| Lincoln-Zephyr | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Lincoln-Zephyr four-door sedan (1937) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Lincoln (Ford) |
| Production | 1936–1942 |
| Assembly | Lincoln Assembly,Detroit,Michigan |
| Designer | Bob Gregorie |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-sizeluxury car |
| Body style | 4-doorsedan 4-doorconvertible sedan 2-doorsedan 2-doorcoupe 2-doorconvertible coupe |
| Related | Lincoln Continental |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 267 cu in (4.4 L)flat-head 110 hp (82 kW)V12[1][2] |
| Transmission | 3-speedmanual[2] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 122–125 in (3,099–3,175 mm)[2] |
| Length | 202.5–210 in (5,144–5,334 mm)[2] |
| Height | 69 in (1,753 mm)[2] |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Lincoln H-series |
TheLincoln-Zephyr is a line ofluxury cars that was produced by theLincoln division ofFord from 1936 until 1942. Bridging the gap between theFord V8 DeLuxe and theLincoln Model K (in both size and price), it expanded Lincoln to a second model line, competing against theChrysler Airflow,LaSalle, and thePackard One-Twenty.
Following the discontinuation of the Model K after 1940, Lincoln shifted its production exclusively to the Lincoln-Zephyr design. After World War II, the Zephyr name was dropped.
The Zephyr had been the basis of the firstLincoln Continental, which debuted in 1940 and became Lincoln's longest-running nameplate. The model line was powered by aV12 engine, in contrast to its competitors' V8 and inline-8 engines.
The Lincoln-Zephyr was conceived byEdsel Ford[3] and designed by Eugene Turenne "Bob" Gregorie. It was assembled at theLincoln Motor Company Plant inDetroit, Michigan.
Introduced on November 2, 1935,[3] as a 1936 model, the Lincoln-Zephyr was extremely modern with a low raked windscreen, integrated fenders, andstreamlined aerodynamic design, which influenced the name "zephyr", derived from theGreek wordzephyrus, or the god of thewest wind. It was one of the first successful streamlined cars after theChrysler Airflow's market resistance, and the concept carPierce 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 theprow-like front grille on the Zephyr, reflecting the popularity of leisurespeedboats likeChris-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 fromLouis Vuitton.[2] The two door sedan was listed at US$1,275 ($28,891 in 2024 dollars[5]) and the four door sedan was listed at US$1,320 ($29,911 in 2024 dollars[5])[2]
Production of all American cars was halted by the Government in 1942 as the country enteredWorld 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 1950Lincoln Lido (The Lido was the same size as other two-door Lincolns, though[7]), 1977Lincoln Versailles, 1982Continental, and 2000Lincoln LS.
The nameplate was used again for the 2006 LincolnZephyr, which was subsequently renamed the MKZ for model year 2007.
The following were the Zephyr models for 1936 to 1940:
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-basedLincoln Custom replaced both the large Lincoln K-series cars and the Lincoln-Zephyr Town-Limousine. It also had full instrumentation.[14]
The Zephyr had been designed byJohn Tjaarda (1897–1962), who was fascinated with airplanes, resulting inunibody construction[citation needed] relatively light and rigid for its size and adrag coefficient of 0.45.[citation needed] Weight was 3,350 lb (1,520 kg).
The prewar Zephyr had been powered by a small 75° 292 cu in (4.8 L)flatheadLincoln-Zephyr V12 engine[2] developed from Ford'sFlatheadV8 and unrelated to the larger K-series flatheadLincoln L-head V12 engines. The valve-in-block engine was quite compact, allowing a low hood. But like the V8 Fords of the era, the Zephyr V12 often suffered from hot spots due to exhaust passages through the cylinder block. In addition, the earliest Zephyrs suffered from poor oil pressure, resulting in upgrades to the oil pump.
The 1936 to 1939 models were 267 in³ (4.4 L) with hydraulic lifters added in 1938. The 1940 and 1941 cars used an enlarged 292-in³ (4.8-L) engine, while 1942 and early 1946 models used a 306-in³ (5.0-L), but lower compression ratio because of the iron heads. Late 1946 to 1948 Lincolns based on the Zephyr used a 292-in³ engine.
The original engine had 110 hp (82 kW) and gave the car a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h).Suspension was Henry Ford-era transverse springs front and rear, with dead axle front and torque tube rear, already quite outdated when the car was introduced.[citation needed] Brakes were cable-activated for 1936 to 1938; 1939 and onwards were hydraulic. The Zephyr was the first Ford product to have an all-steel roof, except the late 1931 Model AA truck.
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:
The following Lincoln models derived from the Zephyr were sold after World War II:
| Lincoln H-series | |
|---|---|
.JPG) 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-sizeluxury car |
| Body style | 2-doorcoupe 2-doorconvertible 4 doorsedan |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 292CID 2-bbl. 130hpV12 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 125 in (3,175 mm)[16] |
| Length | 218 in (5,537 mm)[16] |
| Width | 77.8 in (1,976 mm)[16] |
| Height | 68.5 in (1,740 mm)[16] |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Lincoln Zephyr |
| Successor | Lincoln EL-series |
When Lincoln resumed production afterWorld War II the Zephyr name was dropped and full-size Lincolns were sold during the 1946-1948 model years without a unique model name, known instead by their body styles - Sedan, Club Coupe, or Convertible Coupe.[17][16] For identification purposes, they are typically referred to as the LincolnH-series, while the approach of offering a luxuriously equipped vehicle in a smaller size had been ceded to the then all-newMercury in 1938.
The full-sized Lincolns' appearance was very similar to the contemporaneousLincoln Continental coupe and convertible. An electric clock was standard.[16] This series of vehicles continued to use the 292 in³ (4.8 L) 65° L-headLincoln V12 engine. The four-door sedan Style 73 with the Custom-spec interior was listed at US$2,486 ($40,086 in 2024 dollars[5]).[16]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion with: specifications for Lincolns made after World War II, following the discontinuation of the Zephyr before postwar resumption of Lincoln production. You can help byadding to it.(June 2025) |
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