CHAPTER SIX

 

ENTER THE ZEPHYR

    Ride Like

        The Wind

 

    The story of the Zephyr, like that of all great concepts, begins with

an individual and an idea.  The idea was that of aerodynamic design, and

the individual was John Tjaarda.  Born in Holland, Tjaarda was educated in

England, and studied aerodynamics under Dr. Alexander Klemin.  Tjaarda

served as a pilot instructor in the Royal Dutch Air Corps, and worked as an

engineer for Fokker Aircraft.  He came to the United States in 1923, where

he first did custom auto body portfolios for affluent Hollywoodites.  At

Locke & Company, he worked as a coach designer on the Pierce-Arrow, and for

a short time on the Duesenberg.  Over the years, John had developed his own

idea about aerodynamically clean body designs.  He referred to his new

designs as the "Sterkenburg series," a name taken from his Friesland family

home, the Tjaarda van Sterkenburg estate.  The original design concept

working sketch, called the Sterkenburg C-3, was drawn up in 1926.  The "C"

stood for "carcass" which was Tjaarda's term for a unit body construction.

    In 1930, Tjaarda met and went to work for Harley Earl at the newly

formed Art & Color Studio of General Motors.  For the upcoming Chicago

World's Fair, Earl held an in-house design contest.  From this competition

came the classic V-16 Cadillac, but the also-rans were Gordon Buehrig's

Cord 810, Phil Wright's Silver Arrow, and John Tjaarda's forerunner to the

Zephyr.  Harley Earl showed very little interest in Tjaarda's design. 

After several tries at obtaining financing to produce the new design, John

accepted an offer to work for the W.O. Briggs Company.

    By 1932, Model K Lincoln production had fallen off to the extent that

Charles Sorensen advocated closing it down.  Briggs had been a major

supplier to Ford, and wanted desperately to retain the Lincoln business. 

They hired Howard Benbright, a close personal friend of Edsel Ford, to head

up a new Ford Policies and Relations Department.  John Tjaarda was given

the green light to secretly develop a new design for presentation to the

progressive-minded Edsel Ford.  Briggs believed in the unit body design

concept, but wanted Edsel to champion its cause to Sorensen and the senior

Ford.  "Cast-Iron Charlie" and "Ol' Henry" did not accepted new ideas very

well.  The development at Briggs continued under wraps on the fifth floor

with frequent visits from Edsel.  The security problem was complicated by

the fact that Briggs was also currently building parts for Chrysler.

    Three proposals were prepared for the new unit body Lincoln.  The first

was a rear-engine car which resembled a large streamlined Volkswagon

Beetle.  (The VW Beetle was not yet in production.  It is likely, however,

that Dr. Porsche borrowed from the Sterkenburg concepts for his Peoples

Wagon.)  The second unit-body design was similar in appearance to the

first, but with a more conventional front engine and standard drivetrain. 

The third design draft was of a convertible coupe which incorporated

basically the same lines as the previous two sedan designs.  This

convertible coupe design would ultimately become the Zephyr Continental. 

The unit body concept held much promise for Lincoln.  It might, indeed,

enable Lincoln to produce a large luxury automobile for far fewer dollars. 

A full-size prototype, complete with rear-mounted V-8 engine, was

constructed.  This wooden mock-up was introduced to the public at the Ford

Exhibition of Progress in New York City during December 1933.  The car then

toured the United States via Lincoln-Ford dealers, and ended up in the Ford

Rotunda at the 1934 world exposition held in Chicago.  Called the Century

of Progress, this World's Fair had opened in 1933.  It stretched a

half-mile along the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan.  Emphasis was on

the application of science and industry in everyday living.  Ford marketing

personnel mingled with the crowd and ask questions of prospective

purchasers in an effort to obtain the public's opinion of how successful a

new streamlined Lincoln automobile might be.  Edsel had done a good selling

job on Henry and Sorensen, but Ford engineers held out for the more

conventional front-engine design.  As it turned out, the public seemed to

agree with them.

    The Sterkenburg Series was not alone in the race to streamline the

automobile.  Walter Chrysler had commissioned two Trifon Special prototypes

in 1932.  These would become the Chrysler and DeSoto Airflows.  Alexander

Klemin, Tjaarda's former professor, was brought to the United States to do

the analytical equations on the design for the new unit body Chrysler

Airflow.  It was over these equations that Klemin and Tjaarda had disagreed

years before.  Tjaarda disliked complicated mathematical calculations, and

used a method which he referred to as "guessomatics."  As it turned out,

Klemin over-stressed the Airflow, which resulted in a heavy and somewhat

sluggish automobile.  On the Sterkenburg design, Tjaarda managed to guess

pretty accurately.  The result was the large and lightweight unit body

chassis design which became the Lincoln Zephyr.  Some areas proved to be

too lightweight.  One example is the forward floor plates, which should

have been of heavier gauge steel.  However, better drainage of water

seeping in through dried windshield gaskets might have accomplished

considerably more in preserving these floor panels.  It is rare to find a

Zephyr or Continental without rusted-out or partially rusted floor plates.

    The Hupmobile and Hudson Terraplane were early contenders in the

streamline era design market.  The Hup 427-T aerodynamic design by Loewy

was produced in 1934.  The streamlined Hup's styling was quickly changed to

that of the Cord and Graham design when the companies were merged.  The

1937 Hudson was very streamlined, and incorporated full rear fender

skirts.  The last really pulchritudinous Hudson was the 1939 model, but

even it was beginning to look much like a cross between a Ford and

Chevrolet.

    Architectural engineer Buckminster Fuller developed a concept which he

called "Dymaxion," and applied it to everything from buildings to

automobiles.  Fuller made application for a patent in October of 1933 for a

streamlined three-wheel car that would turn on a dime.  It was powered by a

Ford V-8, and had front-wheel-drive.  The Dymaxion would do 120 miles per

hour, and got 30 miles per gallon.  The third and most widely driven

(300,000 miles) of the four Dymaxion cars built was purchased by Harrahs

Auto Museum, where it remained for many years in unrestored condition.

    Streamlining was derived from the concept that the lines of an object

should be efficient in an air stream (aerodynamically clean).  There was,

however, nothing much in the 1930s which moved fast enough to really

require streamlining.  Styling in the 1920s had been boxy.  The cars looked

like shoe boxes with fenders.  Bi-winged airplanes resembled Chinese box

kites.  So the styling trend of the 1930s became streamlining.  Art became

Art Deco and even static objects, from toasters to pencil sharpeners, were

streamlined.  This trend was inspired by the great airships of the late

1920s, the Graf Zeppelins.

    Those of us who saw the demise of the magnificent steam locomotives,

such as the Baldwin Hudson Engines, will always associate the word

"Streamliner" with the early diesel trains like the Santa Fe Chief.  One of

the earliest of these Streamliners was called the Zephyr.  It may be

difficult to comprehend exactly why Lincoln would choose the same name for

their new car as the General Motors designed and built Zephyr diesel

locomotive.  Several automotive writers and some Lincoln advertisements

seem to support the theory that the new Lincoln Model H, indeed, was named

for the train itself.  This kinship certainly did not hurt the new Lincoln

prototype.  The new train was getting a lot of publicity, and it too was

displayed at the Chicago Century of Progress Exposition in 1934.

    The 1934 Lincoln Zephyr prototype, as redesigned by Tjaarda, used a 125

inch wheelbase with transverse semi-elliptical leaf springs.  The upper

independent suspension arms at each end were linked to the top of an alloy

(magnalium) hub carrier.  Unique innovations such as a periscope rearview

mirror and a cylindrical radiator were used.  Two air scoops behind the

rear door provided the air intake for the radiator.  The instrument panel

was so simplified that it was plain.  Dual glove boxes were located either

side of a large, center-mounted horizontal speedometer dial.  The aircraft

type semi-monocoque construction was its single most outstanding feature,

and managed to survive through all the design changes.  This made the new

Lincoln Zephyr one of the strongest, lightest weight, and vibration-free

automobiles of its size constructed in this era.

    The original prototype of the Sterkenburg Zephyr had the rear-mounted

engine.  It was an aluminum block V-8 which weighed about 300 pounds, and

developed 80 horsepower at 4700 RPM.  The tubular frame wishboned at the

power plant to allow the engine and transmission to be easily dismounted

for maintenance.  An automatic overdrive and Bendix-Weiss constant speed

universal joint were incorporated into the drivetrain.  The car weighed

2,500 pounds, and achieved a top speed of 110 miles per hour on the test

track.  Tjaarda disliked engine mounts which extended outside the

wheelbase.  He claimed such designs just increased the number of gimmicks

required to correct oversteer.  The Zephyr prototype did require one degree

of toe-in to trim its handling.  A transverse engine mount was experimented

with for a short while, but abandoned.  (Proof of how correct Tjaarda was

about engine location can be attested by the handling problems which

General Motors experienced with their Corvair series.  Additional testimony

as to this concept is borne out by today's mid-engine race cars.)

    Sorensen, Mr. Ford, and the Ford engineers prevailed, the Zephyr would

be built only if it utilized existing Ford Company front engine and

drivetrain technology.  Two sedan prototypes were hand built and used for

road tests, and for unit body construction tests.  A souped-up version of

the Ford V-8 was unable to provide adequate power for the large Zephyr. 

The final production weight was being estimated in the range of 3,200

pounds.  Thus, Frank Johnson's engineering team was instructed to come up

with yet another Lincoln V-12 powerplant, this one to be based on the

flathead V-8 Ford engine.  Ford stylist E.T. Gregorie redesigned many of

the Zephyr body parts.  His work accounts for much of the overall larger

automobile appearance of the Zephyr versus that of the original design. 

Ford designer Holden "Bob" Koto described in an article for Special Interest Autos his work on the development of the new front end design for

the Briggs Zephyr.  The entire front end was redesigned to accommodate a

larger frontal radiator and V-12 engine.  The new wheelbase was established

at 122 inches, and had more to do with the drive train match-up than with

aesthetics.

    With the creation of the Zephyr, Lincoln had a very unique automobile. 

Tjaarda did not get his revolutionary design in its entirety.  Edsel did

not get the classic and impressive coach look that he liked so well.  The

Ford engineers did not get just another big Ford.  But the sum was greater

than the total of its parts.  It was a car which is appreciated even today

for its forward thinking design and impressive styling.  Ford sales manager

William Cowling announced the Lincoln Zephyr in November of 1935 as, "A

completely new motor car."

                             NINETEEN-THIRTYSIX

    The 1936 Zephyr was called the Model H, but some early manuals refer to

it as the Model 901.  Actually, 901 was the Series number.  The practice of

assigning a model year chassis number was not applicable to the unit body

Zephyr, as it had been with the Model K.  The Zephyr's final test weight

with gas and oil was approximately 3,600 pounds.  With a standard rear

axle, the Model H had a top speed of 91 miles per hour.  This meant that

the car had been geared fairly low.  It could accelerate to 50 miles per

hour in just under eleven seconds, very good for the times.  Autocar

magazine reported an average fuel consumption of 17 miles to the gallon in

their road tests.  Motor magazine performed a three hundred mile test on

the Model H, and also reported very favorably on the car's performance. 

The Model H was an immediate success, and outsold the Model K ten to one.

    The introductory price of the two-door Sedan was $1,275, and the

four-door Sedan sold for $1,320.  These were the only two models offered. 

The small Packard and the LaSalle were priced approximately 10 percent

lower than the Zephyr.  Slowly, the Zephyr began to outsell them and the

Chrysler Airflow.  European designers like Ferdinand Porsche had been

interested in the car since it had gone public in 1933.  There is little

doubt that the Zephyr greatly influenced foreign automobile designs of the

1930s.  About a thousand RHD versions were built and shipped.  There were

908 Sedans, seven Town Sedans with Deluxe interior, and 25 two-door Sedans

exported this first year of production.  Three hundred Zephyrs were shipped

in knockdown (prime coat only) condition for export to France, Denmark, and

Holland.  The next year, over two hundred were shipped to Mexico.  The dual

glove box dash on the Zephyr prototype, was conceived for ease of

installation of a RHD or standard left-hand steering column.  This original

panel arrangement, in modified form, was used again beginning with the 1938

model year.

    The only mention the Zephyr gets in the Motor Service Encyclopedia of Automobile Facts is, "Alligator hood:  Lincoln introduces first

rear-hinged, front opening hood on 1936 Zephyr."  Indeed, the Zephyr did

set the standard for modern hood openings.  It also influenced grille

design by using a vertical grille with horizontal bars.  Two years later,

however, Zephyr would abruptly departed from the trend it set and return to

a vertical grille bar pattern, probably in an effort to be different from

other auto makers who began using the horizontal grille bar arrangement. 

Trunk space was a problem for the early Model H.  Access to the trunk was

through the rear-seat passenger compartment.  The back of the seat hinged

forward to access a small luggage compartment.  The streamlined rear deck

lid concealed only the spare tire.  The rear passenger doors opened

forward, popularly known as suicide doors.  The windshield was flat and one

piece.  Teardrop fender skirts enclosed the rear wheel wells, and were

standard equipment.  Other styling accents were three louver vents on each

side cowl, teardrop headlamps, missile-shaped tail lights, and a chrome

hood latch ornament which resembled an airplane.  Large round corners on

the windows characterized the 1936 and 1937 model years.  Features which

were down played were the floor gearshift, transverse leaf springs, solid

front axle, and mechanical brakes.  All were carry-overs from the Ford

line.  Regarding the lack of hydraulic brakes, most Zephyr owners claim

that properly maintained mechanical brakes stoped the car even better. 

Tires werre size 23x7.00 on 16 inch rims.  The new dropped center wheels

were of fluted pressed-on steel construction.

    The standard factory colors offered on the 1936 Zephyrs were:  Royal

and Ascot Maroons; Gunmetal and Stonington Grays; Cardiff and Meadow

Greens; and Cordoba.  Black was not offered until 1939.  Chrome hand rails

bordered the backrests on the front seats, lending a sort of Art Deco

appearance to the interior.  The headlight control was located on the

steering wheel center button.  The instrument cluster was similar to

earlier Model K Lincolns, basically two large round dials.  The left

contained oil temperature, fuel quantity, and battery charging indicators. 

The right cluster comprised the speedometer.  Both were located in front of

the driver.  A pullout round ashtray was located in the center of the

dash.  It was either removed or moved to the clock mounting hole on the

left when a (non-factory option) round radio was installed.  Ignition and

steering lock was on the lower right steering column.  The windshield wiper

control knob was at the top center of the dash.  Throttle, choke, lighter,

and panel light control were in front of the driver.  This rather plain

dash arrangement was only used for this first year of the Zephyr.  Options

for the new Zephyr were a clock, leather upholstery, and a set of fitted

luggage.

                            NINETEEN-THIRTYSEVEN

    In 1937, the Model H Series HB was introduced.  There had been a

positive buyer response to the new Zephyr Model H Series 901, Types 902 and

903.  The Series HB Sedan became the Type 730, and a Town Limousine version

was dubbed the Type 737.  A new-style business Coupe with either a shelf or

small auxiliary seat was introduced as the Type 700.  The two-door Sedan

became the Type 720.  Three prototype Convertibles were produced at the end

of the model year, and were built on the Type 730 chassis.

    Although the Zephyr Series HB differed very little outwardly from the

Series 901, there were many changes.  The horizontal grille bars sported

five new bright metal double bars, and the side cowl louvers now numbered

five.  The front and rear bumpers formed a slight V.  The interior

underwent a major rework.  Upholstery trim patterns were changed, but the

material choices remained the same.  The entire instrument panel was

redesigned and rounded.  It featured glove boxes on the left and right

sides.  A large speedometer was located on the center panel, and the lower

center dash formed a console which went all the way down to the top of the

transmission housing on the floor.  The radio receiver speaker and an air

heater duct could be mounted inside of this console.  The console was

forward of the exposed floor-mounted gear shift.  A smaller round dial

containing the non-standard clock was relocated to below the speedometer. 

Engine gauge clusters were installed either side of the speedometer, the

left ones for fuel and oil, and the right for temperature and charge.  The

windshield wiper control, starter button, choke and throttle remained in

approximately the same locations as on the 1936 model.

    A major functional improvement for the Zephyr was the mounting of the

spare tire on a hinged rack, which allowed access to the luggage

compartment from the rear deck lid.  The price of a new Sedan was slightly

lower.  A newly offered Town Limousine (with glass partition between front

and rear compartments) sold for $1,425.  The Zephyr's sales continued

upward, and its styling was now setting a trend.  Its influence was

apparent on the new Ford models introduced this year.

    The first production model Lincoln Zephyrs were labeled the Model H. 

Here again, we ascend the alphabet moving up from the Model K.  The second

year's production became the B version of the Model H or Series HB.  On

subsequent models, a number 6 representing the last digit of the year 1936

preceded the H (the first production model year for the Zephyr).  Beginning

in 1938, the last digit of the model year precedes the 6H.  Thus, the 1938

Zephyr became the Series 86H.

                            NINETEEN-THIRTYEIGHT

For 1938 the Zephyr line offered a Convertible Sedan Type 740, and a

Convertible Coupe Type 760.  The Series 86H underwent a remarkable front

end rework.  Unlike most model updates, these modifications actually

improved the Zephyr's appearance.  The hood now sloped very slightly

downward and squared into a V which was crowned with a streamlined hood

ornament trailing a chrome strip.  The hood release was relocated into the

interior, under the dash.  Breaking with the grille design trend which it

had set, the Zephyr was fitted with two large halves of a heart-shaped

grille on the lower front end.  Each half had a border around the outer

edge, and horizontal bars.  The new cowl trim was a Zephyr teardrop logo

trailing four chrome accented louvers.  The car now looked far more

aerodynamic, even though there is no record that it had ever been subjected

to a wind tunnel analysis.  Appearances sell cars, and the automotive

industry had learned its lessons well.  The 1938 Zephyr was recognized in

later years by the New York City Museum of Modern Art for its modernistic

styling.

    Mechanical changes and improvements on the Series 86H included the use

of hypoid differential, and hydraulic engine valve lifters.  The instrument

panel remained generally unchanged except that the engine gauges now

encircled the center mounted speedometer.  Other manufacturers were

converting to column gear-shift levers.  The Zephyr innovated a gear-shift

lever which appeared to come out of the side of the center console.  It

was, in fact, a floor gear shift which was elaborately curved.  A spring

action aided its shifting.  The Zephyr transmission had always been

synchromesh in the upper gears.  This curved and balanced gear-shift lever

arrangement proved to be one of the smoothest manual floor gear shifts ever

devised.

    The wheelbase on the Zephyr was extended to 125 inches, Tjaarda's

originally proposed dimension.  The engine and transmission were moved

forward slightly.  The drive shaft tunnel was lowered slightly, and was a

direct benefit of going to the Hypoid rearend.  The drive shaft actually

enters the differential below the axle line on a Hypoid gear rearend.  The

steering ratio of 18 to 1 was increased to 20 to 1.  The large Lincoln

Zephyr had always been easy to steer, due in part to the steering wheel

itself.  The new steering wheel was eighteen inches in diameter.  Even a

small woman could turn the wheel from a parked position, and even more

effortlessly with the car rolling slightly.  The accessories listed for the

86H Zephyr were washable San-Ton seat covers, lap robe, summer cushion,

fitted matched luggage, wind wings, locking gas cap, fresh air heater with

blower, rear heater outlets, defroster, fresh air outlets, license plate

frames, and center bumper guards.  Also offered were two styles of outside

rearview mirrors, a driver-operated spotlight, road lights (driving spots),

and a visor mirror.  Optional bright metal wheel rings were popular on

Lincolns and Fords of this era.  They were the forerunners of the full disk

hub caps that became so commonplace in the sixties.  From late 1938 until

1941, wheels were pin-striped in silver.  There was also a less popular

chrome inner hub ring which snapped behind the hubcap.  A new optional

radio was offered this year which mounted to the left of the speedometer,

in the same size rectangular instrument panel hole as the ash tray on the

right side.  A factory-installed cowl antenna was mounted on the right-hand

side by two insulator standoffs.  The battery was moved from under the

passenger side floor board to under the hood.  A generator voltage

regulator replaced the old-style electrical cutoff late in the model year.

                            NINETEEN-THIRTYNINE

    For 1939, the Series 96H was offered in Types H70 two-door Sedan, H72

Coupe, H73 Sedan, H22 Town Limousine, H74 Sedan Convertible, and H76 Coupe

Convertible.  New exterior color options included blues, tans, reds, and

black.  The hood came to a more pronounced point with a chrome airplane

hood ornament molded onto the nose.  Stylists sometimes refer to this as an

inverted "prow," as on the bow of a boat.  The grille bars were now

vertical and without the border trim.  The result was the best looking

Zephyr front end ever built.  (Although it had little to do with the book,

a 1939 Zephyr front end photo was used on the dust cover of Ford, The Men and Machine.)  Two chrome strips decorated the side of the engine cowl,

meeting at the red Zephyr V-12 teardrop logo.  This logo had been mounted

on the grille of earlier models.  A curved metal flange was added to the

lower part of the doors so as to enclose the rubberized running boards, and

was a vast esthetic improvement.  The front bumper now used two small bars

centered in front of the grille.  A small chrome strip began at the aft

lower edge of the front fender, and ran the length of the car to the rear

of the fender skirt.  This is referred to as the "rocker panel" chrome

molding.  Rear fender skirts latched on, and were operated by chrome lock

nuts.  This was the last year for the teardrop headlamps which went so well

with the Zephyr's overall streamlined motif.

    The story goes that Edsel had originally wanted hydraulic brakes

installed on the new Lincoln Zephyr, but Henry had said no.  During the

Zephyr's development, Edsel had two Ford cars equipped with hydraulic

brakes, and took Henry to see them demonstrated.  Both cars' brake systems

failed during the test, and Henry became even more adamantly opposed to

them.  Edsel, however, finally prevailed and the 1939 Zephyr was equipped

with hydraulic brakes.  The instrument panel's basic design remained

unchanged, but the speedometer dial was enlarged to enclose the engine

gauges encircling it.  For an additional cost of $150, buyers could

purchase a Custom Interior in a wider choice of colors.  Leather had been

an option for several years, and was especially popular in the convertible

body styles.

    The New York World's Fair of 1939 commemorated the 150th anniversary of

the inauguration of George Washington.  The Expo's concept was similar to

that of the Chicago Century of Progress.  Its theme was the World of

Tomorrow and how man's accomplishments could improve the world's living

conditions.  The symbol for the Fair was a giant Ball and Spire named the

"Trylon and Parsphere."  The ramp leading up to them was called the

"Helicline."  Exhibition buildings were on the same grand scale, and

included impressive pavilions by both GM and Ford.  Norman Bel Geddes

designed the "Futurama Exhibit" for General Motors.  Bel Geddes' concept

centered around the metropolis of the 1960s.  It was a large-scale working

model called "Highways and Horizons."  Walter Dorwin Teague, who did Ford's

pavilion, used actual cars to transport visitors up a spiral ramp and over

a futuristic expressway.  The Ford exhibit was named the "City of

Tomorrow."

                              THE HV-12 ENGINE

    The Lincoln HV-12 engine, as it was originally designed for the Zephyr,

was in theory an expanded Ford flathead V-8 which had been in production

for several years.  The Lincoln Zephyr twelve-cylinder engine was 75

degrees opposed versus the 90 degrees opposition on the V-8.  Making these

engines alike, allowed many parts to be similar in design and manufacture. 

Many small parts from fuel pumps to starters were of the same physical

design, and some were even interchangeable.  The stroke on the original

HV-12 engine was 2.75 (3 3/4) inches, and the bore was 2.75 inches.  The

displacement of the engine was 267.3 cubic inches (4387 cc or 4.4 liters). 

The engine developed 110 horsepower (36.3 taxable HP) at 3900 RPM as

compared to the 221 cubic inch Ford V-8, which developed 80 horsepower.

    Engines of the type and design of the HV-12 would produce good torque,

but were generally slow to accelerate due to the mechanical friction of

the  twelve cylinders.  Thus, the engine was coupled to a fairly low speed

rearend, a ratio of 4.44 to 1.  This meant that the engine must turn

approximately four and one-half times for each turn of the rear axle,

assuming a 1 to 1 transmission coupling.  The early Zephyrs had 4.33 to 1

rearends, a slightly higher speed axle.  The clutch was of the common

single plate centrifugal type.  A two-speed vacuum shift rearend,

manufactured by Columbia, became a very popular option on the HV-12 powered

Zephyrs.  It provided a sort of fourth gear for highway cruising at lower

engine RPM.  It also turned in better fuel economy figures.  The actual

reduction in engine RPM was 28 percent.  The engine could be coupled to the

optional Columbia rearend beginning in 1936.  An optional electrically

actuated overdrive unit, an automatic fourth gear unit mounted behind the

transmission, was introduced in 1941.  Engine RPM reduction was 30 percent

on this unit.  The Zephyr's standard transmission provided 2.82 to 1 ratio

in low gear, 1.6 to 1 in second, and 1 to 1 in high gear.  Thus, the

transmission was transparent in high gear, and allowed the drive shaft to

turn at the same speed as the engine.

    The HV-12 engine was an L-head design, like the Ford V-8.  This means

that the valves set to the side of the cylinder, and open upward into the

combustion dome.  The compression ratio remained 6.7 to 1 through the 96H

models.  The engine contained 5 quarts of oil, not counting the external

oil filter reservoir.  Early engine specification sheets, however, stated 6

quarts.  This was corrected by a Service Bulletin the second model year. 

Also, the original oil specified for the HV-12 was 40W below 32 degrees,

and 50W above.  This was revised to read 40W up to 90 degrees outside

temperature.  (It is worth noting here that oil standards were also

changing during this period.)  The oil quantity on the HV-12 engine was

measured by a float rather than a dip stick.  It was indicated by a red

circular pointer on a plaquard, aft of the carburetor, when the engine was

viewed over the left front fender.  It worked very well, but did not allow

for actual viewing of the oil.  This could be done only by draining some

oil from the pan.  An oil filter option was listed the second year of

production.  It required a drilled and tapped hole into the oil pan for a

return line.  It was dealer installed.  A factory installed oil filter

option was offered the third year of production.  The engine cooling system

contained 27 quarts of coolant.  Due to front end redesign, radiators were

not interchangeable between the 1938 and 1939 models.  There was no

radiator shroud on the engine, and the fan was too small with inadequate

blade pitch.  Both of these factors contributed to heat buildup at idle or

low speed operation on hot days.  The fan incorporated a unique centrifugal

spring clutch mechanism for vibration dampening.  One might assume that

this allowed it to disengage at high RPM, but it did not.  The twelve

cylinders and the 120-degree throw on the crankshaft made the HV-12 engines

smoother running than the older KV-12 engines.

    A lot of design thought was put into accessory redundancy on the

HV-12.  The large coil which mounted on top of the distributor, old style

Ford V-8 fashion, actually contained dual coils.  There were two

independent ignition systems which fired six cylinders each.  The

distributor caps and rotors fired three cylinders on the left bank, and

three on the right.  The coil was, however, dedicated to left-side and

left-bank or right-side and right-bank.  The left-side cylinders were

odd-numbered (1,3,5,7,9,11), the right-side cylinders were even numbered

(2,4,6,8,10,12).  The HV-12 would, in fact, run on six cylinders, although

it was difficult to start.  Two independent water pumps were also used to

help prevent the Lincoln from breaking down on the open road.  Nowadays,

one expects a car to operate trouble-free from coast to coast.  In the

1920s, this was not the norm.  Even into the 1930s, breakdowns were

common.  Like the famous Jordan Roadster advertisement, "Somewhere West of

Laramie," it might have been fifty miles between gas stations in the

western U.S.  It might also have been two hundred miles to the nearest

available service for a Lincoln.

    There had been subtle changes, and many minor improvements in the HV-12

engine over the first four years of production.  Hydraulic valve lifters

were installed in 1938.  These made the engine run quieter, but may have

added to engine problems because unless the oil was kept clean, the lifters

would malfunction.  In 1940, the 06H engine's displacement was increased to

292 cubic inches.  On this engine, the cylinder bore was 2.875 (2 7/8)

inches and the stroke was 3.75 (2 3/4) inches.  It produced 120 horsepower

at 3500 RPM (39.75 taxable HP).  Another change included the switching over

to the Holley from the Stromberg carburetor.  For the Series 26H in 1942,

the engine bore was increased to 2.9375 (2 15/16) inches.  The stroke

remained at 3.75 inches.  This larger displacement engine was 305.0 cubic

inches and developed 130 horsepower at 3800 RPM (41.4 taxable HP).  The

compression ratio was 7.2 to 1 on this larger displacement engine.

    In June 1945, production was resumed on the HV-12 engines using the

larger bore specifications.  Early sales brochures also stated that the new

HV-12 engines were 130 horsepower.  After 1,797 of these engines were

installed on Series 66H Lincolns and Lincoln Continentals, the V-12

returned to the Series 16H engine specifications (that being the 292 CID

configuration).  On the 26H engines, there had been problems with the block

castings shifting during boring which caused the cylinder walls to be too

thin.  The Series 76H and 876H Lincolns all used the 292 CID engine, and

the compression ratio (7 to 1) was lower than that of the year before. 

Production of the HV-12 engine ended on March 24, 1948.  A total of 182,129

of these engines were produced.  Most were delivered, but a few were

rejected and scrapped at the factory.

    The Zephyr V-12 engine had suffered, to some extent, from a poor

reputation over the years.  It was only fair to state that an enthusiast of

these engines will get downright upset when anyone blames these engines for

what they feel is out-and-out driver abuse.  Some historians tend to blame

Edsel Ford who was traditionally more attentive to styling than to

mechanics and engineering.  Actually, there is little or no basis in fact

for such blame.  Frank Johnson, Ford's top engine man, had been assigned

the job of designing an engine for the Zephyr.  The HV-12 was not a bad

design, but it was just never fully developed and tested.  The HV-12 had

the characteristics of a high torque engine.  Such engines did not lend

themselves well to stop-and-go city traffic.  Additionally, it was a large

engine which made it difficult to properly ventilate and cool.  The result

was a 30,000-mile engine in an era of 60,000-mile engines.  Some Model H

engines have, however, logged over 300,000 miles, but not without proper

and timely maintenance.  Many early Lincoln HV-12 engines were maintained

by local Ford dealers who sometimes did not understand that these engines

would simply not take the abuse of the little Ford V-8s.

    The HV-12 engines were plagued with excessive oil burning, and

nicknamed "mosquito killers."  The main cause of this was that the steel

alloy pistons were not compatible with the cast-iron cylinder walls.  Also,

the cast pistons tended to vary slightly in weight.  Inadequate hydraulic

valve lifter lubrication was often caused by dirty oil or the use of

incorrect oil grades, and the split or two-piece valve guides tended to

seep oil.  Lack of proper crankcase ventilation resulted in internal engine

varnish and oil sludge buildup.  The rear engine main seal would leak onto

the clutch plate, producing a kind of thud upon engaging.  Early HV-12

engines had aluminum cylinder heads sealed by copper head gaskets.  A

bimetal dielectric action occured around the head bolts, and these heads

became almost impossible for the unskilled mechanic to remove intact. 

Cast-iron heads were used beginning with the 26H engine, and were almost

always used as replacement heads.  The raised number on the engine cylinder

head casting located below the forward spark plug was not a serial number,

it was a part number.  The first three digits of any part number indicated

the correct or first model year it was used.  It was Lincoln's policy to

continue the prefix unchanged so long as the part was not modified from

previous years.

    An engine serial number on early Lincolns had been located on top of

the transmission bell housing, but this was not true of the HV-12. 

Beginning in late 1946, however, a number matching the chassis serial

number was stamped on top of the right side motor mount flange of the

block.  It is not likely you will ever see this on earlier model Zephyrs or

Continentals.  Today it is rare to find a Model H Lincoln with its original

engine, even though they might now have the correct series HV-12

installed.  The present trend is to restore and reinstall these engines,

but many Zephyrs and Continentals have had V-8 engines installed in them at

one time or another.  One of the telltale signs of such an installation are

the weld marks on the frame just aft of the V-12 engine mounts.  This is

where the shorter V-8 engine's forward mounts were positioned.  One of the

reasons it was so common to replace the V-12 with a Ford or Mercury V-8

engine was that the transmission and engine bell housings mated without

any  modification.  The most popular replacement for the HV-12 was the

5-9AB Mercury engine which produced excellent performance for a stock

flathead engine.  Lincoln Zephyrs and Continentals, because of their

universal styling appeal, have undergone many extensive engine and

transmission modifications.  It is not uncommon to find these automobiles

with late model Lincoln or Cadillac drive trains complete with automatic

transmission.  The 1960s Chrysler rear axles were often used for these

modifications as they had the correct tread and coupled easily to an

automatic transmission, unlike the enclosed Model H drive shaft.  The

Lincoln purists, however, make every attempt to return these cars to their

original well-performing and nostalgic configurations.  It was also popular

to cannibalize Zephyr transmissions for installation in Fords with

souped-up V-8 engines, because of the Zephyr transmission's higher

performance.

    The HV-12 was the last popular twelve cylinder used on an American

automobile.  Many of these engines are still operating today, and they are

highly prized by their owners.  Many NOS (new old stock) parts for these

cars are still traded.  Dealers like Earl Eberhart of Tulsa, Oklahoma,

trades regularly in used Zephyr and Continental parts.  Well-known Zephyr

expert Jake Fleming of Dallas, Texas, rebuilds the HV-12 dual coils by

boiling out the tar and remanufacturing them.  If you liked the old flat

head V-8 engines, you were destined to fall in love with the HV-12.  The

engine had no shortcomings that proper maintenance like correct tolerance

on valve guides, proper tappet clearance, and regular oil changes could not

cure.  Again, these were high revolution engines that should never be loped

or bogged down.  Skilled drivers downshift to prevent this.  A well

maintained HV-12 engine will run for 75,000 miles, burning only about one

quart of oil per 1,500 miles if modified to provide adequate exhaust

venting and positive crankcase ventilation.  The use of studs to replace

the bolts on cylinder heads also provides better head gasket seating.  The

engine oil pump needs greater output, but a later model V-8 Lincoln oil

pump can be easily installed, remedying this problem.  These and other

small tricks will improve the HV-12 engine's performance and greatly

increase its life span.  If it is so easy to accomplish these improvements

on an HV-12 engine, why did Lincoln not do it originally?  It is only

supposition, but probably for lack of testing and the belief that the

engine was adequate when new.

    The Lincoln HV-12 was a popular racing engine.  When properly geared

and tuned, it was a powerful and well-performing engine for its time. 

Zephyrs were raced at Daytona in 1936, Monte Carlo in 1937, and Langhorne

in 1939.  A Series 76H Lincoln finished, but was disqualified in the 1950

Mexican Road Race.  In 1951, race driver Les Keeton drove a Zephyr V-12 on

the Northern California stock car circuit.  The engine was standard

displacement, but used an Allard racing engine cam with adjustable valve

lifters.  The engine also had a chrome crankshaft and a greatly relieved

exhaust system.  Keeton's racing Zephyr was so successful that the rules

were changed, limiting engine displacement on the California tracks to 267

cubic inches.  This effectively eliminated all Lincoln HV-12 engines from

stock car competition.

    In Great Britain, Sidney Allard used the Lincoln HV-12 engine in

several of his Super Sports marketed extensively as rally cars.  These

Allards turned in some very respectable racing records.  They were

three-seaters with motorcycle fenders, later updated to envelope-fendered

bodies with counter sunk headlights.  Tom Tjaarda, himself a designer of

high-performance cars, claims that his  father's earlier rear-engine Zephyr

set the trend for today's modern mid-engine race cars.

    There were other Anglo-American HV-12 hybrids such as the Atlanta and

the Brough Superior.  Produced in Middlesex, England, the first Atlanta

used a Zephyr V-12 engine.  Built in 1938, they had a 120 inch wheelbase,

hydraulic brakes, and independent coil spring suspension all around.  The

first was a two-door Salon model with pillarless side windows, and a

drophead coupe body style was produced later.  Performance was excellent, 0

to 60 in thirteen seconds with a top speed of 101 miles per hour.  These

cars sold for approximately $3,500, slightly less for the sport

two-seater.  The styling of the Atlanta is said to have set the trend for

the Sunbeam Tiger and the AC Cobra.  The whereabouts of any of these cars

is unknown, although it is suspected that several survived World War II and

the scrap piles.  The Brough Superior's body was designed by Charles

Worth.  Its body lines resembled a rather low-profile Rolls-Royce.  Three

chassis were constructed, but George Brough only completed one with an

HV-12 engine installed, and that was in 1938.  The automobile was privately

owned and bore British license plate FAU999 in the mid-1970s.

                               NINETEEN-FORTY

    By 1940, the era of limited production custom bodied cars was coming to

an end.  The Lincoln Model K was finally dropped from the production

lineup, and the prestige Lincoln now became the Zephyr-based Continental. 

The Zephyr was a high-production automobile by Lincoln's standards, but not

by Ford's.  The Zephyr's annual model changes had mostly been held to parts

which were easily retooled like the hood, fenders, grilles, and chrome

trim.  Now, major changes were made to the basic Zephyr, changes that would

carry the chassis through to its conclusion with the 1948 model.  With

these redesigned bodies, Ford was taking more and more of the production

control away from Briggs.  During early Zephyr assembly, Briggs

manufactured fenders and even painted the cars.  Edsel Ford once joked

that, "The Lincoln Zephyr assembly line is only forty feet long.  We might

as well send the Ford mechanical parts to Briggs for completion."  The new

06H Zephyrs were introduced on October 2, 1939.

    The Convertible Sedan body style was dropped this year.  Also dropped

was the two-door Sedan which had been one of the two original Zephyr body

styles.  A new body style, a Club Coupe Type 77, was introduced.  The

standard business Coupe Type 72 became a 72A or 72B depending on whether or

not it had the auxiliary seating option.  These coupes are often referred

to as three-window coupes, abbreviated 3WC.  The auxiliary seat

configuration was occasionally referred to as Type 72AS.  The Type 73

Sedan, the Type 22 Town Limousine, and the Type 76 Convertible Coupe were

retained.  The Convertible now had a vacuum operated power top.

    The restyling and re-engineering of the Zephyr's unit body actually

produced a lighter-weight automobile.  It also provided more interior room,

and about 30 percent more trunk space.  The spare tire was mounted below a

lift-up shelf or false trunk floor.  Better safety glass was installed. 

The restyling also provided for about 22 percent more window area, a badly

needed improvement as the streamlined Zephyrs had always been a little

blind-sided.  The corners of the windows were much less rounded on these

models.  Independent crank-out vent windows were added to the front doors. 

The running boards were removed completely, although the doors and rear

quarter flared out at the bottom as if enclosing a running board as had the

flange on the 96H.  This lower body flare actually added to the Zephyr's

unique streamlined appearance.  Sealed beam headlights became standard

equipment, and are an easy spotters clue to a 06H over the 96H.  The

teardrop lights would have continued to go well with the new body styling

had the sealed beams simply been installed inside of them.  The instrument

panel was redesigned, deleting the dash-to-floor center console.  The

gear-shift lever was relocated to the steering column.  The speedometer and

engine gauge cluster were again moved to in front of the driver.  There was

a large speaker grille in the center of the dash.  In general, the rear

instrument panel looked like most of the standard dashes on cars of the

next two decades.

    Lincolns of this period had two placards on their firewalls.  The one

mounted in the center listed several Ford patents.  The other, located

towards the passenger side, was the body identification plate.  The body ID

consisted of three sections: the model year (Series), model style (body

Type), and production numerical sequence.  As an example, 06H-72-138 would

translate into a 1940, Type 72 (Coupe Style), the 138th body built for that

model year.  The first digit of the prefix denoted year model, a 9 for 1939

or 0 for 1940 and so on.  The second digit was always a 6 and stood for

1936, the first year the Zephyr was produced.  The H denoted the Model H

Lincoln.  The serial number was stamped in two places on the frame.  The

first location was just ahead of the left-hand motor mount on the left side

frame rail.  It faced outward and could be read when looking down into the

engine compartment over the left fender.  The second location could be

viewed from the ground looking up toward the gas tank filler pipe where it

was stamped on the lower part of the frame rail.  Supposedly, there were

serial numbers stamped on the upper frame rails, but Lincolns, unlike Fords

of the same era, cannot be unbolted from their chassis frame so this

becomes rather academic.

    The Lincoln body production rate was at an all time high.  A new

Michigan plant was completed in September at a cost of over one million

dollars.  The mono-construction of the Zephyr required over four hundred

spot welds, and hundreds of inches of arch and gas welding during

assembly.  An average body took about twenty-five assembly line hours to

produce.  The flow rate was about 150 cars per work shift.

                             NINETEEN-FORTYONE

    The 1941 Zephyr was basically a continuation of the previous year's

Series 06H.  An easy spotter's guide to the 1941 models are the parking

lights mounted on top of the front fenders, and the chrome border outlining

the grille.  The two half-heart grilles contained vertical bars.  This

Zephyr did not have a hood ornament per se, but more like a heavy chrome

ridge crowning the nose.  There were minor trim changes to the tail lights,

trunk latch, door handles, hub caps, and so forth.  This was the first year

that the overdrive unit, manufactured by Borg-Warner, was offered.  The

Columbia rearend remained an option.  Only on rare occasions were these

options installed together.  Delivery records indicate that only two such

cars were ever built.  The rear tread was widened, and several suspension

improvements were made.  Front and rear leaf springs were widened by a

half-inch, and the girth was increased by three inches.  Other suspension

changes which helped to produce a much softer ride included more efficient

shocks, a change to the spring shackle angle, and the addition of

inter-leaf inserts.

    Only one Town Limousine was built this year.  The convertible body

styles all came with electrically power-actuated tops as standard

equipment.  The body styles seemed now to settle into the more familiar

forms of the Coupe Type 72A & 72B, Sedan Type 73, five-window Club Coupe

Type 77, and two-door Convertible Type 76.  The interior door releases were

pushbutton.  Outside pushbutton door releases were used this year on the

Continental, but the door handles remained on the Custom and the Zephyr

models.  The handles were the pull-out type which operated mechanically the

same as the push-button type.

    The Gilmore Economy Run rules were such in 1941 that entries were

graded on ton-miles.  The Lincoln models won first and second place in this

event.  The lead Zephyr turned in a respectable 22.96 MPG.  Both cars used

Columbia rearends without overdrive.  By mid-1941, work had already begun

on the 1942 Series 26H.  Cadillac was now taking away a large percentage of

Zephyr sales.  Cadillac entered the medium-price field with one LaSalle

model priced a hundred dollars under the Zephyr.  The new LaSalle had a

powerful V-8 engine with quiet hydraulic valve lifters.  By accident or

design, the Cadillac Model 62 looked very much like a four-door Lincoln

Continental except for the trunk.  General Motors had gone to the

horizontal grille bar motif, a style used earlier by the Zephyr, but

improved by GM and popular with the buying public.  It was therefore no

surprise that the 1942 Lincolns, now on the drawing board, were longer and

wider with a new horizontal grille bar motif.

                             NINETEEN-FORTYTWO

    The 1942 Model H Lincolns were introduced in Dearborn on September 11,

1941.  Prices were raised two hundred dollars over the previous year. 

However, the invoice price now included federal tax and delivery (to

dealer) charges.  The Series 26H Lincolns were heavier, and their engine

horsepower was increased slightly.  They were no longer called Zephyr.  The

three model lineup was Lincoln, Custom, and Lincoln Continental.  For the

new Series 26H, all Lincoln hood noses were topped with a ball and single

large spire.  The spire looked very much like a Spartan's helmet with an

extra-large plume.  The Continental and Custom had shared a common hood

ornament in 1941, while the Zephyr had been basically without one.  Only

V-12 appeared on the grille, located at the top of the center strip.  The

name LINCOLN in black letters on a chrome placard was mounted on the nose

of the hood just above the grille.  The knight's head crest logo, in green,

was mounted separately above the nameplate.  The hubcaps were now barrel

shaped with a rectangular LINCOLN name plate like the one located on the

hood nose.  All four hubcaps were the same.  Like most new cars of this

year, the Lincolns had stamped, stainless steel grilles instead of the

brightly polished die-cast chrome zinc alloy grilles.  Most of the increase

in Zephyr size was obtained by the retooling of the fenders and minor body

parts.  The chassis remained essentially the same.  The overall length of

the car was extended seven inches, and the width almost five inches.  They

were lowered by flattening the springs slightly, and by the changeover from

16 inch to 15 inch wheels.

    The interior dimensions remained unchanged, but more luxurious

interiors were now being offered.  Outside push-button door releases were

installed on all models.  This style of door opener afforded safety and

style.  One of the most obvious components that the Zephyr did not share

with the Continental was the instrument panel.  The styles were basically

of the same design, but the control knobs and cigarette accessories border

the speaker grille on the Continental while on the Zephyr, they mount

below.  The Custom Types 31 and 32 instrument panels were similar to the

Zephyr, but with square clock and ash tray.  A vacuum-operated radio

antenna and power-lift windows were optional.

    The Zephyr so set the trend for Ford styling that those who do not know

the design chronology often refer to them as the Big Fords.  However, it

was the other way around.  Had Henry Ford set out in 1939 to have someone

design a Lincoln after the Ford, there is little doubt that the resulting

automobile would have been something similar to the Lincoln Zephyr.

    The word "zephyr" means a light breeze or refreshing wind.  The

streamlined Zephyr automobile came like the wind, left like the wind, and

was indeed refreshing.  Whether these automobiles were really fast or just

look fast, we leave to conjecture.  The car was comfortable to ride in and

strikingly appealing in appearance.  These Lincoln motorcars passed quickly

over the land, both relatively and figuratively.  Like Margaret Mitchell's

civilization, these fine automobiles and the men who created them are gone

with the wind.