The History of Lincoln Automobiles

Henry Leland founded the Lincoln Motor Company in 1917. During World War I, Leland left his job with Cadillac to form Lincoln with his son. The company originally built Liberty aircraft engines. After the war, the factory switched focus and began to produce luxury automobiles, which became Lincoln's niche in the automobile market.

Ford Takes Over

After a few years the Lincoln Motor Company was not commercially successful. Leland was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1922. Ford purchased the company for $8 million.
Ford had the resources to produce Lincolns on a much larger scale. After taking over the company, Ford transformed Lincoln into a popular luxury car, comparable to Cadillac and Packard. Ford did not change the mechanics of the car, but did restyle the body and drop the price. Sales soared to 5512 by the end of 1922.

Police Cars

The following year new body styles included a touring sedan and limousine, which cost over $5000. In 1924 police departments were buying up Lincoln sedans known as "Police Flyers." The cars featured four wheel brakes, which would not be available to the general public until 1926. Other police car options included bulletproof windshields and spotlights.

The Continental

In 1938 automotive designer Eugene T. Gregorie took the Lincoln Zephyr and added a vertically mounted spare tire onto the rear of the car. This became known as the Continental. It would become the most popular car Lincoln ever produced. The design was such a departure, that even today adding a vertical spare tire is known as a "Continental kit." Production of the Zephyr ended during World War II, when Ford retooled for the war effort. The Continental was produced until 1948 and was revived in 1981 with the Town Car.

Presidential Limos

Many United States presidents have used Lincolns as their presidential limousine. Several are on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The first was built for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 and was in use through 1950. It was a V12 convertible known as the "Sunshine Special." Lincoln supplied Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson with a 1950 Cosmopolitan.
The car in which John F. Kennedy was assassinated was a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible. It was used from 1961 through 1977, with major safety modifications following the president's death. Alternations included reinforced armor plating, bulletproof glass and obviously a new interior.
Richard Nixon used a 1969 Lincoln. Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush used a 1972 Lincoln. Cadillac now supplies the presidential limousines.

Lincoln Today

In the 1990s Lincoln remained one of the best selling luxury car lines sold in the United States. Modern reinterpretations of the Town Car and the Continental, as well as the introduction of the Navigator SUV, helped Lincoln stay competitive. However, recent competition from foreign automakers has caused a decline in Lincoln sales. The company is hoping to regain some of the market with modern models, including the MKZ, MKS, MKT, MKX and Mark LT.