The HV-12 was the last popular twelve cylinder used on an American
automobile. Many of these engines are still operating today, and they are
highly prized by their owners. Many NOS (new old stock) parts for these
cars are still traded. Dealers like Earl Eberhart of Tulsa, Oklahoma,
trades regularly in used Zephyr and Continental parts. Well-known Zephyr
expert Jake Fleming of Dallas, Texas, rebuilds the HV-12 dual coils by
boiling out the tar and remanufacturing them. If you liked the old flat
head V-8 engines, you were destined to fall in love with the HV-12. The
engine had no shortcomings that proper maintenance like correct tolerance
on valve guides, proper tappet clearance, and regular oil changes could not
cure. Again, these were high revolution engines that should never be loped
or bogged down. Skilled drivers downshift to prevent this. A well
maintained HV-12 engine will run for 75,000 miles, burning only about one
quart of oil per 1,500 miles if modified to provide adequate exhaust
venting and positive crankcase ventilation. The use of studs to replace
the bolts on cylinder heads also provides better head gasket seating. The
engine oil pump needs greater output, but a later model V-8 Lincoln oil
pump can be easily installed, remedying this problem. These and other
small tricks will improve the HV-12 engine's performance and greatly
increase its life span. If it is so easy to accomplish these improvements
on an HV-12 engine, why did Lincoln not do it originally? It is only
supposition, but probably for lack of testing and the belief that the
engine was adequate when new.
The Lincoln HV-12 was a popular racing engine. When properly geared
and tuned, it was a powerful and well-performing engine for its time.
Zephyrs were raced at Daytona in 1936, Monte Carlo in 1937, and Langhorne in 1939. A Series 76H Lincoln finished, but was disqualified in the 1950 Mexican Road Race. In 1951, race driver Les Keeton drove a Zephyr V-12 on the Northern California stock car circuit. The engine was standard displacement, but used an Allard racing engine cam with adjustable valve lifters. The engine also had a chrome crankshaft and a greatly relieved exhaust system. Keeton's racing Zephyr was so successful that the rules were changed, limiting engine displacement on the California tracks to 267 cubic inches. This effectively eliminated all Lincoln HV-12 engines from stock car competition.
In Great Britain, Sidney Allard used the Lincoln HV-12 engine in
several of his Super Sports marketed extensively as rally cars. These
Allards turned in some very respectable racing records. They were
three-seaters with motorcycle fenders, later updated to envelope-fendered bodies with counter sunk headlights. Tom Tjaarda, himself a designer of high-performance cars, claims that his father's earlier rear-engine Zephyr set the trend for today's modern mid-engine race cars.
There were other Anglo-American HV-12 hybrids such as the Atlanta and
the Brough Superior. Produced in Middlesex, England, the first Atlanta
used a Zephyr V-12 engine. Built in 1938, they had a 120 inch wheelbase,
Hydraulic brakes, and independent coil spring suspension all around. The
first was a two-door Salon model with pillarless side windows, and a
drophead coupe body style was produced later. Performance was excellent, 0 to 60 in thirteen seconds with a top speed of 101 miles per hour. These cars sold for approximately $3,500, slightly less for the sport
two-seater. The styling of the Atlanta is said to have set the trend for
the Sunbeam Tiger and the AC Cobra. The whereabouts of any of these cars is unknown, although it is suspected that several survived World War II and the scrap piles. The Brough Superior's body was designed by Charles Worth. Its body lines resembled a rather low-profile Rolls-Royce. Three chassis were constructed, but George Brough only completed one with an HV-12 engine installed, and that was in 1938. The automobile was privately owned and bore British license plate FAU999 in the mid-1970s.
