Henry and Edsel Ford were a father-and-son team, but they were also polar opposites. Where Henry was a practical man who avoided change, Edsel was a man of style, sophistication, and good taste who readily embraced change. These differences placed the two men on a collision course throughout their working lives at the Ford Motor Company. So volatile were some of their clashes that Edsel frequently sought shelter within the Lincoln Design Studio’s confines. Here he had a chance to work with some of the industry’s most brilliant minds to produce cars of rare elegance and beauty. One of these vehicles was the 1937 Lincoln Zephyr, and this one has recently been listed for sale here on eBay. It is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it has been the subject of some intense bidding. An incredible 52 bids have pushed the price to $65,100, but the reserve is yet to be met.
While cars that rolled out of the Lincoln factory during this era were built to exacting standards and the highest quality, that didn’t make them immune from rust issues. That is true with this car, although the buyer no longer needs to worry about these problems. The owner has had new floors fitted, and that has knocked the rust issues on the head before they had the chance to become a structural nightmare. The vehicle is finished in the shade called Zephyr Garnet, and while the paint is now pretty tired, the steel beneath looks pretty good. With the rust now addressed, the body only wears a few very minor dings and marks. Repairing these should be a straightforward proposition, although, given the potential value of this classic, I would be inclined to strip away all of the existing paint so that the dings and surface preparation can be completed to the highest standard. All of the trim appears to be present, although a few pieces will require restoration if the Lincoln is to present at its best when it is complete.
When you consider the exterior state, it is probably no surprise that the Zephyr’s interior will also require plenty of TLC. The painted surfaces show evidence of corrosion, and these will need to be stripped and refinished. The upholstered surfaces and carpet are also showing their age, so a complete retrim will almost certainly be on the cards. From a positive perspective, the interior does appear to be complete. That means that the buyer will not need to spend countless hours searching for rare or unusual components.
The Zephyr isn’t a numbers-matching classic because it would have started life with a 267ci flathead V12 under the hood that pumped out 110hp. The listing indicates that while the existing engine is also a Lincoln V12, it is of 1948-vintage. That should make it a 292ci version, which would also bump the power figure by a useful 15hp to 125. This power found its way to the rear wheels via a 3-speed manual transmission. We’ve had plenty of good news to this point, and there’s more to come now. The owner says that the Lincoln runs and drives well and that everything is in perfect working order. Curiously, he says that the vehicle is not ready to hit the highway as it stands, but he doesn’t specify why. With the car in sound mechanical health, all I can think is that the rust repairs must need finishing before the Zephyr could be considered roadworthy.
The 1937 Lincoln Zephyr could rightly be called “Edsel’s baby” because this brilliant and sensitive man oversaw many aspects of its design and development. They were a luxury car that was far from cheap when new, and just as Henry and Edsel were opposites, so were the cars that rolled out of the Ford and Lincoln factories. Today, a perfect example can easily command a six-figure value, which goes a long way towards explaining the intense bidding that we’ve seen on this one. The lack of a numbers-matching status will undoubtedly have some impact on this classic’s ultimate value, but there is no reason why it still couldn’t top $100,000 if the restoration is performed correctly. Sometimes it can be hard to understand why bidding can be so strong on some classic projects, but it isn’t that hard with this one. Do we have any readers who might find themselves tempted to tackle this one?
Restore the dash. Make the rest of the interior comfortable. Get it mechanically reliable and safe. Leave the body alone and drive it, have fun with it.
…and continue to improve as time and wallet permit.
Wow! What a find. Too rich for my bank account.
Located in Thousand Oaks, CA now. Flashback 84 years ago and one can only imagine which Hollywood star or starlet or director this once beauty belonged to back when new. Talk about an offscreen statement pulling up on set or at a premiere in this beauty back then!
The bid price on this car is at a convertible in excellent condition price. This Lincoln is neither a convertible nor is it is pristine condition! Someone want this car which needs lots of TLC and many $ ! Money comes very easily to some obviously! It sounds like this car is worth $25000 tops!
Jim, I’m sorry, but you are really out of date on this car! The 1936–1941 Lincoln Zephyr 3-window coupe in good condition will easily sell for over $100,000. Get up to date!
These coupes were beautiful but totally impractical cars. There were few sold and fewer left that haven’t been bastardized. The coupes bring much more money than the convertibles.
Does it have a 2 speed axle i wonder?
Wow! that’s a, a really…um…. that’s a color. I appreciate it because it is the original color, but otherwise…. ewwww. I had a 54 Triumph TR2 that was originally “Geranium”. I kind of similar color to this I always described as “Tomato soup made with milk”
I’d be torn here. Keep it original or give it a mile deep black paint.
the purist in me would keep it as is, but man! a liquid black would be stunning! No matter what, this is a stylish car! I’d love it. Alas, the moths in my wallet seem to have eaten all the cash I had for a project like this.
A bit of Hollywood trivia:
The original film of The Green Hornet was as a serial and the original Black Beauty was a black Zephyr coupe like this. Hilariously, Cato, who is credited with building the Black Beauty claims it is capable of 200 MPH.
Even if it was, I can’t imagine doing speeds like that in a car built in the late 30s-early 40s.
But doubly interesting is how the original Black Beauty and the original Batmobile were both Lincolns.
Maybe not ready to “hit the highway” due to tires and/or brakes. Nothing else makes sense if, in fact, runs and drives well.
He said it Runs and Drives. He never said it stopped
The Zephyr coupes are spectacular, unfortunately many of them had been “ hot rodded” and command some stiff prices, for original restored or otherwise. I have dreamed about owning one and have regularly purchased lottery tickets with hopes of hitting Powerball any day now.
Meanwhile I am in the market for a restorable 1936-1938/9 Studebaker Dictator Coupe. Anybody see one in the 10k-15k price range. Please let me know : condondeb@aol.com
I saw one of these sell at auction in payette idaho about 4 years ago for less that 4 grand. But it was a 46/48. It was in this condition.
The reason a similar one went for four grand a few years ago in Payette Id was for a bunch of different reasons. One is location, Payette is not a hot bed of the old car hobby as far as I am aware. This is not an area swimming in money. It was probably sold at a Farm or Household auction. These auctions don’t draw people from everywhere unlike a B&J or Mechum which draw people from all over with loads of $$$ burning a hole in their pocket,
What a gorgeous car.
The only real bad thing about a Zephyr was the motor. If I recall the V 12 was a stretched out V 8 60 not one of Fords better motors.
There may have been some component interchangeability, but the 60 HP V8 had a 90 degree block, whereas the Zephyr V12’s block was a 75 degree design.
It is more like the 85, not the 60. Also, the 60 was highly sought after by midget racers. They got some crazy power out of them, and some even changed the cam to run carbs on the sides and exhaust out the top.
Finising this Zephr wont be cheap. Sure all wheel cylinder and drum brakes will need replacing. But what a stunning car!
Several years ago, money bags Richard Rawlings got a hold of a blue ’37, in much better shape than this one, after crying for years that he always wanted one. Of course, he promptly sold it.
Hey, BF!! What gives? I replied twice to Don’s original remark and it has not been posted. I am registered to receive e-mails. This has never happened before. Really concerned.
“My pappy said son yo gonna drive me to drinkin if you don’t stop drivin that hot rod Lincoln.” I would check the brakes, adjust the valves and clutch and drive it.