Gregor Wenner
Specialist Consultant
LOT 32
1938 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Convertible Coupé Chassis no. H48115
Sold for €30,240 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 32
€17,600 on mechanical work carried out in 2024
1938 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Convertible Coupé
1938 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Convertible Coupé
1938 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Convertible Coupé
Chassis no. H48115
Chassis no. H48115
• Believed to have been one of two delivered new in Belgium and supposedly belonged to Tintin creator Hergé
• Believed one of only 6 built in the first year of production
• Previously owned by the Fondation Maeght modern art museum
• Spectacular art deco styling and V12 engine
• Running condition
• Belgian contrôle technique valid until 2029
The Lincoln Zephyr was launched in 1936 and immediately became both a design icon and a sales success. Under that trilateral hood sat Lincoln's archetypal 267 cubic inch V12, developed from Ford's flathead V8, making 110 bhp and with a table-flat torque curve giving impressive highway performance. In 1938 a convertible model joined the range, and the Zephyr soon accounted for over 80 percent of Lincoln sales. Production was paused at America's 1942 entry to World War II and would recommence in 1946. The Zephyr name was dropped in 1947, with production ceasing a year later.
Built in September 1938 during the first year of Convertible production, it is believed that chassis H48115 was one of only two Zephyrs delivered new to Belgium, and one of six Convertible coupés built that year. The previous owner told the current vendor this Zephyr belonged to Tintin creator Hergé, who prominently featured an identical white Lincoln Zephyr driven by Captain Haddock in the thirteenth Tintin adventure 'The Seven Crystal Balls', first published in 1948. If the car was effectively delivered new in Belgium this theory would be plausible but unfortunately there is no supporting evidence or documentation at this stage. In single ownership for the past decade, the present owner purchased the Zephyr via an intermediary from the Fondation Maeght modern art museum in Saint Paul de Vence. In a mechanically sound condition, the Zephyr benefits from a recent €17.600 spend by well-known classic car specialist Philippe Sybille from Belgium. The bodywork remains untouched since numerous years and therefore shows a lot of patina. The original dark green interior presents well. A document folder includes confirmation from the Ford Motor Company that the chassis number is correct, a French carte grise, and a 2024 Belgian technical inspection certificate valid until 2029.
• Believed one of only 6 built in the first year of production
• Previously owned by the Fondation Maeght modern art museum
• Spectacular art deco styling and V12 engine
• Running condition
• Belgian contrôle technique valid until 2029
The Lincoln Zephyr was launched in 1936 and immediately became both a design icon and a sales success. Under that trilateral hood sat Lincoln's archetypal 267 cubic inch V12, developed from Ford's flathead V8, making 110 bhp and with a table-flat torque curve giving impressive highway performance. In 1938 a convertible model joined the range, and the Zephyr soon accounted for over 80 percent of Lincoln sales. Production was paused at America's 1942 entry to World War II and would recommence in 1946. The Zephyr name was dropped in 1947, with production ceasing a year later.
Built in September 1938 during the first year of Convertible production, it is believed that chassis H48115 was one of only two Zephyrs delivered new to Belgium, and one of six Convertible coupés built that year. The previous owner told the current vendor this Zephyr belonged to Tintin creator Hergé, who prominently featured an identical white Lincoln Zephyr driven by Captain Haddock in the thirteenth Tintin adventure 'The Seven Crystal Balls', first published in 1948. If the car was effectively delivered new in Belgium this theory would be plausible but unfortunately there is no supporting evidence or documentation at this stage. In single ownership for the past decade, the present owner purchased the Zephyr via an intermediary from the Fondation Maeght modern art museum in Saint Paul de Vence. In a mechanically sound condition, the Zephyr benefits from a recent €17.600 spend by well-known classic car specialist Philippe Sybille from Belgium. The bodywork remains untouched since numerous years and therefore shows a lot of patina. The original dark green interior presents well. A document folder includes confirmation from the Ford Motor Company that the chassis number is correct, a French carte grise, and a 2024 Belgian technical inspection certificate valid until 2029.
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