Lincoln Continental (1939)

Lincoln Continental (1939)

The Lincoln Continental introduced in 1939 was a personal-luxury automobile conceived under the auspices of Edsel Ford at Ford Motor Company as an elegant, coachbuilt response to custom bodies commissioned by prominent figures such as Henry Ford and Henry Ford II. Combining influences from European touring car traditions, American coachbuilders, and the burgeoning personal luxury car segment, the Continental embodied bespoke aesthetics, restrained proportions, and automotive artisanship tied to notable designers and firms across Detroit and Dearborn.

Development and Design

Development of the 1939 model began in the late 1930s when Edsel Ford commissioned a special coachwork coupé for personal use, working with designers and coachbuilders including Earle A. MacPherson, John Tjaarda, and the industrial stylists at Ford Motor Company. Influences included Italian coachbuilding and the work of Pininfarina, while American custom bodies by firms like LeBaron and Brunn informed proportion and silhouette choices. The Continental’s design prioritized a long hood, short deck, and integrated trunk surmounted by a spare-tire bulge—stylistic cues echoed in contemporaneous offerings from Packard, Cadillac, Chrysler, Buick, and Oldsmobile. The vehicle’s two-door convertible and coupe variants featured flowing fenders, a recessed grille, and minimal chrome compared with the ostentation of 1930s American cars; these touches referenced European grand tourers and coachbuilt Bentley and Rolls-Royce etiquette. Interior appointments reflected high-end materials sourced from suppliers that also served Lincoln-Zephyr and luxury coachworks, and interior trim trends paralleled those seen in DuPont and Tuxedo Park commissions.

Technical Specifications

The Continental rode on a modified Lincoln-Zephyr chassis with a 126-inch wheelbase and employed a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR layout) configuration familiar to contemporaries like the Packard Super Eight and Cadillac Series 60. Powertrain options were drawn from Lincoln and Ford engineering practices; the platform accommodated Lincoln’s V12 powerplants related to the Lincoln-Knight lineage and Ford’s developing flathead V8 architecture that underpinned many Ford Motor Company products. Suspension used longitudinal springs and hydraulic dampers similar to those specified by Hertz, while braking systems used hydraulic drums derived from industry suppliers like Bendix. The body used steel panels over a boxed frame, and coachbuilders often executed bespoke alterations—examples paralleling bespoke work for Marcel)), James Cunningham and others—resulting in notable variation in curb weight, aerodynamics, and performance metrics such as top speed and fuel consumption. Electrical systems echoed standards found in 1930s automotive electrics with 6-volt systems, generator charging, and accessory fittings shared with Lincoln-Zephyr and Mercury models.

Production and Variants

Production was limited and intertwined with coachbuilding firms and in-house special-orders at Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln Division. Early Continental cars were hand-built in small numbers in 1938–1939, with examples bodied as two-door convertibles, coupés, and occasional four-door sedans. Coachbuilders and design houses involved in variants included the likes of LeBaron, Brunn, Craftsman, and other custom houses serving elite clientele such as industrialists and Hollywood figures represented by agencies like MGM and Warner Bros.. Special-order bodies were common, echoing practices of contemporaries such as Rolls-Royce’s bespoke program and Duesenberg’s custom coachwork. Production volumes remained modest compared to mass-market Ford and Mercury lines, and surviving examples often trace provenance through archives of Edsel Ford and dealership ledgers.

Market Reception and Sales

Market reception among affluent buyers, celebrities, and corporate executives mirrored the car’s bespoke origins: praise from critics at periodicals like Motor Trend-era publications and endorsements by public figures elevated the Continental’s cachet above mainstream Ford products. Sales were constrained by price positioning against competitors including Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln-Zephyr and European imports such as Bentley and Mercedes-Benz. Economic realities of the late 1930s—shaped by recovery from the Great Depression and shifting consumer tastes—meant the Continental targeted a niche clientele seeking exclusivity akin to patrons of custom coachbuilding and luxury marques represented at high-society venues such as Waldorf-Astoria and Beverly Hills. Dealer networks in markets like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London handled select sales, and press coverage in automotive and society columns cemented its image among elites.

Legacy and Historical Significance

The 1939 Continental’s importance resides in its role as a prototype of the American personal-luxury and bespoke coachbuilt vehicle tradition that influenced postwar Lincoln models and the broader personal luxury car trend culminating in later Continentals of the 1940s and 1960s. It informed corporate styling directions at Ford Motor Company under figures like Edsel Ford and later Henry Ford II, and inspired designers in subsequent decades working at firms such as Chrysler Corporation, General Motors, and luxury divisions like Cadillac Fleetwood. The vehicle’s association with coachbuilders revived interest in artisanal coachwork and impacted restoration movements and preservation efforts championed by organizations including the Antique Automobile Club of America and museums such as the Henry Ford Museum and National Automobile Museum. As a cultural artifact, the Continental bridged American and European tastes, linked industrialists, Hollywood, and high society, and remains a subject of study among historians of automotive design, curators, and collectors active in classic-car auctions run by houses like RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams.

Category:Lincoln vehicles Category:1930s automobiles Category:Personal luxury cars