Rare 1938 Body Tag

[40ZephSedan]

Was able to scramble and fortunate to make the Central Chap LZOC GOF at La Crosse WI early Sept. What a time, great guys, great cars!! One energetic fellow, who incidentally just won one of his 7 races last year driving a dirt track oval car at 79 yrs.!!, could not remember where he got one of the body tags in his treasures (off firewall). If this rare car is still around, the owner might want the tag! Tag read:
BODY NUMBER
86H-737 34
Briggs Co. Detroit Michigan.
Let me see if I got this right- (John M.- Mr Limo feel free to join in and help!!) The 86 was a 1938 Zephyr. The H is left hand steering? The 737 is a limousine (listed in the front of manuals & in Boos-Herrel catalog). And 34 was the 34th limo built in 1938. So if this car survived, and you know someone with a 1938 limo, you might check if they are in desperate need of their original body tag. I'm surprised there were even that many built in 1938. I believe in 38 the limo was not stretched, but a modified sedan body, with divider window. Probably won't find the owner, but I enjoyed researching & finally learning more about our body tags!!

[Jim Zephyr]

73 is sedan body code. 734th sedan? Mr Limo? Hi John

[John Murphy]

Jim...To Lincoln "86" designates the year of manufacture as being a 1938 year styled model car. "H" indicates a Lincoln Zephyr manufactured automobile. "734" is the body style identification for a Lincoln Zephyr Town Limousine. And last number on plate shows it's the "34th" Town Limousine built to date of plate.

[Jim Zephyr]

Thanks John, interesting - I am always trying to simplify the 38 codes by dropping the third digit, but that comes at a risk I see. Was the town Limo offered in 39?

[John Murphy]

Jim, The town limo was continued in the 1939 model year BUT model 734 was renumbered into body style 22...it became 96H-22. Same number for 1940 06H-22 and in 1941 became Lincoln Custom limo 168H-22. And finally the limo was last produced in 1942 as 268H-22. No limos built after the war.