1940 Lincoln-Zephyr Continental Cabriolet
The Continental began as Edsel Ford’s personal car (a one-off built for a 1938 vacation to Florida that generated enough admiration to justify a limited production run for 1940).
Ford stylist Bob Gregorie’s design took the Lincoln-Zephyr as its starting point, then lowered the roofline and stretched the hood, producing proportions that read as decidedly more European than anything else in the American market.
The split vee-shaped grille, minimal bright trim, and power-operated soft top complete a profile that holds up as one of the stronger American designs of the pre-war period.
At $2,840, the Cabriolet was among the most expensive domestic cars available when new, and with 350 built for the 1940 model year, it was rarely seen.
Gold-tone interior hardware and instrumentation, along with polished aluminum cylinder heads on the engine, communicated the car’s positioning within the Lincoln lineup.
The 292 cubic-inch flathead V12 produced 120 horsepower (enlarged from 267 cubic inches for 1940), backed by a three-speed manual gearbox.
The 1940 model year was the only one in which the Continental appeared under the Lincoln-Zephyr name; for 1941 it became its own separate model line.
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