Junkyard Gem: 2006 Lincoln Zephyr

The Lincoln Motor Firm went all-truck for its North American choices within the 2021 mannequin 12 months, saying the dying sentence for the Continental and MKZ sedans in 2020. The MKZ was the sibling to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan (the latter automobile discontinued in 2011 when your entire Mercury Division received the axe), however it wasn’t referred to as the MKZ for its first mannequin 12 months of 2006. For that one 12 months, it was given a reputation with deep resonance within the Ford Empire: Zephyr. This is a type of vehicles, present in a Denver boneyard not too long ago.

Ford’s first use of the Zephyr title got here when Edsel Ford spearheaded the creation of the futuristic-looking Lincoln-Zephyr for the 1936 mannequin 12 months. The Lincoln-Zephyr packed a flathead V12 engine underneath its hood, which is similar engine that turned a Mannequin A Ford right into a Cadillac-passing sizzling rod within the 1955 Charlie Ryan tune “Scorching Rod Lincoln” (the better-known 1971 cowl model by Commander Cody and His Misplaced Planet Airmen inaccurately refers back to the Lincoln engine as a V8; ex-Commander Cody frontman—and Iggy Pop’s highschool classmate—Invoice Kirchen nonetheless makes the V8 declare however he is earned the appropriate by now).

The Zephyr title disappeared from the Lincoln lineup after 1942. In 1950, Ford of Britain revived the Zephyr title to be used on a Dagenham-built saloon; British Zephyr manufacturing continued by means of 1972, and left-hand-drive variations of the Ford Zephyr had been bought in the USA from the 1952 by means of 1964 mannequin years. Mercury lastly received the usage of the Zephyr title, for the 1978 by means of 1983 mannequin years, on the Mercury-badged sibling to the Ford Fairmont. A Chinese language-market midsize luxurious sedan constructed by Changan Ford was given the Zephyr Reflection title previous to launch, however it hit showrooms final 12 months because the Lincoln Z. A lot historical past within the junkyard!

The saga of the title change from Zephyr to MKZ did not finish with the 2007 mannequin 12 months, although. Members of the Lincoln high brass spent some months insisting stubbornly that the brand new title must be pronounced “Mark Z” (apparently in reference to the nice Lincoln Mark vehicles of the previous or maybe the brand-new Mark LT pickup), however lastly acquiesced to the “Em-Kay-Zee” pronunciation utilized by all people else in the USA and the “Em-Kay-Zedd” pronunciation utilized by the remainder of the English-speaking world.

The inside of the 2006 Zephyr was fairly just like what you bought contained in the Fusion and Milan, however with actual wooden (maple or ebony) trim and customary leather-based.

The maple on this automobile has held up moderately nicely, by the requirements of car-interior wooden at age 17.

This automobile has extreme front-end injury, so we will not admire essentially the most un-Fusion/Milan-like grille and HID headlights. The Zephyr/MKZ did not look very like its cheaper siblings at a look.

Our reviewer again then felt that the Zephyr’s taillights had been “grandiose” and belonged on a Navigator, and that its probably gross sales rivals could be the Acura TSX, Buick Lucerne and Hyundai Azera.

Underneath the hood was the identical 3.0-liter, 221-horsepower Duratec V6 present in high-zoot variations of the Fusion and Milan that 12 months. The one transmission obtainable within the first-generation Zephyr/MKZ was a six-speed automated.

This automobile’s MSRP was $28,995, or about $44,697 in 2023 {dollars}. The 2006 Mercury Milan began at $18,345 ($28,280 at this time), whereas the Fusion could possibly be had for as little as $17,145 ($26,430). 

A lot of the under-60-something car buyers focused by these “attain larger” Zephyr advertisements had been taking a look at new SUVs by the mid-2000s.

Maybe Changan Ford will convey again the Zephyr title… or Ford of Mars may achieve this for an antimatter-powered monowheel machine in a half-century.