The
Lincoln Custom was a
customCustom may refer to:* Custom or customary law, laws and regulations established by common practice* Custom , a model of guitar made by Fender* Custom , stage name for New York based musician Duane Lavold...
limousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coach builder. These are referred to as "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or...
and long-wheelbase touring sedan from
Ford'sThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
Lincoln
luxuryLuxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury — pleasant or desirable features beyond strict necessity at increased expense ....
division, manufactured only in 1941 and 1942. It was a replacement for the large Model K Lincolns (produced from 1934-1939) and earlier luxury cars that had been well-known and respected through the 1920's and 1930's.
The Lincoln Custom was based on the Lincoln Zephyr, a smaller, unit-bodied, mid-range priced vehicle introduced in 1937 with a smaller 292 cu.
The
Lincoln Custom was a
customCustom may refer to:* Custom or customary law, laws and regulations established by common practice* Custom , a model of guitar made by Fender* Custom , stage name for New York based musician Duane Lavold...
limousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coach builder. These are referred to as "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or...
and long-wheelbase touring sedan from
Ford'sThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
Lincoln
luxuryLuxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury — pleasant or desirable features beyond strict necessity at increased expense ....
division, manufactured only in 1941 and 1942. It was a replacement for the large Model K Lincolns (produced from 1934-1939) and earlier luxury cars that had been well-known and respected through the 1920's and 1930's.
The Lincoln Custom was based on the Lincoln Zephyr, a smaller, unit-bodied, mid-range priced vehicle introduced in 1937 with a smaller 292 cu. inch V-12 (based on the Ford V-8). This car competed with the smaller Packard 110, Packard 120 and Cadillac Series 60 and
La Salle- People :* Gadifer de la Salle , French soldier of Norman origin* René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle , French explorer of North America* Nicolas de la Salle * Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle...
; smaller cars introduced in the mid-30's to a shrinking luxury car market. For example, the mighty Lincoln Model K sold only 3024 in the first year of its introduction in 1934 and only
133 units in 1939, the last year of production. 1940 saw only the Zephyr and the ultra-high priced
ContinentalContinental is the adjective form of continent. Continental may refer to:* Continental , an album by UK band Saint Etienne* Continental , a brand of dried and pre-packaged foods used by Unilever in Australia...
carrying the Lincoln name.
The wheelbase of the Lincoln Custom was 138 inches compared to the Zephyr's 125. Both vehicles used the same V-12 engine that was enlarged for 1942 to 305 cubic inches (130 horsepower). The engine was the weakest point of the 1942 models, being very prone to overheating and premature wear. The 305 cubic inch version was reduced to the 292 inch (120 horsepower) version after World War II in an attempt to promote longevity. The V-12 was the
only engine used in Lincolns until the totally new 1949 models came out with a flathead V-8 based on a Ford truck engine.
The 168H (1941) and 268H (1942) Lincoln Custom featured two models: the Model 31 eight- passenger sedan and the model 32 eight-passenger limousine. Differences included a division window and different front seat upholstery for the limousine. Both utilized a 3-speed
transmissionA transmission or gearbox provides speed and torque conversions from a rotating power source to another device using gear ratios, including for a motor vehicle partly because of the limitations of internal combustion engines...
with Borg-Warner
overdriveOverdrive may refer to:* Operation Overdrive , a scheme to improve public transportation in and around the Medway Towns in north Kent, England- In technology :...
. A small number were modified by the few custom coach builders left in the United States before the was. An interesting fact is that the 1942 models introduced power windows to the luxury car field; electric and hydro-electric powered limousine dividers having previously been offered.
Specifications were as follows:
1941 - Model 31 Sedan, 4250 lbs., $2750, 355 built
Model 32 Limousine, 4270 lbs., $2836, 295 built
1942 - Model 31 Sedan, 4380 lbs., $2950, 47 built
Model 32 Limousine, 4400 lbs., $3075, 66 built
For 1942, the Zephyr-based waterfall grill was changed to a broad full-width grill that extended above and below the hood and was also used in the 1946-1948 models (Lincoln sedan and Lincoln Continental). These changes were undoubtedly due to the major Cadillac and Packard grill design changes during these immediate pre-war years, whose production and sales far outpaced Lincoln.
After
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, production of these vehicles was not resumed. The former Zephyr became the only Lincoln sedan and was available in both standard and DeLuxe versions. The famous
Lincoln ContinentalThe Lincoln Continental was an automobile produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company between 1939 and 2002. Despite often sharing underpinnings with less-expensive Fords, the Continental was usually a distinctively styled, highly equipped luxury car.The flagship model Lincoln during...
remained as a limited production, very expensive (and not very reliable) semi-custom offering from the luxury division of Ford Motor Company. For 1949, a major revamp of the entire Lincoln line was made, eliminating the slant-back Zephyr and custom Contintental and introducing relatively modern V-8 power.
A special 1942 limousine was provided to the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
for the President's use. This car weighed more than 7000 lbs. and was refitted with a 1946 grill clip after the war for modernization.
CadillacCadillac is a luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors Company. Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mainly in North America....
and Lincoln vied for visibility and prestige by supplying limousines and other special vehicles to the White House (generally by means of a $1.00 per year or other low-cost lease arrangement).
PackardPackard was an American luxury automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
and
ChryslerChrysler Group, LLC is an American automobile manufacturer headquartered in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Michigan. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925. From 1998 to 2007, Chrysler and its subsidiaries were part of the German based DaimlerChrysler AG...
were rarely able to penetrate this exclusive market.
See also