1942 Lincoln "Brunn Body" at auction...Russian Consulate Custom

[Gerczak]

I came across this beast of a car at auction which I thought might be of interest.  1942 Lincoln "Brunn Body" Limo V12 disassembled but included.  What is your estimate to get this back to road-worthy condition?  Is it worth saving?

 

https://bids.auctionbypearce.com/auctions/29594/lot/3655532-1942-lincoln-town-car-12-limo

 

Ends 2/21/24.  If you might be interested, there is a Pantera listed and a full Locomotive going on the 2nd sale.

 

[1939_Buick]

 

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What is your estimate to get this back to road-worthy condition? 

Absolute guess 5-10-50 times the retail value.

If folks could make $$ it would have been put back on the road decades ago.

 

Quote

 

Rare 1942 Lincoln Town Car 12 "Brunn Body", previously owned by Royce Kershaw Sr as part of his private collection.  VIN#LV1242.  V12 is out of the car but included (disassembled).  A very rare, Brunn Body production car.  Convertible top over Chauffeur.   Notes found in files show that this car was originally purchased new by the Russian Consulate in New York City.  Registered in Alabama as a limousine.  Perhaps the rarest car in this Auction!

Alabama Bill of Sale Only and copy of an Alabama registration included.

 

 

 

Edited February 13 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[Dave Wells]

If they ever made an uglier Lincoln, I can't recall it. 

This one belonged to Mrs. Edsel (Eleanor) Ford.  Her 1948 town car even has a continental kit.

 

Another attempt in 1952, not much better, even with the padded top. (also Mrs. Ford's)

Edited February 13 by Dave Wells (see edit history)

[m-mman]

43 minutes ago, 1939_Buick said:

Notes found in files show that this car was originally purchased new by the Russian Consulate in New York City

Hummmmm……in 1942 Russia had been at war nearly 3 years.  Certainly they maintained a consulate in NYC but I highly doubt that a custom built limousine (any make) would have been of interest to them.  

[wayne sheldon]

3 hours ago, m-mman said:

Hummmmm……in 1942 Russia had been at war nearly 3 years.  Certainly they maintained a consulate in NYC but I highly doubt that a custom built limousine (any make) would have been of interest to them.  

 

A complicated time in Russian history. Stalin was head of the USSR at that time, and forced into war by German invasion. He certainly did not care about the Russian people, but was still trying to feign friendly to the US. I could certainly see them spending good money on an embassy car.

The truth is that Stalin had absolute plans to eventually invade the US, and Germany's attempt to take over the world put an end to them. Think about that for a few minutes?

 

Interesting car. Ugly no matter how I look at it.

[1957Birdman]

To paraphrase Forest Gump, ugly is as ugly does. This isn’t just ugly, it is Pontiac Aztec ugly!

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

[alsancle]

The "high hat" era was not the best for styling.   However, that thing is really cool and I'll bet it goes cheap because of the looks.     Lots of less interesting things to throw your life at.

[58L-Y8]

With the end of the last of the big Lincoln Model K for the 1939 model year, Edsel Ford continued contracting with Brunn for a few open-front formal town cars on the 125" wb Lincoln-Zephyr platform.  Recall the Lincoln-Zephyr platform was semi-unibody construction though Brunn still built with the aluminum-over-wood-frame composite method.  The production record list four were built for 1940, and five for 1941, assigned Body Style No. 36.  Brunn closed down their custom body operations late in 1941. The last few received the 1942 styling update as this car has, postwar a few were updated with the 1946-'48 diecast grille.  Truly a last scion of the open-front, chauffeur-driven town car era

Edited February 13 by 58L-Y8
addendum comments (see edit history)

[JACK M]

You can call it ugly, but I like it.

[wayne sheldon]

5 hours ago, JACK M said:

You can call it ugly, but I like it.

 

I - DID - call it ugly, and it is too new to really interest me, but frankly, I too like it!

It is/was a very important time in history, both world and automotive. A last automobile vestigial of earlier wealth and opportunities being crushed by a war for world domination. The 1929 crash and following depression certainly helped that world political shift along!

This particular car is a touchstone of both world and automotive histories at a crucial turn in time (for humanity).

The "high hat" styling of the car doesn't really blend well with the sleek modern (for 1940!) front end. But somehow to me it gives the car a uniqueness that I find attractive.

[jj5794]

As an aside,

 

Hermann Brunn, of the Brunn and Company coachbuilding company family, is said to have been largely responsible for the interior of the 1969-1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III.

 

Jim Vesely

ROA # 7437

BCA # 39477