My knowledge of cars falls off of a cliff when discussing pre-1955 cars, so bear with me a little bit here, but I’m certain I can say that the Lincoln-Zephyr is at least one of the most desired prewar cars out there. This 1939 coupe is sitting on eBay right now and even in it’s fresh-out-of-storage condition, finding a flathead V-12 powered three-window coupe with everything (the glass and front bumper do come with the car) has to be getting close to a miracle anymore.

This Lincoln-Zephyr’s story comes into it’s own about 1964, when the car changed hands to the owner previous to the current, who had the car painted light blue, drove it for a bit, then parked it in the early 1970s to prepare it for a restoration that never came. The coupe was forgotten and sat for over forty-something years until it was drug out of the barn earlier this year. The V-12 is still in the engine bay and according to the seller, was in good mechanical condition when the car was parked. They haven’t tried to crank the motor over to see what happens, and I don’t blame them…it isn’t everyday you get to put your hands on a V-12 from any manufacturer.

Inside is about as stock as one can expect, with the original darker blue paint appearing on the dash. I can only imagine what that front bench seat would feel like restored to it’s proper condition.

The Lincoln-Zephyr has issues and rust, but as complete as it is, you know someone will sink the money into this car to bring it back to glory. What kind of glory, however, is up in the air. If we had the money, we would do the most minimalistic restomod you’ve ever seen: upgraded brakes and safety gear, an overdrive manual transmission, and stock just about everything else, including the V-12. You know the saying, “a diamond in the rough”? This is like finding a crown jewel in a haystack…just needs some polishing.

eBay Link: 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr 3-window V-12 coupe

(Courtesy: Bring A Trailer)