Lincoln

Lincoln is an American luxury automobile brand, operated under the Ford Motor Company.

History

The company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac, left the Cadillac division of General Motors during World War I and formed the Lincoln Motor Company to build Liberty aircraft engines. After the war, the company's factories were retooled to manufacture luxury automobiles.

The company encountered severe financial troubles during the transition, and was consequently bought by Ford Motor Company in 1922, who still owns and manufactures cars under the Lincoln marque in its Lincoln-Mercury division. The purchase of Lincoln was a personal triumph for Ford who had been forced out of his second company by a group of investors led by Leland. Ironically that company was later renamed Cadillac. Lincoln quickly became one of America's top selling luxury brands alongside Cadillac and Duesenberg. In 1927, Lincoln adopted the greyhound as their emblem, which was later replaced with diamond that is currently in use.