I know data sheets can be confusing, but they do contain a lot of info about how a device works.
You could use the LM2907 non-zener version but that would make the output voltage a function of the supply voltage. This is not desirable if the voltage varies, as the battery voltage does in a vehicle.
If the voltage source is a battery then you could use the non-zener version with a low-dropout 12V voltage regulator on the battery supply to provide a stable output voltage.