Lincoln Motor Company

This article is about the Ford-owned luxury vehicle brand. For the 1908–1912 cars sold for Sears Roebuck, see Lincoln Motor Car Works.
Not to be confused with Lincoln Motor Truck Company.

Lincoln Motor Company
Formerly
  • Lincoln Motor Company (1917–45)
  • Lincoln-Mercury (1945–2012)[1]
Company type
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedAugust 1917; 107 years ago (1917-08) (as "Lincoln Motor Company")[3]: 4 
Founders
FateAcquired by Ford in 1922, becoming a division of it
Headquarters
Dearborn, Michigan
,
U.S.
Area served
Key people
Dianne Craig (President)[5]
ProductsLuxury cars
ParentFord Motor Company (1922–present)[2]
Websitelincoln.com

Lincoln Motor Company, or simply Lincoln, is the luxury vehicle division of American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company.[6] Marketed among the top luxury vehicle brands in the United States, Lincoln is positioned closely against its General Motors counterpart Cadillac. However, beginning with the 2021 model year, they only offer SUV and Crossover vehicles.[7]

The division helped to establish the personal luxury car segment with the 1940 Lincoln Continental.[8]

Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland, naming it after Abraham Lincoln. In February 1922, the company was acquired by Ford,[9][10] its parent company to this day. Following World War II, Ford formed the Lincoln-Mercury Division, pairing Lincoln with its mid-range Mercury brand; the pairing lasted through the 2010 closure of Mercury. At the end of 2012, Lincoln reverted to its original name, Lincoln Motor Company.[10][11] Following the divestiture of Premier Automotive Group (Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Volvo) and the closure of Mercury, Lincoln remains the sole luxury nameplate of Ford Motor Company.

Originally founded as a freestanding division above Lincoln, Continental was integrated within Lincoln in 1959. For 1969, the Continental-branded Mark series was marketed through Lincoln, adopting the Lincoln name for 1986. The Lincoln four-point star emblem is derived from a badge introduced on the 1956 Continental Mark II; the current version was introduced in 1980.

The current product range of Lincoln consists of luxury crossovers and sport-utility vehicles. Throughout its entire prior existence Lincoln also produced luxury car-based vehicles for limousine and livery use; several examples have served as official state limousines for Presidents of the United States. Today, this niche is filled from its crossover and SUV lineup.

In 2017, Lincoln sold 188,383 vehicles globally.[12] Outside of North America, Lincoln vehicles are officially sold in the Middle East (except Iran and Syria), China (except Hong Kong and Macau), and South Korea.

  1. ^ "A short history of the Mercury brand". Ford. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Davis, Michael W. R. (2002). Ford Dynasty: A Photographic History. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0-7385-2039-1. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Lincoln Motor Company Briefing Book (PDF). New York: Ford Motor Company. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 1917 August: After departing a management position at the Cadillac Division of General Motors, Henry Leland and his son Wilfred Leland form the Lincoln Motor Company, which produces aircraft engines to fill World War I government contracts.
  4. ^ "Our Brands: Lincoln Vehicles". Ford Motor Corporation. 2012. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  5. ^ "Joy Falotico" (Press release). Ford. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  6. ^ Lorio, Joe; Fink, Greg S. (February 5, 2022). "Lincoln's Centennial: A Mega Gallery of Continentals, Presidential Limos, and More". Car and Driver. US. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  7. ^ "Lincoln cancels the Continental again because the US is hooked on SUVs". The Verge. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  8. ^ "Edsel Ford and his influence on Lincoln". Ford. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  9. ^ Banham, Russ (2002). The Ford Century: Ford Motor Company and the Innovations that Shaped the World. Artisan Books. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-57965-201-2. Retrieved June 29, 2022 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b Lincoln Motor Company Briefing Book (PDF). New York: Ford Motor Company. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2012. 1917 August: After departing a management position at the Cadillac Division of General Motors, Henry Leland and his son Wilfred Leland form the Lincoln Motor Company, which produces aircraft engines to fill World War I government contracts.
  11. ^ Buss, Dale (December 3, 2012). "Ford Introduces the "Lincoln Motor Company" in New Branding Campaign". brandchannel. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  12. ^ "Lincoln China Sets Sales Record; Lincoln Global Sales Deliver Best Performance Since 2000". media.lincoln.com (Press release). Retrieved May 18, 2018.