The LINCOLN LINK LINKINGThe TOGETHER LINCOLN ALL ELEMENTS OF THE LINCOLN MOTORLINK CAR HERITAGE Lincoln Motor Company Centennial 1917–2017 SPRING 2017 the lincoln link SPRING 2017 The LINCOLN LINK CONTENTS 3 Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum Update 5 Chairman’s Message: notes from David Schultz 6 Why the Need for a Museum Endowment? by Jack Eby 7 2017 Lincoln Clubs National Calendar 8 2017 Lincoln Homecoming to Recognize Founding of Lincoln Motor Company in 1917 10 The Peter J. Platte Lincoln Dealership, 1915–1934 17 The Museum Collection 20 Featured Lincoln Enthusiast: Stan Lucas 21 Museum Momentum: a report from Jim Blanchard 22 A Unique 1940 Lincoln-Zephyr Town Limousine by Brunn 24 “China Autohome” Spends Day at Lincoln Museum 25 Lincoln Designers, Product Planners, and Modelers Visit Lincoln Museum ■ THE LINCOLN LINK is the official news- letter of The Lincoln Motor Car Heritage LINCOLN MOTOR CAR Foundation Museum and Research Foundation, Inc., Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory BOARD OF DIRECTORS Road, Hickory Corners, Michigan 49060. Opinions expressed herein do not neces- DAVID W. SCHULTZ Chairman & CEO sarily represent or reflect Foundation JAMES D. BLANCHARD, JR. President & COO, policy. Newsletter contributions should be sent to the address above. Museum Director EARLE O. BROWN, JR. Executive Vice President ■ Earlier issues of The LINCOLN LINK are BRUCE M. KOPF Treasurer available as back issues. Price is $5 each, postpaid. C. JOEL DICKSON Secretary JOHN T. “JACK” EBY Chairman Emeritus ■ MEMBERSHIP IN THE LINCOLN MOTOR CAR FOUNDATION Thomas Brunner, President, Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club Membership categories: $25 Annual; $100 Annual Sustaining; $1000 Annual Mike Denney, Director, Road Race Lincoln Register Corporate; $1000 Lifetime (or four pay- John Talbourdet, President, Lincoln and Continental Owners Club ments of $250); Memorial ($500 mini- Eric van den Beemt, President, Lincoln Owners Club mum, please provide name of honoree). Send your name and a check to: Robert Anderson Dennis R. Garrett David Roycroft, M.D. Cornerstone Registration Ltd., P.O. Box 1715, Maple Grove, Minnesota 55311- Gerald A. Capizzi Al Giombetti Jack Shea 6715, or call 866 427 7583 and pay by Chris Dunn Darryl B. Hazel John L. Sweet credit card. Contact them by e-mail at Jerry Emery Robert Johnson Daniel Szwarc [email protected]. James D. Farley+ Vaughn A. Koshkarian Jack Telknack ■ ON OUR COVERS: Front, a Liberty motor Kumar Galhotra* Lee R. Misowski Paul C. Temple built by the Lincoln Motor Company prior H. Gene Nau to shipment to the Smithsonian; back, an original magazine advertisement promot- + Executive Vice President and President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, ing the 1965 Lincoln Continental four-door Ford Motor Company convertible. * Vice President, Ford Motor Company and President, The Lincoln Motor Company 2 SPRING 2017 ■ Added to the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum’s holdings during 2016 was the 1941 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet owned for more than half a century by former LCOC president L. Dale Shaeffer, generously donated by his family. Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum Update BY DAVID SCHULTZ mally donated his 1949 Lincoln of a 1926/7 Lincoln L chassis. LMCF Chairman Cosmopolitan convertible, which Donated by Arnold Schmidt, had previously been on loan. the chassis was restored by Paul HE LINCOLN MOTOR During Mr. Fehr’s ownership, the Van Stratton and his team of Car Heritage Museum car benefitted from a complete volunteers. Major funding came ended the year on a high restoration to as-original condi- from the Nau Family, in memory note, with the donation tion. of long-time Lincoln enthusiast of two automobiles to During 2016, individuals from Gerry Nau. Several LOC mem- Tthe museum’s growing group the Lincoln marketing depart- bers donated parts. of classic Lincoln motorcars. Of ment, Lincoln product planning • The loan of a 1946 Lincoln equal significance, three separate department, and Lincoln design Continental cabriolet by David groups from Ford Motor department visited the Lincoln Bunch of Florida. This is a one- Company visited the museum! Motor Car Heritage Museum. off car customized by Lincoln’s The Dr. L. Dale Shaeffer Among the individuals visiting design department. Unique family of Michigan donated the museum were Moray Callum, features include a custom color, Dr. Shaeffer’s 1941 Lincoln Vice President, Design Ford wheel covers painted body color, Continental Cabriolet, which Motor Company, and David Haartz cloth top and chromed he had owned for more than Woodhouse, head of Lincoln spare tire carrier. 60 years. Dr. Shaeffer was the design. Each of them brought • The loan of a freshly-restored second president of the Lincoln their respective teams. The visits 1940 Lincoln Continental Continental Owners Club were hosted by LMCF board Cabriolet by Lincoln Motor Car (LCOC). His widow and chil- members Jim Blanchard, Jack Foundation Chairman-Emeritus dren attended the 2016 Lincoln Juratovic, Vaughn Koshkarian, Jack Eby, who has led the LMCF Homecoming for a formal dona- Bruce Kopf and David Schultz. for many years. tion ceremony. Also taking place during 2016: • A LMCF capital campaign Randy Fehr of Iowa for- • The completed restoration drive, which continues into 2017. 3 the lincoln link Its objective is to build an endow- ment fund that ensures the con- tinued operation of the museum for years to come. Matching funds have been pledged by Jerry Capizzi and Chris Dunn. Looking ahead, the 2017 Homecoming will take place on August 9-13. (A “pre-meet” event will be held in Dearborn, Mich., on August 6-9.) While the 2017 Homecoming will be hosted by the Lincoln Owners Club, it will be attended by all four Lincoln clubs—the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club, Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club, Road Race Lincoln Register and the LOC. The theme will be the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Lincoln Motor Company Schultz, Vaughn Koshkarian, ■ Other new exhibits at the museum to build Liberty Motors for the Bruce Kopf and Jack Juratovic. during 2016 were a restored 1926/7 war effort. (The company was Complete details on the 2017 Lincoln Model L chassis donated by Homecoming, including registra- Arnold Schmidt and restored by the re-incorporated in 1920 to build Nau family and others (above) and a motorcars.) tion forms, are available on the LMCF web site: www.lincolncar- 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan convertible The LMCF museum commit- donated by Randy Fehr (below). tee is led by Jim Blanchard. Other museum.org. committee members are David 4 SPRING 2017 Chairman’s Message t’s been awhile since our last issue of The Lincoln Link and, hopefully, we’ve made up for The LINCOLN LINK that with an issue that brings you up to date on what’s EDITOR Ibeen happening at the Lincoln David W. Schultz Motor Car Foundation as well as 1221 Providence NE, Chestnut Hills the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Massillon, Ohio 44646-4105 Museum. Among the articles in the issue GRAPHIC DESIGN Richard L. Cole is one about Peter J. Platte, whose Graphics Ltd. Detroit Lincoln dealership build- 200 E. Fesler St., Suite 206 ing was the model for our Lincoln Santa Maria, California, 93454 museum in Hickory Corners. The article was written by his grandson, PHOTOGRAPHY Walter Herip, John Walczek, Bruce Kopf Jim O’Connell, who also shared with us priceless photos and memo- ago, thousands of people have The Lincoln Motor Car rabilia related to the dealership. visited. What they have seen is an Heritage Museum and Our 15,000-square-foot muse- attractive, professionally-designed Research Foundation, Inc. um contains a variety of elegant museum that tells “the Lincoln Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road Lincolns as well as significant story.” Hickory Corners, Michigan 49060 Lincoln memorabilia—thanks to Although the museum has lincolncarmuseum.org many truly generous donors. been built, much work remains, This issue also contains a com- specifically raising funds for an ■ The Lincoln Motor Car Heritage endowment fund that will ensure Museum is for you! America’s pas- plete listing of Lincolns currently sionate love affair with the Lincoln on display in the museum. We are the operation of the museum for automobile continues to inspire new always on the lookout for additions, years to come. If you’d like to generations. This is demonstrated in a particularly for those cars that are discuss your financial gift to the variety of ways, including the formation of affinity clubs in which enthusiasts on loan. If you have questions or LMCF endowment fund, contact can share their interest in a particular would like to discuss a donation, Jack Eby, Vaughn Koshkarian, brand or segment of the automotive please call Jim Blanchard or me. Bruce Kopf—or any LMCF trustee. market, past and present. The Lincoln We are especially pleased that We hope you’ll join us in automobile has inspired the creation of four major affinity clubs. These the museum has been visited by August for the annual Lincoln have inspired the Lincoln Motor Car three groups connected with the Homecoming. A great weekend of Foundation, its Museum and its work Lincoln brand—the Lincoln mar- activities has been planned. This of Sharing the Living Legacy of the keting team, the product planning year, we’ll recognize the 100th Lincoln Motor Cars. group and the design team, includ- anniversary of the founding of the The Grand Opening of the Lincoln ing Moray Callum, Ford Motor Lincoln Motor Company, to build Motor Car Heritage Museum took Company’s chief designer and Liberty Motors. Check the Lincoln place August 9, 2014. We invite you to David Woodhouse, Lincoln design Motor Car Foundation web site for explore what we have to offer and visit the Museum located on the Gilmore head. The museum also hosted a details: www.lincolncarmuseum.org.