Champagne Green – A toast to Taylor Yeager and Hot Rods & Hobbies for this stunning 1937 Lincoln Zephyr
When the practice of customizing cars took off in the 1940s and ’50s, a common objective was to modify lower-priced cars to look like more expensive ones. You’d customize a Ford to look more like a Mercury, or alter your Chevy to look like a Cadillac. So, how does that strategy change when you customize a prestigious car like a ’37 Lincoln Zephyr? Typically, it means opting for more understated refinements instead of major alterations.
That was the approach when Taylor Yeager brought this ’37 Zephyr coupe to Hot Rods & Hobbies. “Taylor wanted a traditional custom, not something over the top, but a refined, gentleman’s build,” says Hot Rods & Hobbies owner Scott Bonowski. “The Lincoln Zephyr already has a beautiful design, so the goal was to make subtle enhancements, so understated that you’d almost think it came from the factory that way. The vision was to create a Zephyr worthy of a Paris auto show: elegant, timeless, and effortlessly beautiful.”
Using an Eric Black rendering as a roadmap, the Hotrods & Hobbies team began by updating the Zephyr’s unibody chassis with a Kugel independent front suspension and a four-link rear suspension, both employing Hydroshox hydraulic coil-overs for an adjustable ride height. Wilwood disc brakes were fitted behind custom 16-inch Curtis Speed wheels fitted with vintage Hollywood single-bar hubcaps.
Finding an engine builder to work on the Lincoln V12 flathead was challenging, but Harrell Engines came through and did a great job. The rebuild included vintage Austin aluminum heads and an Austin triple-carb intake topped with Stromberg 97s. A dual-coil ignition and PowerGEN alternator were part of the package, along with custom stainless headers and exhaust. The C4 automatic transmission benefits from a GearVendors overdrive.
Refinements to the swoopy Zephyr body were minimal, but impactful. They included a chopped windshield opening, shaved drip rails, hidden door hinges, rounded door corners, filled seams, smooth running boards, and other subtle enhancements. Hot Rods & Hobbies mixed up a custom Axalta color they call Champagne Green to show off the body lines, while also crafting custom trim along the lower body. All plating was done by Ogden Chrome.
Elegance Auto Interior worked its magic inside, stitching green leather and custom cloth in clean, classic patterns on the seat, door panels, and other soft parts. The original gauges were restored by Redline Gauge Works, while Steering Wheel Kris recast the wheel and dash knobs in custom alabaster pearl. A rear-mount A/C system keeps things cool.
The finished Zephyr hits on all 12 cylinders and achieves the objectives Taylor had for the project. The classic Art Deco coupe has been refined into an elegant, timeless custom that exudes equal doses of class, style, and grace.
Congratulations to Taylor Yeager for becoming a Goodguys 2026 Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs Custom of the Year Finalist with his sexy-deco 1937 Lincoln Zephyr.
Photos: Michael Christensen, Damon Lee
