On November 13th, we received the following from LZOC President, Tom Brunner:

​

David L. Cole, U.S. military, retired, passed

away Friday, November 11, 2016, Veteran's Day.

 His contributions to his family, his country,

and the automotive publishing profession will

endure as long as the printed word is available

to those who value the history of the 20th

century.  He was preceded in death by his

beloved wife Barbara Bruce Cole, and is

survived by his children Elaine, Richard,and

Kathleen.

 

His pronouncements on products and services

of the Ford Motor Company, particularly

Lincoln and Ford vehicles, were complete and

exhaustively studied, yet sweeping and

objective in their scope.  He wrote for numerous publications throughout his storied career, most prominently The Way of the Zephyr, and the V-8 Times, serving the Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club and Early Ford V-8 Club respectively.  Dave began editing the Zephyr magazine with 1988 issues and continued to oversee publication until November 10, 2016.  His knowledge about Lincoln and Ford production in the classic era was encyclopedic, and mostly committed to memory,  although he collected a trove of material that would easily provide sufficient source material for the next 50 years.  This material at some point will be donated to the Lincoln Motor Car Foundation Library.

 

Yet, he carried a softer side.  He was extremely approachable to both the long-time devotee, and the newest convert.  As well, Dave was very devoted to his family.  He counted the opportunity to edit The Way of the Zephyr with the support of his son Richard one of the great privileges of his life.

 

By chance, the Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club--West held its Annual Swap Meet in Dave's hometown, Santa Maria, California, Saturday November 12th.  During that event Dave's three children and the attendees sat in a large circle sharing their favorite stories.  Amid the laughter and tears, the personality of the man described above was sketched by the participants.  Dave was emphatic that there be no public service on his behalf, but this session served as a reminder of what he has meant to each of us.

 

Tom Brunner

President