Arguably some of the prettiest cars ever built in this country are the ones built by Ford Motor Co. between the years of 1936 to 1940. Although Ford was on the right track in a fundamental sense, they didn't really hit their stride until Edsel Ford brought over a European designer by the name of E.T. "bob" Gregorie.
The first thing bob worked on was the Lincoln Zephyr line, and from the list of people who bought cars from Lincoln that year, his efforts were obviously successful. From Micky Rooney to legendary architect Frank Loyd Wright, everyone who was anyone wanted a Zephyr.
And rightfully so. Art deco inspired touches were evident everywhere on the cars. Even the nose of the automobile was made to resemble a ChrisCraft boat slicing through the water.
Additionally, 1940 was the year that the clunky looking "coupe sedan" was discontinued, and replaced with the 5-window club coupe. First year production numbers were correspondingly low, with less than 400 of the 5-windows ever being built. That number aside, the car was well received and plans for much higher production were on the table for model year 41. The Japanese navy, it would seem, had other plans, and on Dec. 7th of 1941 with the bombing of Pearl Harbor - all automobile production stopped. Nevertheless, the 40 5-window has, for as long as I can remember, been my dream car. My unicorn if you will (
shameless "gone in 60 seconds" rip off there)History aside, I probably could have picked an easier car to idolize than the second rarest and most expensive car Detroit made for that time. However, knowing the history, you resign yourself to the fact that your probably never going to get to own one. It was then with little more than total abandon that I reacted like a drug feign at a methadone factory when I found one of these cars sitting in a field in Idaho. No running gear, or interior (save the dash) but complete otherwise, right down to its 1940's Oregon title. FOR 150.00 BUCKS!
Needless to say...that car came home without a second thought.
The next post, and really to a greater extent all of the posts from now till the car is done, will be of what happens next. Where do I go from here- and how does it get built. There are multiple rust issues, and TONS of work to do. So, stay tuned...and see which happens first, me dieing of old age, or this car hitting the road! Its time I get to do what I never thought I would have a chance in hell of doing. I get to own, build and drive a 1940 Lincoln zephyr 5 window coupe.
