The Lincoln Motor Company in its various incarnations has produced no small number of wonderful automobiles; among these, the 1932–1933 Model KB stands as a triumph of the marque’s Classic Era engineering and design efforts. In it, Edsel Ford’s vision of Lincoln as a style leader had come to full fruition, with fine coachbuilders including Murphy, Dietrich, Brunn, and LeBaron offering clients a range of elegant catalogue body styles.

Within the KB’s stout, 145-inch-wheelbase chassis sat Lincoln’s first V-12. This engine was massive in every regard, displacing 448 cubic inches—about 7.3 liters!—and featuring a crankshaft that on its own weighed 93 pounds, supported by seven main bearings. Notably, this powerplant was the last from Lincoln to use the distinctive fork-and-blade connecting rod system.

Alas, the KB and its V-12 were built for just two years (subsequent Lincoln V-12s were smaller and built to a different design), with only 2,210 chassis produced in total. This 1932 KB Convertible Roadster by LeBaron is one of 125 understood to have been built for its model year, making it a particularly sought-after specimen even among this exclusive company. Despite the model name, this was not a true roadster: It featured a substantial convertible top and wind-up glass side windows, making it more practical in varied weather conditions. Yet with the top and windows down, the Convertible Roadster still offered all the open-air enjoyment one could want.

Production record data on file confirms that this Lincoln, KB 454, was completed as a LeBaron-bodied Convertible Roadster on 11 February 1932, and it now sports a full restoration finished in 2016. Great care, and no small expense, was invested in the project, with Belsito Classic Cars of Webster, Massachusetts handling bodywork and further cosmetics. Meanwhile, J&M Machine of Southborough, Massachusetts, rebuilt the model’s signature, and numbers-matching, V-12 engine.

Well-preserved to the present, the restored car wears black paint (just as it did originally) with a black canvas top; red top piping complements the red wire wheels, and the interior is likewise finished in red. Gleaming brightwork is crowned by Lincoln’s famous greyhound mascot, proudly leading the way forward, while a rear luggage rack will prove useful should one use the KB for touring duty.

Celebrated as a Classic Car Club of America Full Classic, and equally suitable for the show field and the open road, the Model KB was a short-lived triumph for the Lincoln marque. LeBaron’s Convertible Roadster pairs this robust chassis and magnificent motor with particularly sporting coachwork, resulting in an automobile that was a high point of its era—and indeed, any other.