What is a Zephyr?

What is a Zephyr?

Many of us remember the Lincoln Zephyr, whether it be from the old days or even the newer ones made in 2006, but what is a Zephyr?

The Lincoln Zephyr was introduced on November 2, 1935 as a 1936 model. It was a very modern looking vehicle with a wind resistant look. The fenders were integrated into the wind resistant design. It was this aerodynamic streamlined designed that influenced the name Zephyr. The word Zephyr was derived from the Greek word Zephyrus or the Greek God of the West Wind, but the literary definition of the word Zephyr is “a soft gentle breeze” and that was the descriptive nature that Edsel Ford was looking for.

The Zephyr was originally designed and manufactured to compete with Cadillac’s LaSalle, the Chrysler Airstream and the Packard One-Twenty. Unfortunately, the Zephyr name was scrapped during WWII with the last one being built on February 10, 1942. It wasn’t until 2006 that the Zephyr name was resurrected by Lincoln, but in 2007 it was renamed the MKZ. Keyword: Windy

The next time you see a Lincoln Zephyr at a classic car event or driving down the road, look at the front end closely and you can visualize how “a soft gentle breeze” fits the name perfectly.

Photo Credit: All photos herein are the property the AP and were published by MyclassicNEWS with their permission and consent. All content herein, other than property published by permission, is the property of myclassicnews.com and any reproduction, other than normal social media sharing, is strictly prohibited. Copyright ©, myclassicnews.com. For reprint permission contact us at rick@duncanwalls.com