Pristine 1942 Lincoln Zephyr, V-12 Touring Car with suicide doors

Introduced on November 2, 1935,[3]as a 1936 model, the Lincoln-Zephyr was extremely modern with a low raked windscreen, integrated fenders, andstreamlinedaerodynamic design, which influenced the name "zephyr", derived from theGreekwordzephyrus, or the god of thewest wind. It was one of the first successful streamlined cars after theChrysler Airflow's market resistance. In fact, the Lincoln-Zephyr actually had a lower coefficient of drag than the Airflow, due in part to the prow-like front grille on the Zephyr. The Lincoln-Zephyr succeeded in reigniting sales at Lincoln dealerships in the late 1930s, and from 1941 model year, all Lincolns were Zephyr-based[4]and the Lincoln-Zephyr marque was phased out. Annual production for any year model was not large, but accounted for a large portion of the Lincoln brand's sales. In its first year, 15,000 were sold, accounting for 80% of Lincoln's total sales.

Production of all American cars halted in 1942 as the country enteredWorld War II, with Lincoln producing the last Lincoln Zephyr on February 10.[5]After the war, most makers restarted production of their prewar lines, and Lincoln was no exception. The Zephyr name, however, was no longer used after 1942, with the cars simply called Lincolns.