Futuristic Style: 1939-41 Lincoln Continental (Part II)

Automotive style really began to evolve into what is seen as 'modern' automobile design (incorporation of front fenders into the hood, the inclusion of headlights as part of the body, graded windshield, more flowing lines all around) in the late 1930's and early 1940's. The new style went through a sort of gestation period between then end of automobile production for the public in 1942 and the resumption of production in 1945 and '46. By the end of the war, the transition was complete and post war cars looked very different from their pre-war companions.

While a few eccentric (mostly French) coachbuilders plopped modern looking bodies onto cars, the style didn't really become mainstream until the big American automakers, mostly Lincoln, Cadillac, and Chrysler began building modern looking cars. For this post, I'm going to focus on the 1939-41 Lincoln Continental.

Introduced in mid-1939, the Continental was a continuation on the theme started by the Lincoln Zephyr. The Zephyr, designed by John Tjaarda, helped bring Lincoln into the mainstream by increasing sales and prestige against Lincoln's main competitor, Cadillac. In updating the Zephyr, stylist Bob Gregorie squared off some of the bumps and gave the car a more French look to it. The design was approved without any changes by Edsel Ford. The car was produced until the beginning of WWII and powered by a V12 engine that would carry over into the early post-WWII cars. Frank Lloyd Wright was also an admirer of the car, but his modified versions didn't carry the same artist beauty as his architecture.