Curves of steel: Sleek, slick and aerodynamic

Phoenix Art Museum's exhibit explores the influence of streamlining and aerodynamics on car design throughout the 20th century. Exhibit to run April 1 to June 3, 2007.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer

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1938 Lincoln Zephyr

The Zephyr, named after the streamlined Burlington Zephyr locomotive, was introduced in 1936 as a low-priced entry-level Lincoln. It was the first American production car to use what is now called unibody construction in which the car's body is an integral part of its structure, not just an overlying shell atop a frame.

The Zephyr's beautiful lines showed the influence of Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son and head of Ford Motor Co. at the time. Edsel was one of the first American auto executives to understand the importance of design.

The 1939 coupe version is considered by many to be the handsomest Zephyr of them all.

Edsel requested his own modified version of the Zephyr to be used as his private car. That version went into full production in 1940 under the name Continental.

Ford brought back the Zephyr name for the 2005 model year. Again, it was an entry level Lincoln. The name was quickly dropped, however, in favor of the initials MKZ.

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