Lincoln Motor Company
Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland, naming it after Abraham Lincoln; in 1922, Lincoln was acquired by Ford. Following World War II, Ford formed the Lincoln-Mercury Division, pairing Lincoln with its mid-range Mercury brand through 2010. In 2012, Ford rebranded the Lincoln division under its original name, Lincoln Motor Company. Originally founded as a freestanding division above Lincoln, Continental was integrated within Lincoln in 1959. The Continental-branded Mark Series was marketed through Lincoln starting in 1968, adapting the Lincoln name in 1986. The Lincoln star emblem is derived from a badge first used on the 1956 Continental Mark II.
Lincoln Motor Company
In addition to more closely competing against General Motors in different price segments, the purchase of Lincoln also held personal value within Ford management. In 1902, Henry Ford had been forced out of his second company (Henry Ford Company) by a group of investors led by Leland. Henry Ford Company was renamed Cadillac Automobile Company; sold to General Motors in 1909, Cadillac has remained a chief competitor of Lincoln from 1920 to the present day. While Henry and Wilfred Leland were initially retained to manage Lincoln, on June 10, 1922, both Lelands were removed, with Edsel Ford brought in to manage the company.