The early 1940s marked the waning days of the V12 engine, previously produced liberally by luxury car makers such as Packard, Franklin, Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, and Lincoln. By the end of WWII, only Lincoln was soldiering on with a V12 in its engine bays. This engine’s genesis stretched back to 1936 when it garnered a bad rap for hot spots and cooling problems. But its post-war persona was much improved, with hydraulic lifters, cast iron heads, and better oil flow. Here on craigslist is a relic of the times, this Lincoln H Series four-door sedan, listed for $5500 and located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The advertisement calls this a Zephyr, but by 1946, that moniker had been dropped in favor of simply “Lincoln”, coupled with the body style. Too, our seller calls this a ’47, but in ’46 and ’47, the running lights were amber, while in ’48 they were clear. I’m going to guess this is a ’48, but if you know better, please chime in. This car has been stored since at least 1965 without starting. An unfortunate sideswipe with a snowplow wrinkled the right side sheet metal, but at least we’re assured the body has no rust. T.J. sent us this tip – thanks so much!

Here’s that 292 CID V12, generating about 130 hp and mated to a three-speed manual gearbox (overdrive optional). The car was comfortable at 70 mph but top speed was over 80. Our seller reports that the engine is stuck, though he’s poured Marvel Mystery Oil down its gullet, hoping to coax the parts to release. The fuel system will also need flushing, and after that, who knows. A close-up photo shows that a very early fan belt remains on the car.

No photos of the front seats are included in the listing, but the dash and fittings are swanky as we might expect from Lincoln. The horizontal linearity, square-shaped gauges, the fluting on the steering wheel – all were holdovers from the Art Deco era. Styling was about to change drastically, as was the engine bay. with the 1949 EL Series.

The front end does not lack for chrome, and all the elements here appear to be in great shape. In fact, except for the creased sheet metal down the right side, the cosmetics are outstanding given the car’s age. The listing alludes to obtaining a title, so I gather that may be a stumbling block. Plenty of these cars have been made into resto-mods; meanwhile, original sedans sell in the four-figure area, though the coupes can bring mid-$20k. With the work involved here, this might be a tough sale even at this price; what do you think?