Description
Year: 1942
Body Style: 2dr Cabriolet
Engine: 130hp 292 cu. in. side valve 12-cylinder engine
Exterior Color: Victoria Coach Maroon
Interior Color: Red Leather Upholstery
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual Transmission (3 on the tree)
History of the 1942 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet:
The first Lincoln Continental was rushed to completion by Bob Gregorie, head of Ford’s Design Department, as a one-off for Edsel Ford. Among the shortcuts taken in order for it to be ready in time for his upcoming vacation was the elimination of almost all exterior brightwork. Thus, the elegant, unembellished styling that has become one of the Continental’s hallmarks was, at least in part, a serendipitous maneuver.
The Continental was highly praised by Edsel’s Florida circle and the decision was made to put it into production in 1940. In fact, its design was so well received the Museum of Modern Art selected the Continental as one of eight automotive works of art. A tribute to its quality, Edsel Ford’s taste, and talents of Bob Gregorie’s design department, it continued to be built through the 1948 model year.
By 1941, the big Model K Lincoln was gone; the Lincoln-Zephyr was the Lincoln. A Custom limousine was its flagship and the sylphlike Continental its siren. E.T. “Bob” Gregorie’s yacht-like lines evoked smooth sailing on the seas. But the times, they were a’changin’. General Motors’ new bodies that year were making the fashion statements, and Ford chose to answer.
For 1942, the modernist style dictated a more massive front end, more like Cadillac’s, so the fenders were bulked up and the nose was given a wide horizontal grille with sophisticated thin chrome bars. The nose and fenders aside, the Continental kept its original distinctive features, most importantly the exposed spare tire, to which the model would give its name as other automakers and aftermarket vendors offered accessory imitations.
