“They don’t make ’em like they used to” is a phrase that’s been used a lot. We’re willing to guess it’s been uttered quite a few times in regards to the Lincoln Zephyr of the 1930s and ’40s. The expression definitely fits our Pick of the Day, a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Sedan posted on ClassicCars.com by a Pennsylvania dealership.
One particularly interesting thing about the ’39 Zephyr Convertible Sedan is that Lincoln didn’t build too many of them in the first place: only 302 were produced. The 1939 model year also brought the introduction of hydraulic brakes and various styling changes, including reshaped bumpers and enclosed running boards.
According to an included information sheet produced for the 2005 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, only a dozen ’39 Zephyr Convertible Sedans were known to be in existence at the time. This one has remained on the road and in events thanks to a frame-off restoration, which resulted in fresh Neenah Cream paint, a new tan soft top, and an interior reupholstered in brown leather.
Production numbers aside, you just don’t see convertibles like this any more. Yes, you can lower the soft top on a four-door Ford Bronco, but that’s not a sedan and you have to remove the plastic rear side windows first.
Then there’s the engine and transmission combo this Zephyr has. America hasn’t produced a V12 in ages. Even Ferrari and Lamborghini haven’t made V12 manual cars in a long time. The McLaren F1 is 30+ years old. So is the BMW 850CSi. But this Lincoln has a 110-horsepower, 186-lb-ft 267ci L-head V12 paired with a three-speed manual gearbox.
Another thing this Zephyr has? Awards. This car cleaned up in the early 2000s, winning trophies from the Antique Automobile Club of America, Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club, and Lincoln & Continental Owners Club.
They certainly don’t make cars like this 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Sedan any more. And the number of survivors will only go down over time. You have your chance to get one of them right now for $85,000.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
