After acquiring the Lincoln Motor Company in 1922 as it teetered on the brink of failure, Henry Ford charged his son Edsel with reorganizing it into a thriving luxury flagship. The younger Ford recognized the need to shake Lincoln’s outdated image with a reputation for conservative design and pushed the company toward offering an array of semi-custom bodies directly from the factory. This move vaulted the marque into the upper echelon of opulent American automotive manufacturing, alongside the likes of Cadillac and Packard. Within one year, Edsel’s management style and keen eye for design had increase Lincoln’s sales by 50 percent and made the company profitable.

In keeping with its affluent competitors, Lincoln offered bare chassis to be fitted with either bespoke bodies or “semi-custom” bodies offered directly from the factory. Of all the coachbuilders to create bodies for Lincoln chassis, none is more closely associated with it than Brunn & Company. Edsel Ford had long been a fan of Brunn designs and worked out a deal which saw Brunn supply small batches of these semi-custom bodies directly to Lincoln. When they arrived in Detroit, they were fitted to Lincoln chassis and finished to customer specifications.

Among’s Brunn’s design contributions of the 1930s was the convertible Victoria, a two-door, five passenger convertibles. This design appeared for 1938 on the 136-inch wheelbase Lincoln Model K chassis. One of the catalogued semi-custom offerings, only eight were ultimately produced.

One of these examples of Art Deco opulence is offered here. Said to have benefitted from a recent restoration, this example is presented in deep burgundy over saddle leather upholstery. A tan fabric soft-top, dual side-mount spare tires with covers, and leaping greyhound hood ornament round out the period features. Inside, the sleek, burgundy dash features a wide, angular speedometer flanked by a clock and multigauge. The dash also houses the desirable options of a radio, heater, and cigar lighter.

One of just eight examples built, this Lincoln Model K Victoria embodies streamlined American luxury and is a truly rare find.