1932 Lincoln KB V-12 Coupe Roadster by LeBaron
Inventory Number: 8560
SOLD
A six-year meticulous body-off restoration has just been
completed on this correct and numbers-matching custom Coupe Roadster by LeBaron.
“One of the most popular, and surely one of the sportiest, was the LeBaron Convertible Roadster, of which the car on offer is a fabulous example. Unfortunately, ‘popular’ in those depressed times meant that only a mere 125 of these LeBaron-bodied convertibles were built. While Lincoln used the word “Roadster,” this model actually had wind-up windows and thus did not, strictly speaking, meet the roadster definition and by today’s terms would be considered a coupe body style. The LeBaron Convertible was first offered on the Lincoln chassis in 1930. The extended 145-inch wheelbase initiated in 1931 permitted the top contour to be lowered and lengthened, improving the appearance. The top folds below the beltline, providing a particularly sporting appearance when the top is lowered. The car is equipped with a golf-bag door on the right side.
The KB LeBaron presented here was the recipient of a ground-up, nut-and-bolt restoration completed in 2016. Today, it presents in superb condition and is worthy of continued concours or touring duty, with the gorgeous black paint and black canvas top in impeccable order. The flowing fenders, slanted windshield, chrome radiator, and LeBaron’s rakish body exude Classic Era elegance. Further accentuating the sporting looks are red wire wheels shod with whitewall Firestones, dual side-mount spare wheels, and the iconic sprinting Greyhound mascot. The paint, brightwork, and details are outstanding.
Inside, striking red leather adorns the seat and the door cards, and matching red carpets provide a beautiful complement to the dark exterior. The dash and superbly restored instruments sit in a central cluster with beautiful Art Deco detailing. The black canvas top, with contrasting red piping, is superb, finished with a matching boot.
The magnificent presentation continues under the hood, with the mighty 448-cubic-inch V-12 wearing its bare alloy, black porcelain, and chrome with impressive effect. As expected, the engine is true to factory specifications and meticulously detailed, while also showing very light signs of use that hint at the car’s potential as a real performer on tours and driving events.
Here is a Classic Era car that gracefully combines a sophisticated, sporty style with a memorable presence and an aura of the highest quality inside and out. The ease of driving and smoothness these cars deliver may come as a revelation to those not familiar with the operation of a KB.
Lincolns of 1932 are regarded as some of the finest cars of the era, and this example is no doubt one of the best KBs available. It represents the pinnacle for Lincoln in the prewar period, when the marque proudly stood shoulder to shoulder with Packard and Cadillac in the hotly contested battle for luxury car supremacy.”
1932 Lincoln Model KB Convertible Roadster by LeBaron
By BaT
“This 1932 Lincoln KB is one of 112 examples built with LeBaron Convertible Roadster coachwork for the model year and was completed on February 4, 1932, before leaving the factory one week later. The car is said to have undergone a refurbishment in Massachusetts in 2016 and was purchased by the selling dealer one month ago. Finished in its original shade of black, the car is powered by a 448ci L-head V12 that breathes through a dual-throat downdraft carburetor and is mated to a three-speed manual transmission. Additional features include servo-assisted mechanically actuated drum brakes, hydraulic lever-arm shock absorbers, 18” red-painted wire wheels, dual side-mount spares, a black convertible top, red leather interior upholstery, and a rumble seat. This Model KB LeBaron Convertible Roadster is now offered at no reserve in North Salem, New York, with Henry Ford Museum research documentation and a clean Pennsylvania title.
The Model K was introduced in 1931 and was divided into the KA and KB ranges the following year, with the KA carrying over the previous year’s V8 engine and the KB featuring a new V12 powerplant. Riding on a 145” wheelbase, the KB was available with a variety of open and closed body configurations including in-house designs alongside styling choices provided by several American coachbuilders.
This example’s Convertible Roadster design was the lone offering from LeBaron for the model year and features two-seat bodywork with roll-up windows and a convertible top that can be folded into a position flush with the beltline. The body was removed from the frame and refinished in its original shade of black 10 years ago during refurbishment work performed by Belsito Classic Cars of Webster, Massachusetts. Features include chrome bumpers, thermostatically controlled radiator shutters, a greyhound radiator mascot, running boards, a fold-down rear luggage rack, and a black convertible top with carriage bars and red accents. Paint-meter readings are shown in the photo gallery below, as are various imperfections in the finish.
Red-painted wire wheels are wrapped in 7.50-18 Firestone tires, as are dual side-mount spares. Stopping power is provided by cable-actuated drum brakes at each corner, which are assisted by a vacuum servo.
The cabin is trimmed in red leather over a two-place bench seat as well as the door panels and rumble seat. Additional features include color-matched carpeting bound in black, roll-up windows, footwell vents, and dual gloveboxes. A golf-club storage area can be accessed via a door on the passenger-side quarter panel.
The four-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a body-color dashboard that houses an engine-turned instrument panel hosting a 100-mph speedometer, a Waltham electric clock, and gauges monitoring oil pressure, amperage, fuel level, and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 79k miles, approximately 10 of which have been added under current ownership.
The 448ci V12 features seven main bearings, fork-and-blade connecting rods, a 65° angle between cylinder banks, aluminum pistons, side valves, and a dual-throat downdraft carburetor. The engine is said to have been overhauled by J&M Machine of Southborough, Massachusetts, during the 2016 refurbishment. An inspection was performed under current ownership.
Number KB454 is stamped on the engine crankcase, matching the car number stamped on a tag affixed to the firewall.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission with synchromesh between second and third gears. The suspension incorporates solid axles, semi-elliptical leaf springs, and hydraulic lever-arm shock absorbers.
Information about the car from Lincoln factory records provided by The Henry Ford Benson Ford Research Center is viewable in the gallery.”
1932 Lincoln Model KB Convertible Roadster by LeBaron
By RM Sotheby’s
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.“
Please refer to our Projects page to see the stages of this restoration in over 180 detailed photos.
See a POV Test Drive here.
See a POV Test Drive here.
See a Walk Around here.
See the Functions here.
See the Shifter + E-brake Functions here.
See the Rear Seat here.
See the Windscreen + Vents here.
- YEAR: 1932
- MAKE: Lincoln
- MODEL: KB Convertible Roadster
- BODY: LeBaron
- LINCOLN MOTOR CO. TAG: Lincoln Car No. KB454
- MILEAGE: 79K shown, TMU
- ENGINE NO.: KB454
- PRODUCTION NO.: 708
- CRANKCASE NO.: 708
- CAR NO.: 454
- SALE ORDER NO.: 2122
- BODY NO.: 15-498 (the first number before the hyphen indicates the body manufacturer)
- TYPE NO.: 248
- ORIGINAL TRIM: EO-721 (E.O.—Eagle Ottawa Leather)
- LOCK NO.: 683
- ASSEMBLY DATE: 02-04-1932
- DATE SHIPPED: 02-11-1932
- ENGINE: 448-cubic-inch L-head V-12 with seven main bearings, fork-and-blade connecting rods, a 65-degree angle between cylinder banks, aluminum pistons, and side valves
- CARBURETOR: Dual-throat downdraft
- TRANSMISSION: Three-speed manual with synchromesh between second and third gears
- BRAKES: Servo-assisted, mechanically actuated drum
- SUSPENSION: Hydraulic lever-arm shock absorbers, semi-elliptical leaf springs, and solid axles
- WHEELS: 18-inch red-painted wire, dual side-mount spares
- TIRES: Firestone 7.50-18
- TOP: Black convertible with carriage bars and red accents
- WHEELBASE: 145 inches
- INTERIOR: Red leather upholstery, two-place bench seat, red carpeting, roll-up windows, footwell vents, dual gloveboxes, golf-club storage area
- DASH: 100-mph speedometer; Waltham electric clock; gauges monitoring oil pressure, amperage, fuel level, and coolant temperature; five-digit odometer
- COLOR: Original black
- FEATURES: Rumble seat, chrome bumpers, thermostatically controlled radiator shutters, greyhound radiator mascot, running boards, fold-down rear luggage rack
- SCARCITY: 1 of 112
- DOCUMENTATION: U.S. Title, Henry Ford Museum research
- HISTORY: 2016 refurbishment and engine overhaul in Massachusetts, with bodywork by Belsito Classic Cars of Webster and engine work by J&M Machine of Southborough
- CCCA: Full Classic
“One of the most popular, and surely one of the sportiest, was the LeBaron Convertible Roadster, of which the car on offer is a fabulous example. Unfortunately, ‘popular’ in those depressed times meant that only a mere 125 of these LeBaron-bodied convertibles were built. While Lincoln used the word “Roadster,” this model actually had wind-up windows and thus did not, strictly speaking, meet the roadster definition and by today’s terms would be considered a coupe body style. The LeBaron Convertible was first offered on the Lincoln chassis in 1930. The extended 145-inch wheelbase initiated in 1931 permitted the top contour to be lowered and lengthened, improving the appearance. The top folds below the beltline, providing a particularly sporting appearance when the top is lowered. The car is equipped with a golf-bag door on the right side.
The KB LeBaron presented here was the recipient of a ground-up, nut-and-bolt restoration completed in 2016. Today, it presents in superb condition and is worthy of continued concours or touring duty, with the gorgeous black paint and black canvas top in impeccable order. The flowing fenders, slanted windshield, chrome radiator, and LeBaron’s rakish body exude Classic Era elegance. Further accentuating the sporting looks are red wire wheels shod with whitewall Firestones, dual side-mount spare wheels, and the iconic sprinting Greyhound mascot. The paint, brightwork, and details are outstanding.
Inside, striking red leather adorns the seat and the door cards, and matching red carpets provide a beautiful complement to the dark exterior. The dash and superbly restored instruments sit in a central cluster with beautiful Art Deco detailing. The black canvas top, with contrasting red piping, is superb, finished with a matching boot.
The magnificent presentation continues under the hood, with the mighty 448-cubic-inch V-12 wearing its bare alloy, black porcelain, and chrome with impressive effect. As expected, the engine is true to factory specifications and meticulously detailed, while also showing very light signs of use that hint at the car’s potential as a real performer on tours and driving events.
Here is a Classic Era car that gracefully combines a sophisticated, sporty style with a memorable presence and an aura of the highest quality inside and out. The ease of driving and smoothness these cars deliver may come as a revelation to those not familiar with the operation of a KB.
Lincolns of 1932 are regarded as some of the finest cars of the era, and this example is no doubt one of the best KBs available. It represents the pinnacle for Lincoln in the prewar period, when the marque proudly stood shoulder to shoulder with Packard and Cadillac in the hotly contested battle for luxury car supremacy.”
1932 Lincoln Model KB Convertible Roadster by LeBaron
By BaT
“This 1932 Lincoln KB is one of 112 examples built with LeBaron Convertible Roadster coachwork for the model year and was completed on February 4, 1932, before leaving the factory one week later. The car is said to have undergone a refurbishment in Massachusetts in 2016 and was purchased by the selling dealer one month ago. Finished in its original shade of black, the car is powered by a 448ci L-head V12 that breathes through a dual-throat downdraft carburetor and is mated to a three-speed manual transmission. Additional features include servo-assisted mechanically actuated drum brakes, hydraulic lever-arm shock absorbers, 18” red-painted wire wheels, dual side-mount spares, a black convertible top, red leather interior upholstery, and a rumble seat. This Model KB LeBaron Convertible Roadster is now offered at no reserve in North Salem, New York, with Henry Ford Museum research documentation and a clean Pennsylvania title.
The Model K was introduced in 1931 and was divided into the KA and KB ranges the following year, with the KA carrying over the previous year’s V8 engine and the KB featuring a new V12 powerplant. Riding on a 145” wheelbase, the KB was available with a variety of open and closed body configurations including in-house designs alongside styling choices provided by several American coachbuilders.
This example’s Convertible Roadster design was the lone offering from LeBaron for the model year and features two-seat bodywork with roll-up windows and a convertible top that can be folded into a position flush with the beltline. The body was removed from the frame and refinished in its original shade of black 10 years ago during refurbishment work performed by Belsito Classic Cars of Webster, Massachusetts. Features include chrome bumpers, thermostatically controlled radiator shutters, a greyhound radiator mascot, running boards, a fold-down rear luggage rack, and a black convertible top with carriage bars and red accents. Paint-meter readings are shown in the photo gallery below, as are various imperfections in the finish.
Red-painted wire wheels are wrapped in 7.50-18 Firestone tires, as are dual side-mount spares. Stopping power is provided by cable-actuated drum brakes at each corner, which are assisted by a vacuum servo.
The cabin is trimmed in red leather over a two-place bench seat as well as the door panels and rumble seat. Additional features include color-matched carpeting bound in black, roll-up windows, footwell vents, and dual gloveboxes. A golf-club storage area can be accessed via a door on the passenger-side quarter panel.
The four-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a body-color dashboard that houses an engine-turned instrument panel hosting a 100-mph speedometer, a Waltham electric clock, and gauges monitoring oil pressure, amperage, fuel level, and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 79k miles, approximately 10 of which have been added under current ownership.
The 448ci V12 features seven main bearings, fork-and-blade connecting rods, a 65° angle between cylinder banks, aluminum pistons, side valves, and a dual-throat downdraft carburetor. The engine is said to have been overhauled by J&M Machine of Southborough, Massachusetts, during the 2016 refurbishment. An inspection was performed under current ownership.
Number KB454 is stamped on the engine crankcase, matching the car number stamped on a tag affixed to the firewall.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission with synchromesh between second and third gears. The suspension incorporates solid axles, semi-elliptical leaf springs, and hydraulic lever-arm shock absorbers.
Information about the car from Lincoln factory records provided by The Henry Ford Benson Ford Research Center is viewable in the gallery.”
1932 Lincoln Model KB Convertible Roadster by LeBaron
By RM Sotheby’s
- “One of 125 Model KB Convertible Roadsters built
- Massive, two-year-only 448-cu.-in. “fork-and-blade” V-12 engine
- Full restoration completed in 2016, with bodywork by Belsito Classic Cars of Webster, Massachusetts, and engine work by J&M Machine of Southborough, Massachusetts
- A CCCA Full Classic, and one of the era’s great touring cars
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.“
Please refer to our Projects page to see the stages of this restoration in over 180 detailed photos.
See a POV Test Drive here.
See a POV Test Drive here.
See a Walk Around here.
See the Functions here.
See the Shifter + E-brake Functions here.
See the Rear Seat here.
See the Windscreen + Vents here.