The History of Lincoln: Henry Leland's Company and Ford's Luxury Brand

Lincoln key facts

Henry Leland, Liberty engines and the Model L

Henry Leland was one of the most respected engineers in Detroit. He had led Cadillac and was known for precision manufacturing. In August 1917, with his son Wilfred, he founded a new company and named it after Abraham Lincoln, the first president he had voted for.

The first contract came from the United States government during the First World War. The new firm assembled Liberty V12 aircraft engines, each rated at about 300 kW (400 hp), and the old 1cars text adds that Ford supplied many of the components. When the war ended, the factory had to find civilian work, and Leland turned to luxury cars.

The Lincoln Model L appeared on 16 September 1920. It was well engineered but old-fashioned in style, and it arrived in the middle of a post-war recession. Sales were weak, debts grew, and in 1922 the company went into receivership.

The 1922 Ford takeover

On 4 February 1922, Ford Motor Company bought the business for 8 million US dollars. Henry Ford gave responsibility for the new brand to his son, Edsel Ford. The Lelands left the company on 10 June 1922, after disagreements with the new owners.

Edsel Ford set a clear goal. "Father made the most popular car in the world," he said. "I would like to make the best car in the world." The brand continued as a separate company inside Ford until 1940. For the parent company's own story, see the history of Ford and the profile of Henry Ford.

Lincoln timeline from 1917 to 2025

Zephyr, Continental and the Edsel Ford era

The 1930s brought big engines and small sales. The Model K replaced the Model L in 1931, and in 1932 the company introduced its first V12. The old 1cars text names the V12 KB and V8 KA versions of that year. These were expensive cars in the worst years of the Depression.

The answer was the Lincoln-Zephyr of 1936. It was a cheaper, streamlined mid-size car shaped with input from John Tjaarda of Briggs Manufacturing, and it sold more than 15,000 units in its first year. According to the old 1cars text, that lifted the brand's sales almost ninefold. The Zephyr kept the brand alive until the Second World War.

The Continental began as a one-off for Edsel Ford in 1939, designed with Bob Gregorie, and entered production for 1940. On 30 April 1940 the company lost its separate status and became the Lincoln Division of Ford. The old 1cars text says the change aimed to stop rival Ford models competing with each other and to modernise production.

The Mercury partnership and the Continental Mark II

In 1945 Ford combined Lincoln with Mercury in a single Lincoln-Mercury Division. In 1946 the division offered a range based on the Zephyr and the Continental. The 1949 Lincoln was the first since 1932 without a V12, and the old 1cars text adds that it used a V8 from a Ford truck. The Cosmopolitan became the flagship that year. You can read more about the partner brand in the history of Mercury.

The Continental Mark II of 1956 was a two-door coupé sold by a separate Continental Division. It cost about 10,000 US dollars, which made it the most expensive American car of its time. Its boxed four-point star became the basis of today's Lincoln emblem. According to the old 1cars text, the cars were built largely by hand until production stopped in spring 1957.

Ford opened the Wixom Assembly Plant in 1957 to build the brand's cars. From 1958, Lincoln and Continental shared one body, and the Continental division merged back into Lincoln.

The 1961 Continental and the presidential limousines

The 1961 Continental was smaller and more restrained than the cars of the late 1950s. It came as a four-door saloon and a four-door convertible, and its rear doors were hinged at the back.

The brand also became the car of US presidents. The 1939 "Sunshine Special" served Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a 1950 car with a glass "bubbletop" served Dwight D. Eisenhower. John F. Kennedy rode in the 1961 Continental limousine, code-named SS-100-X, when he was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. The car was rebuilt and used by four more presidents. In 1964 a stretched Continental was also built for Pope Paul VI.

Mark III, Town Car and the best sales year

In 1968 the division launched the Continental Mark III, a large personal coupé that revived the spirit of the Mark II. It was a success and led to a series of Mark models through the 1990s. The smaller Lincoln Versailles followed in 1977.

In 1981 the top Continental became a separate model, the Lincoln Town Car. It became the brand's standard car and a favourite of chauffeur and limousine companies. The Continental itself switched to front-wheel drive for 1988, a first for the brand according to the old 1cars text. In 1990 the Town Car got a new body, and the brand sold 231,660 vehicles in the United States, its best year ever.

Navigator, the MK names and the move to SUVs

The Lincoln Navigator arrived in 1998 as the brand's first SUV. It was based on the Ford Expedition and became an instant success. That year the brand outsold its old rival Cadillac for the first time; read the other side of that story in the history of Cadillac.

The LS saloon followed in 2000, and the Continental was dropped after 2002. In 2006 the Zephyr name returned on a mid-size saloon, which became the MKZ a year later, alongside the new MKX crossover. The MKS replaced the Town Car's role as flagship from 2009, and the MKT crossover appeared in 2010. Ford announced the end of Mercury in 2010, and the last Mercury was built on 4 January 2011.

By our calculation, US sales in 2025 were 54 % lower compared with the 1990 peak. China, which Lincoln entered in 2014, now accounts for about 40 % of the brand's combined sales in its two main markets.

The SUV-only line-up today

In December 2012 Ford renamed the division Lincoln Motor Company again, to give it more independence in design and engineering. A new MKZ went on sale in early 2013. The Continental name returned in 2017, but both the Continental and the MKZ ended in 2020. Since then the range has consisted only of SUVs.

Other American luxury brands are listed on the American cars page, and the Lincoln models in the catalogue are on the Lincoln brand page. To set a Lincoln against a German or Japanese rival, use the 1cars comparison tool.

Our verdict: which model suits whom

For collectors, the 1961–1963 Continental and the 1956 Mark II are the landmark cars, valued for design rather than performance. The Town Car is the classic choice for buyers who want a simple, durable full-size saloon. Today's Navigator suits families who need eight seats and a large boot, while the Corsair and Nautilus compete with smaller European premium SUVs. The brand's strength is quiet comfort, not sporty handling. To estimate what a large SUV costs to keep, try the 1cars cost of ownership calculator.

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