Lincoln Zephyr V-12 sedan
Its pointed nose, hidden rear wheels and flowing roof made this big V12 sedan look as if the wind had shaped it.
1936 Lincoln Zephyr at The Henry Ford · Greg Gjerdingen · CC BY 2.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Lincoln needed a more attainable car after Depression-era buyers turned away from its $4,000-plus Model K. The $1,300-class Zephyr arrived for 1936 with a streamlined body based on work by John Tjaarda and Eugene 'Bob' Gregorie. Under the long hood was a 267-cubic-inch V12, but the car's real revolution was visual: integrated headlights, a V-shaped grille and a teardrop silhouette brought aerodynamic style into Lincoln showrooms.
Look a little closer.
The Zephyr was so important that it accounted for more than 90 percent of Lincoln's 1936 model-year production.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Streamlining you could see
The Henry Ford describes a complete visual system: teardrop profile, V-shaped grille, headlights blended into the fenders, close-fitting rear fenders, skirts over the rear wheels and even streamlined taillights. The design was based on work by John Tjaarda and Ford stylist E. T. 'Bob' Gregorie.
Source: The Henry Ford · 1936 Lincoln Zephyr sedan ↗A luxury rescue plan
The museum's preserved 1936 sales-brochure record places the Zephyr in its business setting. Lincoln's expensive Model K had suffered sharply lower sales, so the roughly $1,300 Zephyr was intended to bring buyers back. Its more-than-90-percent share of Lincoln's 1936 production shows how decisively that strategy changed the marque.
Source: The Henry Ford · 1936 Lincoln Zephyr sales brochure ↗Where these facts come from
- The Henry Ford · 1936 Lincoln Zephyr sedan
- The Henry Ford · 1936 Lincoln Zephyr sales brochure
- Lincoln Media Center · Lincoln celebrates a century
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.