Of all the coachbuilders to body Lincoln chassis, none is so closely associated with the name than Brunn & Company, of Buffalo, New York. Lincoln President Edsel Ford was a long-time Brunn customer in good standing, resulting in the supply of “semi-custom” bodies in small lots to Lincoln, to be mated in Detroit to Lincoln chassis and finished to individual customer specification. The firm eventually became Lincoln’s specialist in town cars and convertibles, producing a wide line of soft-top broughams, cabriolets, victorias, and dual cowl phaetons. Among the most versatile of America’s coachbuilders, they were capable of both conservative and flamboyant design, as well as examples of everything in between.

Among Brunn’s contributions in the later half of the 1930s was the convertible victoria, a two-door, five-passenger convertible with blind rear quarters. This design has originally been conceived by Massachusetts coachbuilder Waterhouse, and after that firm’s shuttering in 1932, Brunn acquired the design rights and continued to produce their most famous creation. Over time, they made the convertible victoria their own, integrating retractable rear quarter windows for better vision.

This design appeared for 1938 on the “short” 136-inch wheelbase Lincoln Model K chassis, a catalogued “semi-custom,” of which only eight were produced. With long fenders that accentuated flowing, clean body lines, it was a perfect example of modern, late-1930s design, and it showed how well the original convertible victoria idea had translated through the years.

One of those eight convertible victorias was the car offered here, which was restored some time ago in Ford’s classic Washington Blue, with dark saddle leather upholstery and a tan Haartz canvas top. The original owner must have had unusual ideas, as the car lacks the side-mounted spares still common at the time, instead relying upon a single spare inside the enclosed trunk. To make up for the lost luggage space, an accessory trunk rack and old-fashioned trunk are installed, resulting in an unusual but pleasing combination of carriage trade and Art Deco styling cues. The paint and chrome throughout are excellent, and the engine compartment is nicely detailed, with any blemishes visible only upon closer examination. The car well-earned its Gordon Buehrig Award for the Most Elegant Convertible at the 2008 Auburn Concours d’Elegance.

An imposing and stunning design, this automobile is not only rare, but also a perfect entrant for the wide variety of shows, where its Brunn coachwork is sure to impress.