Hermann Brunn began building bodies for Lincoln during the Henry Leland era. After the Ford takeover in 1922, he and Edsel Ford hit it off very well, and new designs from Buffalo continued. Edsel preferred that his suppliers specialize in certain types of bodies. Thus Judkins was assigned berlines and coupes, Willoughby the limousines and LeBaron the convertible sedans. Brunn was given the task of specializing in town cars and convertibles: soft-top broughams, cabriolets, victorias and dual-cowl phaetons. Brunn was one of the first to offer a roll-up fabric top for the chauffeur’s compartment in open-drive town cars.

For 1937, Brunn came up with an entirely new line of bodies for Lincoln. The most attractive and prestigious was the Semi-Collapsible Cabriolet, an open-drive town car with a landaulet-style collapsing roof over the rear seat and a small enclosed luggage compartment at the rear. Just seven were built.

This car is one of those seven. An older restoration, it has been well-cared-for. The maroon paint is in very good condition and boasts a red pinstripe. The door handles, however, show some age. The chauffeur’s compartment is upholstered in black leather, which shows some scuffing at the seat riser. The passenger compartment is done in taupe cloth with matching carpet, all very nicely presented. There are smoking sets located on each side, and a crank-down division window and fold-out jump seats. Dual sidemount spares with mirrors and a fold-out trunk rack complete the equipment complement.

The engine compartment is very well detailed, with polished aluminum cylinder heads and porcelain exhaust manifolds. Dual external oil filters have also been fitted, as well as a Marvel Mystery Oil injector. The Pond Collection acquired the car from David McCraw of Cadez, Kentucky, in 1999.

As one of seven Brunn Semi-Collapsible Cabriolets, out of just 977 Model K Lincolns in 1937, this car is part of a very select constituency.