1941 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Club Coupe

One of the tacit obligations of any collector or restorer is preservation - keeping automotive treasures of bygone eras in showroom-new condition, not only for their own enjoyment but for future generations as well.

Some collectors take their responsibilities a step further; for example - this 1941 Zephyr convertible. The current owner found the Lincoln in Cleveland, Ohio, and bought it. The purchase was more than an acquisition; it was also a rescue, because that previous owner intended to use the Zephyr as the starting point for a street rod. Instead, the current owner performed a thorough restoration that included an engine rebuild, Plympton Gray paint (an authentic 1941 factory color), a new top, and the custom dashboard gold-plating that had been specified by the car's original owner.

Convertibles were relatively rare in Zephyr production. Of the 20,094 Zephyrs that left the factory during the 1941 model year, just 725 had soft tops. The Zephyr's V12 engine was expanded from 267.3 to 292 cubic-inches in 1940, increasing output from 110 to 120 horsepower. But this was still the car's weak point. Essentially a 12-cylinder version of Ford's famous flathead V8, the bigger engine was prone to a variety of maladies, particularly overheating.

Nevertheless, the flathead V12 persisted even after WWII, propelling not only the Zephyr but the original Continental. The V12, Zephyr, and Continental all went out production at the end of the 1948 model year.