-41 Lincoln Continentals, recognized as Full
Classics.
Starting in 1942, the Zephyr adopted boxier styling more in line with that of Cadillac, a trend that continued
after WWII, at which time the Zephyr name was dropped altogether. For a look at all these great cars, check out the
picture gallery at lzoc.org.
