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61-653: Lincoln Motor Car Works built a high-wheeler brass era automobile that was sold through the Sears Catalog. In 1912 the Sears arrangement ended and Lincoln sold the identical car as the Lincoln Model 24 Runabout. For 1913 Lincoln offered a Light Touring car, however production ended later that year. Nine models were offered, priced between US$ 325 and $ 475, with the Model L advertised at $ 495 complete. They were sold by mail, out of

122-770: A Hydramatic transmission. For the first time since the discontinuation of the Model K, Lincolns were produced with front-hinged rear doors. For 1956, the shared Lincoln-Mercury body underwent a redesign for the final time, with Lincoln adopting elements from the Mercury XM-800 and Lincoln Futura concept cars. Slotted above the Lincoln Capri, the Lincoln Premiere adapted features of the Continental Mark II, including its ducted air conditioning. During 1956, Lincoln-Mercury

183-470: A European-style ("Continental") car for his next Florida vacation, he commissioned Ford Chief Stylist E. T. Gregorie to design a unique body design, using a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Coupe chassis. After sectioning the body 4 inches (102 mm), the running boards were deleted and a spare tire was mounted behind the trunk lid. Upon his use of the one-off vehicle in Florida in 1939, Edsel Ford attracted

244-434: A bad car for its type, the design of the cars was more representative of cars from the period 1900-1905, and even some experimental models from the 1890s. Motor buggys were already becoming somewhat unfashionable during the period when they were sold by Sears (1908–1912). By that time, the market had mostly moved toward cars with more powerful engines and the ability to be driven comfortably at a higher speed. The catalog claimed

305-401: A dispute with GM President William Durant regarding war production. Leland named Lincoln Motor Company after Abraham Lincoln, stating that Lincoln was the first President for whom he ever voted (1864). The company was financed by securing a $ 10 million contract to produce Liberty V12 aircraft engines ($ 237,818,182 in 2023 dollars ) for use during World War I . The Lelands broke ground on

366-584: A division, Lincoln structurally became similar to its major competitor Cadillac (within General Motors). As part of the change, several changes were made to the Lincoln model line. Following the positive feedback of the 1939 Lincoln Continental one-off convertible built for Edsel Ford, the Lincoln Continental was introduced as a Lincoln-Zephyr production model for 1940. For 1941, Lincoln revised its branding;

427-611: A factory body ($ 88,893 in 2023 dollars ), the Model K competed against the Rolls-Royce Phantom II , Renault Reinastella , Duesenberg Model J, Mercedes-Benz Typ3 630 and the Cadillac V-12 (and V-16 ). Largely overshadowed by the Lincoln-Zephyr, the final Model K was assembled during 1939. The company has since not developed a direct successor to the Model K line. During the 1930s, Lincoln expanded to two model lines for

488-476: A group of investors (led by Leland) forced Henry Ford from his second company, the Henry Ford Company ; the company was reorganized as Cadillac (deriving its name from the founder of Detroit). With the exception of the engine, the 1903 Ford Model A and the 1903 Cadillac Model A share nearly the same design. Prior to the introduction of the Model T, Ford designed several higher-priced vehicles, including

549-517: A high amount of interest from potential buyers, often referring to its "European" or "Continental" exterior design. From the latter term, the one-off vehicle became known as the Lincoln Continental. For 1940 production, 404 vehicles were produced, with the first vehicle received by Mickey Rooney. Following the Great Depression, a number of American luxury car manufacturers were either forced into closure or reorganization; by 1940, alongside Lincoln,

610-527: A mandated $ 4000 reduction in price ($ 42,242 in 2023 dollars ), Continental adopted the body of Lincoln, expanding into multiple body styles for the Mark III (the nomenclature indicating the transition). Adding a feature of the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser , Continental adopted a retractable rear window across every body style (including convertibles) with a reverse-slant rear roofline. For 1959, the Mark III

671-567: A prow-style front-fascia, the model line was sleeker than the Chrysler Airflow. In contrast to its competitors, the Lincoln-Zephyr was powered by a V12 engine (a design separate from the Model K). The model line was a success in the marketplace, selling over 15,000 units in its first year, amounting to a nine-fold increase over the previous model year. In the late 1930s, Edsel Ford began to consider American cars too boxy. In late 1938, to develop

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732-606: A reduction in size. For 1961, Lincoln consolidated its model lineup to a single model line, with the Lincoln Continental replacing the Lincoln Capri and Lincoln Premiere; as the Continental marque was withdrawn, the Mark V saw no successor. While only nominally lighter than the 1960 Lincoln, the 1961 Lincoln Continental adopted a smaller exterior footprint, shedding 15 inches in length and 8 inches of wheelbase. In an effort to streamline production, only four-door body styles were produced, with

793-542: A straight fender line (and low hood line) from headlamp to taillamp. In a carryover from Zephyr-based Lincolns, the 1949 Lincolns retained rear-hinged passenger doors. As a flagship model of Lincoln, the Lincoln Cosmopolitan was styled with its own rear roofline. As Lincoln entered the 1950s, Ford Motor Company sought to increase the differentiation between the Mercury and Lincoln model lines. For 1952, to add interest to

854-461: A top speed of 25 mph for the Motor Buggy, which would have meant a comfortable cruising speed of 15 mph or so. Many competing cars of the period, such as the early Ford Model T, Buick, Maxwell, Franklin, and others were capable of top speeds of 45 mph or more, with cruising speeds equal to or greater than the 25 mph top speed of the Motor Buggy. Because of the obsolete styling (for

915-406: A year for their vehicles to be completed from the time of purchase. By 1922, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy and was placed in receivership. Under the influence of Edsel Ford, Lincoln Motor Company was purchased by Henry Ford for $ 8 million ($ 145,622,266 in 2023 dollars ) on February 4, 1922. While Lincoln was valued at $ 16 million, a $ 5 million bid by Ford was the sole bid received for

976-402: Is derived from a badge introduced on the 1956 Continental Mark II ; the current version was introduced in 1980. The current product range of Lincoln consists of luxury crossovers and sport-utility vehicles. Throughout its entire prior existence Lincoln also produced luxury car-based vehicles for limousine and livery use; several examples have served as official state limousines for Presidents of

1037-740: Is not related to the current Lincoln Motor Company luxury car brand owned by Ford Motor Company , which was founded by Henry M. Leland in 1917, two years after Sears stopped selling cars. High wheeler A high wheeler is a car which uses large diameter wheels that are similar to those used by horse-drawn vehicles . These cars were produced until about 1915, predominantly in the United States . High wheelers were derived from horse-drawn wagons , and often were conversions of these. Similarly to these wagons, they often had wood-spoke wheels , suspensions, and boxy wooden bodies. The large-diameter slender wheels provided ample ground clearance on

1098-533: The Lincoln Motor Company Plant in Detroit. Lincoln Motor Company acted as the final assembly point for the engines, with the company securing parts from other manufacturers; cylinders were produced by Ford, with other parts sourced from Buick , Cadillac, Marmon , and Packard . In total, Lincoln Motor Company would assemble 6,500 Liberty V12 engines by the end of World War I concluding production; by

1159-606: The Mercury Eight , the redesigned Lincoln model line (code-named the EL-series ) marked the first use of a V8 in a Lincoln since 1932. An all-new V12 intended for Lincoln was stillborn in development, leading the division to adapt a Ford flathead V8 (from the Ford F-8 conventional truck). As with the previous Lincoln Continental, the 1949 Lincoln dispensed with running boards completely, moving on to abandon pontoon styling entirely, with

1220-460: The luxury vehicle division of American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company . Marketed among the top luxury vehicle brands in the United States, Lincoln is positioned closely against its General Motors counterpart Cadillac . However, beginning with the 2021 model year, they only offer SUV and Crossover vehicles. The division helped to establish the personal luxury car segment with

1281-455: The 1904 Ford Model B , the 1905 Ford Model F , and the 1906 Ford Model K . Following its organization in 1908, General Motors began a rapid expansion of its automotive brands; by 1920, GM would outnumber Ford five to one. The purchase of Lincoln created a stand-alone luxury vehicle brand for Ford as Cadillac did for GM. Within the first few months, relations between Ford Motor Company and Lincoln management began to break down; on June 10, 1922,

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1342-556: The 1940 Lincoln Continental . Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland , naming it after Abraham Lincoln . In February 1922, the company was acquired by Ford, its parent company to this day. Following World War II , Ford formed the Lincoln-Mercury Division, pairing Lincoln with its mid-range Mercury brand; the pairing lasted through the 2010 closure of Mercury. At the end of 2012, Lincoln reverted to its original name, Lincoln Motor Company. Following

1403-487: The 1946 Lincolns continued the use of the Zephyr chassis. 1948 marked the final year of the Zephyr chassis (dating to 1936) and (as of 2023 ) the use of a V12 engine in an American mass-produced automobile. After 5,322 were produced (as both a Lincoln-Zephyr and Lincoln), Lincoln ended production of the Continental. For 1949, all three Ford Motor Company divisions debuted their first postwar designs. Sharing its body structure with

1464-538: The 1966 model year, to better compete with the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Imperial Crown/LeBaron Coupe, Lincoln added a two-door hardtop to the Continental model line. After the 1967 model year, Lincoln ended production of the Continental 4-door convertible. At 5,712 pounds, the 1967 Lincoln Continental Convertible is the heaviest non-limousine car ever produced by Ford Motor Company; as of 2023 , it

1525-637: The American luxury-car segment largely consisted of Cadillac (who ended production of the LaSalle and V16 in 1940), the Chrysler Imperial (reduced to 8-passenger sedans and limousines), and Packard. To further secure the future for Lincoln, on April 30, 1940, Ford Motor Company reorganized Lincoln Motor Company as the Lincoln Division of Ford Motor Company. While previously operating as an autonomous entity, as

1586-517: The Continental Division, slotted above Lincoln as the flagship marque of Ford Motor Company. At its launch, Continental introduced the Continental Mark II as its model line, intended as a successor to the 1940–1948 Lincoln Continental personal luxury car. Offered as a two-door hardtop coupe, the Mark II broke from a number of American styling precedents of the time. While fitted with whitewall tires,

1647-508: The Continental becoming the sole mass-produced four-door convertible sold in North America; to maximize rear-seat egress, Lincoln returned to the use of rear suicide doors . In another requirement to ensure its survival, the model cycle of Lincoln was extended from three years to nine years. While largely dispensing with major yearly model changes, the decision established design consistency and shifting resources towards quality control. For

1708-479: The Lelands were forced to resign. As Edsel Ford began to take a senior role in the management of Lincoln, multiple changes were made to both the Model L and its production. The Lincoln factory was redesigned and expanded (to nearly 1,000,000 square feet), with the components of the engine upgraded for increased reliability and performance. At its introduction, the Lincoln Model L gained a reputation for conservative (to

1769-500: The Model K offered both factory-designed bodies and coachbuilt designs. For 1932, Lincoln introduced its first "multi-cylinder" engine, introducing a V12 engine for the Model K. The next year, the V8 was retired, making Lincoln the first manufacturer in the world to produce vehicles exclusively with V12 engines. For 1935, Lincoln was positioned upward in price. While limiting sales, the move increased profitability per vehicle; at over $ 4,000 for

1830-428: The Sears catalog. Sears had a very lenient return policy: cars were sold on a ten-day trial basis. The cars had an air-cooled, two-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine, similar to that later used on BMW motorcycles. The engine was located under the floorboards, beneath the driver’s feet, and started from a hand crank in the front. Early cars were rated at 10 hp, and later models developed 14 hp. At least one of

1891-625: The United States. Today, this niche is filled from its crossover and SUV lineup. In 2017, Lincoln sold 188,383 vehicles globally. Outside of North America, Lincoln vehicles are officially sold in the Middle East (except Iran and Syria), China (except Hong Kong and Macau), and South Korea. The Lincoln Motor Company was founded in August 1917 by Henry Leland and his son Wilfred. Among the founders of Cadillac, Leland had sold Cadillac to General Motors in 1909; staying on as an executive, he left in 1917 over

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1952-521: The Y-block V8, Ford developed a 430 cu in (7.0 L) "MEL" V8 as standard equipment for Lincolns (which was also available in Ford Thunderbirds and some Mercury vehicles). For 1959, Continental developed Town Car and Limousine variants of the standard four-door sedan. In place of extending the wheelbase, the reverse-slant roofline was replaced by a formal notchback configuration, allowing

2013-691: The brand, Lincoln returned to model names for the first time since 1942, with the Lincoln Cosmopolitan becoming the standard Lincoln model, with the Lincoln Capri becoming the flagship model line. In a return to (small) pontoon rear fenders, Lincolns shared a body with the Mercury Monterey . Mechanically, Lincoln differed from Mercury, as the Ford truck V8 was replaced by the Lincoln Y-block V8 with

2074-519: The company (forced to be increased by the court). Following the purchase of Lincoln Motor Company by Ford Motor Company, Henry and Wilfred Leland remained at the company, with Edsel Ford given responsibility over it. While Ford had sought to expand its model range beyond the Ford Model T , the purchase of Lincoln held a degree of personal value, as the owners of Lincoln developed an automobile company from one that Henry Ford had been forced from. In 1902,

2135-525: The conclusion of the war in 1945, the structure of Lincoln within Ford changed again, as the Lincoln-Mercury Division was created, pairing Mercury and Lincoln together; from 1945 to the 2010 closure of Mercury, the two divisions were paired together within Ford. For 1946, Lincoln returned to production, ending the use of the Zephyr name. Code-named the H-series , non-Continental Lincolns were identified by their body style. Using slightly updated exteriors from 1942,

2196-410: The development costs of a vehicle platform that Lincoln shared with neither Ford nor Mercury (with the lone exception of the engine and transmission). By 1958, the future of Lincoln-Mercury was at risk, with Ford President Robert McNamara considering the reduction of Ford to its namesake brand. As a condition of allowing Lincoln to continue production, McNamara required the Lincoln model line to undergo

2257-522: The divestiture of Premier Automotive Group ( Jaguar , Land Rover , Aston Martin , and Volvo ) and the closure of Mercury, Lincoln remains the sole luxury nameplate of Ford Motor Company. Originally founded as a freestanding division above Lincoln, Continental was integrated within Lincoln in 1959. For 1969, the Continental-branded Mark series was marketed through Lincoln, adopting the Lincoln name for 1986. The Lincoln four-point star emblem

2318-524: The end of 1923. In 1924, a Lincoln Model L became the first state limousine used by a U.S. President on an official basis, supplied for Calvin Coolidge . By 1930, Lincoln had succeeded in only a decade in what its chief competitors had taken 30 years to accomplish. Serving as a direct competitor to Cadillac, the Model L had become equal to vehicles from established American brands including Duesenberg , Marmon, Packard, Peerless , and Pierce-Arrow . During

2379-499: The end of the war, Lincoln would employ 6,000 workers. On January 26, 1920, Lincoln Motor Company was reorganized as an automobile manufacturer, retooling its Detroit factory to produce automobiles. On September 16, 1920, Lincoln Motor Company produced its first automobile, the Lincoln Model L . Lincoln Motor Company had struggled with the transition from military to automobile production, with some customers having to wait nearly

2440-436: The engines used was a Reeves Model P . In the interest of simplicity, all models used a friction-drive transmission. A roller (a metal wheel with a rubber surface vulcanized to increase its grip) on the front sprocket shaft was pressed against the machined rear surface of the engine flywheel, thus driving the sprocket shaft, the drive chains and the rear wheels. Moving the shift lever set the drive roller to various positions on

2501-468: The exterior was fitted with minimal chrome trim on the body sides; tailfins were left off of the body completely. In place of the bumper-mounted spare tire of the original Lincoln Continental, the trunk lid of the Mark II showcased the design element, with a large imitation spare tire bulge (which fit over the actual spare tire inside the trunk). The Mark II was largely hand-built, with extensive quality testing done on each engine and transmission before leaving

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2562-454: The factory or coachbuilt, yearly styling changes would not properly accommodate its customer base. For the 1931 model year, the Model L was replaced by the Lincoln Model K . An all-new design (on a longer, lower chassis), the Model K introduced upgrades to the carburetor, brakes, and suspension. Competing against the Cadillac 355 , Chrysler Imperial , Duesenberg Model J , and Packard Eight ,

2623-489: The factory. In place of establishing a separate sales and service network for Continental, the Mark II was marketed through Lincoln (the Mark II used a Lincoln engine and transmission). At $ 10,000 in 1956 (equivalent to $ 112,069 in 2023 ), the Mark II was the most expensive car produced by an American automaker at the time, rivaling the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud in price. On July 18, 1956, the Continental Division

2684-470: The first time. Coinciding with the shift in market position for the Model K, Edsel Ford introduced the Lincoln-Zephyr as a sub-marque within Lincoln for 1936. Designed as a competitor for the (Cadillac) LaSalle and Chrysler Airflow , the Lincoln-Zephyr was priced between Ford and the Model K. The Lincoln-Zephyr was the first Ford Motor Company vehicle to use unibody construction; while designed with

2745-435: The flywheel, either nearer the center or nearer the edge, effectively changing the "gear ratio" for climbing hills or driving on level roads. Moving the roller past the center point spun it backwards to give reverse gear. The front sprocket drive shaft was free to slide forward and backwards slightly, just enough to allow the roller to move away from the flywheel. The "clutch pedal" worked differently from most other cars, in that

2806-399: The high wheeler began when standard automobiles became more sophisticated and inexpensive. The end came with the popularity of the Ford Model T . The last high wheelers were built around 1915. The following companies produced high-wheeler cars: * Companies which also produced cars other than high wheelers Lincoln Motor Company Lincoln Motor Company , or simply Lincoln , is

2867-596: The hyphen was removed from Lincoln-Zephyr, making it a Lincoln. As a replacement for the expensive Model K, an extended-wheelbase Lincoln Custom variant of the Lincoln Zephyr was developed. Following the development of proper tooling, the Lincoln Continental began production on the assembly line, replacing hand-built construction. After the entry of the United States into World War II, as with all U.S. auto manufacturers, Lincoln ended automobile production as Ford Motor Company concentrated on wartime manufacturing. Following

2928-452: The inside wheel only. On slippery roads, such as in deep mud, snow, or sand, if one wheel lost traction the other wheel would continue to pull, allowing the car the continue moving until either both wheels found traction once more, or both wheels lost traction completely. Because the cars were very light weight, they were capable of being driven through mud or snow which would immobilize heavier cars with conventional differentials. Although not

2989-419: The operator had to hold their foot on the pedal to keep the roller pressed against the flywheel (the catalog claimed that the weight of the operator’s foot was sufficient to provide forward motion). Removing the foot from the pedal allowed the roller to spring back from the flywheel, effectively providing "neutral" so the car could be cranked without moving forwards. The engine was lubricated by an "oiler", which

3050-455: The period of its manufacture), a Sears Motor Buggy was chosen to portray the home-built experimental car constructed by automobile inventor Joe Belden (Red Skelton) in the 1951 film, "Excuse My Dust" . The film was set in the 1890s, and features several other early cars, including a Curved-Dash Oldsmobile. In the film, the Sears shows itself to be capable of running well on smooth roads, through deep water, and through pumpkin patches. The company

3111-409: The point of outdated) design. As a response, Edsel Ford introduced the Model L for 1923 in a custom-bodied form directly from Lincoln; in line with a Duesenberg or a Rolls-Royce , customers could also purchase a Model L with coachbuilt bodywork. For 1923, Lincoln produced 7,875 cars (nearly 45% higher than in 1922). After struggling to deliver cars before 1922, Lincoln was operating at a profit by

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3172-463: The premium Edsels (prior to the latter's demise), Lincoln and Continental adopted a common body structure, shifting to unibody construction. With a 131-inch wheelbase, the new platform would be among the largest vehicles ever built by Ford Motor Company; they are the longest Lincolns ever built without 5 mph bumpers , a regulatory mandate which went into effect in September 1972. As a replacement for

3233-409: The primitive roads of the late 19th century, and frequently had solid rubber tires . These cars were produced in many body styles. The most common were the motorized wagon (utility vehicle) runabout , roadster and buggy , some with detachable tonneaus . Before gasoline engines became widely available, high wheelers were powered by electric motors or steam engines . The decline of

3294-526: The production of the Model L, Lincoln did not adopt the common American automotive industry practice of yearly model changes. While the company had made minor revisions and upgrades to the model line to the chassis and powertrain, the body was largely left alone over its 10-year production, a business model shared with the Ford Model T . Lincoln found that customer interest was accommodated by the purchase of multiple Lincolns (or other luxury vehicles) in different body styles; as many Lincolns were custom-bodied from

3355-451: The rear seat to be moved rearward several inches. Among the rarest Lincoln vehicles ever produced, the Town Car and Limousines were only offered painted in black. From 1958 until 1960, Lincoln would lose over $ 60 million ($ 617,952,756 in 2023 dollars ). Following the recession economy of the late 1950s (a factor that would play into the demise of Edsel), Ford Motor Company was forced to recoup

3416-405: The shaft upon which they were mounted turned in either direction, but disengaged when the wheel turned them faster than the shaft. When driven in a straight line, both clutches would engage, and provide power to both rear wheels. When the car went around a corner, the outside wheel turned slightly faster than the inside wheel, disengaging the sprocket for the outside wheel, and propelling the car with

3477-434: Was attached to the engine via a spring belt from the main crankshaft. It had four adjustable drip feeds with separate lines to the engine bearings and other areas. All components of the transmission were exposed, so several bearings and pivots had to be oiled or greased manually from time to time. A form of differential action was obtained by building each front drive sprocket with a two-way clutch. These clutches engaged when

3538-600: Was closed after 1952; subsequent Lincolns were produced alongside Mercury Montereys and Mercury Montclairs. For the 1957 model year, Ford opened Wixom Assembly in Wixom, Michigan , as a facility to specialize in Lincoln production. From 1957 until 2007, the facility produced Lincoln vehicles nearly exclusively, along with the Ford GT and several generations of the Ford Thunderbird . For the 1956 model year, Ford Motor Company created

3599-401: Was integrated into Lincoln which continued to manage the Continental brand as a separate marque. During the 1957 model year, the Mark II was withdrawn, largely as a consequence of its hand-built construction; each unit was sold at a loss of over $ 1,000. Subsequently, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham overtook the Mark II as the most expensive American-produced vehicle. For 1958, as part of

3660-629: Was renamed the Mark IV, becoming the Mark V for 1960. In 1959, the Continental marque was formally brought to an end within Lincoln; for 1960, the Mark V was brought to production as the Lincoln Continental Mark V , ending the model cycle alongside the standard Lincoln model line. For the 1958 model year, the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln (M-E-L) division adapted new bodies across its vehicle lines. In addition to Mercury sharing its bodies with

3721-456: Was reorganized slightly, following the creation of the free-standing Edsel and Continental divisions, Lincoln-Mercury was changed to Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln (MEL), with Edsel slotted alongside/below Mercury and Continental above Lincoln, as the flagship of all of Ford Motor Company. By the end of 1959, Continental was integrated into Lincoln, and Edsel was withdrawn. The Lincoln Motor Company Plant, built in Detroit, Michigan, by Henry Leland in 1917,

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