Lincoln is a luxury automobile brand made by the Ford Motor Company, a United States automaker. Lincoln became one of the most popular and widely recognized U.S. car brands. Classic Lincolns include the Continental, Town Car, and Zephyr. The American mechanic and automaker Henry Leland founded the Lincoln Motor Company in 1917 to build Liberty engines for fighter planes during World War I (1914-1918). Leland, who also founded Cadillac, named the new company after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
After the war, Leland reorganized the company to make automobiles. The first Lincoln cars were large and powerful but expensive, and the company soon fell upon financial difficulties. In 1922, the American automaker Henry Ford bought Lincoln, bringing it back from bankruptcy. By the 1930’s, Lincoln was competing solidly against other luxury brands, such as Cadillac and Packard. The streamlined 1936 Lincoln Zephyr proved immensely popular. The Lincoln Continental began its long, successful run in 1939.
During World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. government halted automobile production to focus on wartime needs. From early 1942 to August 1945, Lincoln turned out tank engines; bodies for amphibious vehicles, which could operate both on land and in water; and jeep bodies. Lincoln limousines served as the official car of U.S. presidents from Calvin Coolidge in 1924 until Ronald Reagan switched to a Cadillac in 1984.
Fuel crises in the 1970’s turned the auto industry toward smaller, more fuel-efficient models. Lincoln, known for its large cars and engines, saw a decline in sales. The brand returned to prominence in the 1990’s with the introduction of the luxury SUV Navigator. In the early 2000’s, several new models and fuel technologies allowed Lincoln—and Ford—to avoid the financial crises that affected other U.S. automakers. In 2010, however, Ford announced plans to end production of the Town Car and Crown Victoria.
See also Ford Motor Company .
