Lincoln is an American luxury car manufacturer, operated under the Ford Motor Company. Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland and acquired by Ford in 1922, Lincoln has been manufacturing vehicles intended for the upscale markets since the 1920s. Leland named the brand after his longtime hero Abraham Lincoln, for whom he had voted in the first presidential elections for which he was eligible. The company was founded in August 1917 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac (originally the Henry Ford Company). He left the Cadillac division of General Motors during World War I and formed the Lincoln Motor Company to build Liberty aircraft engines with his son Wilfred. After the war, the companys factories were retooled to manufacture luxury automobiles. The company encountered severe financial troubles during the transition, coupled with body styling that wasnt comparable to other luxury makers, and after having produced only 150 cars in 1922, was forced into bankruptcy and sold for USD $8,000,000 to the Ford Motor Comany on February 4 1922, which went to pay off some of the creditors. The purchase of Lincoln was a personal triumph for Henry Ford, who had been forced out of his second (after Detroit Automobile Company) company by a group of investors led by Leland. Fords company, renamed Cadillac in 1902 and purchased by rival General Motors in 1909, was Lincolns chief competitor. Lincoln quickly became one of Americas top selling luxury brands alongside Cadillac and Packard. Ford made no immediate change, either in the chassis or the V-8 L-head engine which was rated 36.4 SAE and produced 90 bhp at 2,800 rpm. In 1923, several body styles were introduced, that included two- and three-window, four door sedans and a phaeton that accommodated four passengers. They also offered a two passenger roadster and a seven passenger touring sedan and limousine, which was sold for $5,200. A sedan, limo, cabriolet and town car were also offered by coachbuilders Fleetwood, and a second cabriolet was offered by coachbuilder Brunn. Prices for the vehicles built by these coachbuilders went for as much as $7,200, and despite the limited market appeal, Lincoln sales rose about 45 percent to produce 7,875 cars and the company was operating at a profit by the end of 1923. In 1927, Lincoln adopted the greyhound as their emblem, which was later replaced with diamond that is currently in use. In 1932, Lincoln introduced the V12-powered KB, generally considered the most desirable Lincoln of all time. Its 447 CuIn V12 produced 150 HP, while still offering the V8 in the KA. In 1933, an new a 381 CuIn V12 producing 125 HP was introduced to replace the V8s-all Lincolns were now V12s. In 1934, the smaller V12 was enlarged to 414 CuIn producing 150 HP and the larger V12 was dropped. This engine continued on to the end of K series production in 1939. This amazing original unrestored Survivor is a 2 owner car, that has been sensitively recommissioned with an eye towards preservation. The car was purchased new by a Banker in a small town outside of Lubbock, Texas; and remained in that family until acquired by an experienced Lincoln collector roughly 10 years ago. The car has never really been off the road, it was always maintained in running and driving condtion and used sparingly. Great care was taken not to disturb the originality of the car. The wheels were restored and new tires and NOS hubcaps added, new heads were installed and all peripheral engine components serviced as needed. The front carpet was badly deteriorated so was replaced, and a new rear compartment rug was added to protect the underlying original moss tread-which remains in excellent condition. Otherwise this car is original in every respect. The paint and interior finishes are remarkable really exhibiting just the right amount of patina. The leather top is in excellent condition. The woodwork has the honest varnish crazing only a car that has been well cared for all these years can exhibit. The car runs and drives perfectly. It starts right up, idles smoothly, shifts crisply, stops well, and was a true pleasure to drive- I do have a short video of my outing for those interested in seeing that. It idled the entire time I photographed it without a hint of running hot. It literally runs like a swiss watch. This is without a doubt one of the Finest Original cars from the Classic Era I have ever seen. This is a special car, a treasured Heirloom that speaks to one like few cars can.
