Lincoln

About Lincoln

The Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry Leland and his son Wilfred, and its history is entwined with that of Cadillac, a longtime rival. Leland, an engineer by profession, played a crucial role in the development of Cadillac and continued to serve as a significant executive even after General Motors bought Cadillac in 1909. In 1917, Leland left after being awarded a $10 million contract to build V12 Liberty airplane engines for the war effort. He named the business “Lincoln” in honor of the late US president.

To produce cars after the war, Lincoln retooled and unveiled its first model, the 1921 Lincoln Model L, in late 1920. The Model L had a V8 engine based on the V12 Liberty engine and was designed to compete with Cadillac and other premium manufacturers.

However, Lincoln struggled to establish a sound financial foundation, and Ford bought the business in 1922 for $8 million. The Leland family remained in their position, but soon after, Ford management appointed Edsel Ford as the Chief Management Officer of Lincoln. Following the revamp of the range, Ford started to make a profit.

Following World War II, Lincoln kept developing distinctive and immediately identifiable vehicles, such as the modest for the time but now famous Lincoln Continental four-door convertible and sedan. With pedestrian Ford models, Lincoln variations that were sometimes only distinguished by small trim details, and a distinctive fascia, the 1970s saw an increase in homogeneity. The 1990s saw a continuation of the pattern with variable outcomes, but the Lincoln Navigator SUV gave the company a fresh identity that appealed to consumers. It was essentially a high-luxury version of the Ford Excursion, and the MKC, MKT, and MKX SUVs benefited from its popularity.

With no less than five SUVs available, from biggest to smallest, Lincoln is now going through a type of revival. These are the Navigator, Aviator, Nautilus, Corsair, and MKC. The mid-size MKZ sedan and full-size Continental make up its array of passenger cars.