Vintage Ad: 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe – “This ‘Twelve’ Is Different…” Yes, It Is
– Posted on February 6, 2023
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One of the most beautiful cars ever!
14 to 18 mpg? I wonder.
With an engine in good health and the optional overdrive, I’d believe it. The Zephyr’s curb weight wasn’t extravagant (about 3,500 lb for a coupe, thereabouts), nor was its displacement (267 cubic inches, 4,380 cc), it aerodynamics were well above average, and the overdrive allows the engine to settle down nicely at highway speed.
There are a few Zephyr engines on display at the flathead Ford museum in Auburn. I noticed the calibrated scale on top of one of them. The scale was simply bolted onto the top of the engine, with no apparent purpose, so I asked.
The museum staffer commented that, in all his years working there, no-one had ever asked about it.
The scale is an oil level indicator. The missing part on the engine on the stand was the rod with a float on the bottom, that sits in the oil in the crankcase, then comes out through a hole in the top of the engine to give the reading on the scale.
He opened the hood of a Zephyr on the floor that has the rod in place.
Yes, that was an interesting feature. I’m trying to remember if I read about another engine having this feature, or if it was just the Zephyr V12.
There have been a few over the years, though I can’t remember exactly who and when (though I do believe most were on prewar cars). I think I even recall one example relaying the level to a readout on the instrument panel.
That would be luxury to the nth degree. The poor man’s version could be found under the hood towards the firewall in the 1920 Willis Overland 4.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-drive-report-1920-willys-overland-4/
For some reason, the pic I attached to my earlier comment did not post. I cropped it down a bit, in case the file size was the problem.
The greenhouse proportions look off to my semi-modern (Mustang influenced) sensibilities, but the overall form is pretty stunning. But I also think Fords and Mercuries of this vintage are great also.
The cars of the late 30’s to early 40’s were the transition from Classic styling to more aerodynamic forms. The coupes, as opposed to two door sedans, were very sleek. From everything I’ve read the V12s were not very reliable. Like many more complicated designs, they were more often scrapped instead of fixed as they aged. As a former Jaguar V12 owner I know how that goes!
I’ve already had several ’50’s cars, if I get another vintage car I think that I want something from this period.
If I remember correctly the V-12 Zephyr motor was a V-12 version of the Flathead Ford V-8, with all of it’s overheating problems exacerbated proportionally.
With poor crankcase ventilation that caused sludging with too much low rpm use and a weak oil pump that caused lubrication starvation thrown in for free.
There are people who claim these problems can be fixed with modern upgrades and that it can be a pretty strong engine.
Its architecture is similar, but it’s a 75-degree V-12, so it is not a Ford V-8 with four extra cylinders.
My eyes can’t get past the peculiar foreground of the ad. The water lilies are too large to be in an actual pond in front of the pavement, and the water seems to be sort of halfway under the “bridge” at the same time… but the “bridge” is structurally impossible. And what are the ghosts between the real lilies? Dead jellyfish or ectoplasmic stove burners?
If it wasn’t otherwise captioned, I’d suspect DALL-E had a hand in this image!
Both the basic Ford and Lincoln for 39 are beautiful cars styling wise the Mercury not so much.
The 39 Mercury has a beautiful thin pillar coupe that beats Ford.
A nice variation on the trope of ‘car next to swimming pool’!
I’m going to have to find this ad now…I love it!
Those three-window Zephyrs are going for some pretty insane money these days. A lot of them are being customized, which really isn’t my taste…but to each their own.
The Lincoln Zephyr coupe was a beauty. The Hupmobile Aerodynamic coupe was styled in a similar fashion. I’ve only seen them in pictures. They’re very rare.
I used to have a collection of Skinned Knuckles magagzine, back to № 1. One reason I wish I’d been able to keep ’em or had/took time to scan ’em is Matt Joseph’s articles. He was (maybe still is?) a highly renowned old-car and restoration expert—a professor on the subject as well as the proprietor of a highly-sought-after shop. Maybe a more current and mainstream analogue might be Jay Leno.
Joseph overhauled, repaired, and refurbished a ’40 Lincoln Zephyr V12, and documented it with a fantastic series of articles. I don’t recall the particulars, but I remember sort of gasping at what seemed like some grossly-less-than-fully-thoughtful engineering, and being fascinated at the repair and upgrade procedures.
It seems to have unusually high ground clearance for the late 30s. Perhaps all the ones we see nowadays have settled due to age and gravity.
My cousin purchased this exact model back in 1959. Located in south Beloit, Wi.
It was an Opera coupe with folding jump seats in back. Rare model !
Overall cond. no rust, no dents, no scratches. It was excellent from the original shiny black paint to the perfect original gray interior.
As a kid I rode with him and the owner on the test drive, my cousin bought the car for $250.
The V-12 was a oil burner like most but it actually did run fine.
The 39 Mercury has a beautiful thin pillar coupe that beats Ford.
Hard pass. Not a fan of the styling- the greenhouse is too small and the trunk too large. And I can’t ignore the buggy springs, when even a poverty spec Chevrolet had IFS.
Give me a Buick Century anytime.