1937 Lincoln Zephyr

The Lincoln-Zephyr was displayed to the public at the 1936 New York Autoshow, wearing 'Teardrop' and 'Art Deco' styling, with the theme repeated in the front and rear lights, the grille emblem, and the fender skirts. It was one of the first successful 'streamlined' cars on the road, unlike Chrysler's unsuccessful attempt with its streamlined Airflow. The interior continued the Art Deco theme with a centered circular console with symmetrical driver's side and passenger side glove compartments and ashtrays. The attractive styling was well received and it quickly became Lincoln's best selling car, also serving as the foundation for the 1940 Lincoln Continental. The styling was applied to both Fords and Mercurys of the period.

The name 'Zephyr' was sourced from the radically streamlined Burlington Zephyr high-speed express train, itself named after Zephyrus, the mythical Greek God of the west wind. The Lincoln Zephyr's body was styled by Dutch-born designer John Tjaarda, who was an employee at Briggs Body Corporation, Ford's longtime partner. During pre-production, the styling was revised and refined, especially at the frontal aspects of the car, by Eugene T. 'Bob' Gregorie, who worked closely with Lincoln president Edsel Ford, himself a noted designer.

The styling was complemented by equally impressive mechanical technology. The body was the first unibody to be designed as a stressed structure, like an airplane, and made it both lighter and stronger than conventional body-on-frame construction. The engine was a new V12 based on Ford's proven flathead V8. The L-head, 267 cubic-inch unit had aluminum alloy heads, cast steel pistons, a downdraft Stromberg carburetor, and developed 100 horsepower. It was backed by a dashboard-mounted three-speed synchromesh transmission and braking was handled by four-wheel mechanical drums. An optional two-speed Columbia axle was available to improve highway performance.

Initially, for 1936, four body styles were offered, including a two-door Sedan, two-door Coupe, four-door Sedan, and four-door Town Limousine, with a Convertible Sedan added for 1937. 1937 Lincoln Zephyr sales were strong, with 29,997 examples produced. Mild styling updates were applied for 1937, with refinements to the grille, side vents, front bumper, and new sweeping moldings. There were now five pairs of horizontal bars on the radiator grille and a more accessible rear trunk compartment. The dash panel was also redesigned with glove compartments on both sides divided by a central console housing the controls and instruments.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2020