Lincoln Trademarks Zephyr Name, No One Knows What For

Although not used with modern Lincolns anymore, the Zephyr nameplate has been with the American car manufacturer ever since 1936. Now, the company has filed a trademark application for it.

When it comes to trademark filings, nothing is certain, as the Ford-owned company could’ve filed the documents in order to keep the name in its nomenclature. In fact, Autoblog reports that both Lincoln and Ford trademarked the Zephyr and the Thunderbird names on May 11 for usage in “motor vehicles and parts and accessories therefor.”.

A move that could mean absolutely nothing, as the Blue Oval also filed the Mustang trademark for “shampoo and lotions” on May 4. But let’s imagine that these names were dusted off for a reason, especially as Lincoln started using real names for its automobiles, with the MKS replacement (the Continental) being the best example.

Whereas the Thunderbird moniker won’t grace anything other than a sports car, of its sports cars, the Zephyr name could be adopted by any type of automobile, including crossovers, if Lincoln decides to ditch the three-letter names like MKX and MKC.

A Lincoln spokesperson commented that “In the normal course of our business, we file trademarks for names”, making us not wiser at all.

In the past, the Zephyr name was used for the lower-priced line of mid-size luxury cars in the Lincoln line. So, maybe MKZ successor?

Lincoln Continental Concept Pictured