The Lincoln-Zephyr was a pre-World War II luxury car that was offered with a V12 engine, unlike the eight-cylinder engines of many of its competitors. It was priced below the high-end Lincolns to compete with the LaSalle (Cadillac), Packard, and Chrysler Airflow. Two- and four-door sedans were produced, of which the seller’s is the latter from 1940. Likely buried in a rather large barn for many years, this Zephyr can be found in Palmdale, California, and is available here on craigslist for $12,500.
For a time, the Zephyr was Lincoln’s best-selling automobile at a period when car buyers were recovering from the effects of the Great Depression. It served as the launching point for the first Lincoln Continental, which finally retired after 80 years in production (2020). The Lincoln-Zephyr (note the hyphenated name) was the brainchild of Edsel Ford.
Like any automobile, we assume this Lincoln has a story, but we don’t know what it is. It might be part of an estate sale that covers more than one other vintage vehicle in the seller’s barn. We assume the 267 cubic inch V12 is intact and one day capable of producing its rated 110 hp once again. We’re told it has an automatic transmission, but that luxury item was still a few years away.
The photos are sparse and exclude the engine compartment and interior. Note that the Zephyr has “suicide doors” with the front and rear doors opening outward together. We don’t know if Lincoln’s intentions were as such, but Webster defines a zephyr as a “soft, gentle breeze or a light wind.”
Listing is rather sparing with the details. No engine or interior photos or any mention of mechanical condition, possible rust or missing parts? Just a few clumsy pics that give no information except it appears to have a Zephyr grille. Not what I’d accept for a $12.5K car.
Too bad. I like Zephyrs. They were stylish and roomy, even if the earlier versions of the V12 had some issues. And, if the car had to be stashed in what looks to be somewhat insecure storage, Palmdale has a very dry climate so major rot isn’t a major worry. Rodents are. Judging by the yellow California plates, the Lincoln doesn’t look as if it has been on the road for many years.
To me, it looks as if it can be restored, and should be. But I suspect the transaction price — IF it sells — will be considerably lower.
The license plate is vintage for sure.
Amazing what we “expect” in a listing these days.
Remember when two lines buried in a sea of classified ads was enough to drive a couple hundred miles to check out a car?
Even with Auto Trader, you got a single black & white photo and a paragraph to go off. And yet for years cars from $500 up to tens of thousands would be sold that way.
But now we feel let down if there isn’t at least a dozen photos showing interior, exterior, underside, engine compartment, floors, frame, vin codes.. etc.
Progress? Maybe so, but the hunt has been lost somewhat.
Always have, & always will love Lincoln’s!
$12,500 is kinda high for a car that seems have been forgotten about for many years.
It isn’t, especially for a car like this, this to me is a steal, it can be up to 110k, down to 25K
Are you the seller, perchance?
Those V-12s were quite a piece of work. Some problems in the foundry with cores shifting, causing some heating issues, but otherwise, they turned out pretty well.
Some reference to a potential automatic transmission. Ford did offer a “Liquimatic” transmission in the Ford line (possibly Mercury as well) but due to some problems, I don’t think it got installed in a Lincoln. As it was, the transmission was indeed troublesome and Ford took back the transmissions and installed conventional three-speeds and left it at that until at least ’49.
It seems to me that Ford bought some Hydramatics from GM and installed them into Lincolns, behind the 337 V-8s. Lincolns used Hydramatics until ’53 when GM’s Hydramatic plant burned down. Like other manufacturers who bought transmissions from GM, Lincoln started to buy transmissions from Borg Warner.
Throughout the 50s it was Ford-O-Matic, Merc-O-Matic, then Cruise-O-Matic, which were all Warner Gear (Borg Warner) until Ford got the bugs worked out of it’s own line of automatic transmissions.
Now, this is the information I’ve been able to gather. If anyone knows more about Ford’s early automatics, please drop me a line…
Yes sir, most car companies like Ford or Lincoln were behind the 8 ball producing early automatics and at the mercy of buying the Hydramatics from GM. Chrysler was a little bit ahead of Lincoln with its fluid drive versions, but they were a temporary bridge to true automatics. Packard was up there with GM with its Ultramatic transmission.
This car brings back memories of the 39 Zephyr that sat for years non running in the Freeds yard just behind my dad’s 120 acre farm. The Freeds had a teenage daughter who married a neighbor named Jim Allenbaugh. I was very young as this story took place in the 1950’s. Mr. Freed died sometime in the 50’s and his widow along with her sister bought a place south of town near Happy Valley and grew fruit trees and a vegetable garden. The Zephyr was left behind. Some years later in the early 70’s Jim took possession of the Zephyr to restore. I never saw it again, so I don’t know if Jim ever did restore it, but I sure hope so, it was a beautiful work of art in metal.
God Bless America
In 1966, my younger (high school aged) sister was dating a classmate who had a small collection of cars he had acquired. One was a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr coupe. He also had a 1931 Lincoln Phaeton and a Model A Ford Pickup. All were running and roadworthy. For the Zephyr, he also had a new V-12 crate engine. Quite the collection for a 17 year old! I lost track of him and the cars, so I have no idea what happened to any of them.
Also, In 1951, I remember my paternal grandparents visiting and he had a 1946 or 1947 Lincoln Zephyr 2-door sedan with the round push-button outside door “handles”.
No details, 4 worthless pictures and that’s it. It’s like they don’t care to sell it.