1936 Lincoln Zephyr 4.4

Vehicle Overview

Lincoln introduced the Zephyr lineup in 1935 for the 1936 model year, and besides the sedan, it also sold it in a sporty-looking fastback coupe version that seduced customers with its streamlined look and smooth ride.

After the Great Depression, America and the world were on the path to recovery. Lincoln worked intensively on developing a new kind of vehicle aimed at deep-pocket customers. The result was a coupe that looked like art-deco on wheels, with a streamlined bodywork. The car gained even more notoriety after it was featured in the 1940 movie “The Green Hornet,” where it bore the name “The Black Beauty,” and it indeed was. Unlike most other cars on the market, the Zephyr had a unibody construction, which led to a lower weight, a lower ingress and egress that made the running boards useless, and a more composed riding experience. In addition, the elegant interior and the V12 powerhouse under the hood made customers say, “Shut up and take my money.” By the end of the ‘30s, the Zephyr was one of the best-selling cars in the U.S.

The 1936 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe started its journey with a front fascia designed by Edsel Ford. Like the rest of the Zephyr range, it featured a narrow, tall grille with horizontal slats. Later, the automaker replaced that with a shorter, wing-like grille swept back at its upper sides. The valanced front fenders featured oval-shaped, vertical headlights surrounded by a chromed trim that also kept them fixed. On the lower side, the automaker put a chromed bumper interrupted in front of the radiator. Lincoln installed a release mechanism concealed in the chromed trim piece atop the hood to open the engine bay.

When Lincoln introduced the Zephyr at the 1936 New York Motor Show, the car was surrounded by customers and competitors alike. While the six-seater sedan was the one to gain more customers, the more affordable, streamlined Coupe gained the hearts and wallets of enthusiasts. Its long hood had longitudinal vents on the sides of the engine bay, and the valanced front fenders were cut short in front of the doors. The automaker installed a set of running boards, which were useful only when the car wasn’t parked next to a curb. With its short greenhouse and doors and the sloped B-posts, the 1937 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe looked fast, even at a standstill. That wasn’t the usual norm for those times. At the back, the rear split window and the long tail for the trunk emphasized the car’s aerodynamic look.

Inside, the unusual design continued with a center-mounted speedometer on the dashboard. Later, the automaker moved it in front of the driver. The bench seat was covered in cloth or leather upholstery, depending on customers’ demands. An array of buttons and an available electric clock placed underneath the speedometer gave the impression of a sophisticated vehicle. Despite having a bench seat, it was challenging to sit three people there because of the floor-mounted gear stick. Fronting the passenger was a glovebox.

Under the long hood of the vehicle was a newly-developed flathead V12 engine. After Ford had developed its famous V8 flathead, it considered adding four more cylinders to the powerhouse. The result was a 4.4-liter unit that sent 110 hp (105 PS) to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual gearbox. Unfortunately, the car’s production ended abruptly in February 1942 after the U.S. entered WWII in December 1941.