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
Following the introduction of Edsel Ford to Lincoln management, the fortunes of Lincoln began to quickly improve. For 1923, the Lincoln Model L underwent extensive changes. While the chassis and drivetrain (including an L-head 60-degree V8) were largely left alone, several new bodystyles were introduced. 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 1922), operating at a profit by the end of the year.
During the early 1920s, Lincoln steered away from the common American automotive industry practice of yearly model changes. While used to market fresh designs to customers, Lincoln found that its customers had begun to purchase multiple Lincolns (or other luxury vehicles) in different bodystyles; yearly styling changes would not properly accommodate its customer base. Following the 1930 model year, however, Lincoln chose to withdraw the Model L in favor of a more modern vehicle. For 1931, the Lincoln Model K was introduced as a competitor to the Cadillac 355 Chrysler Imperial, Duesenberg Model J, and Packard Eight.