Lincoln
Change MakeLincoln Models
$54,535
18 (2022) city/ 26 (2022) hwy/ 21 (2022) combined
About Lincoln
Established in 1917 by Henry Leland and his son Wilfred, the Lincoln Motor Company’s roots are intertwined with those of Cadillac, its long-time chief competitor. An engineer by trade, Leland was a pivotal figure in the founding of Cadillac and remained a key executive even after its acquisition by General Motors in 1909. Leland’s departure came in 1917 when he received a $10 million-dollar contract to assemble V12 Liberty aircraft engines for the war effort. He named the startup “Lincoln” after the U.S. president.
After the war, Lincoln retooled for automobile production, revealing its first product, the 1921 Lincoln Model L, in late 1920. Intended as a competitor to Cadillac and other luxury brands, the Model L utilized a V8 engine inspired by the V12 Liberty engine.
Lincoln had a difficult time finding firm financial footing, however, and Ford purchased the company in 1922 for $8 million dollars. Although the Leland’s stayed on initially, Ford management installed Edsel Ford as the Chief management officer at Lincoln a short time later. Ford set about redesigning the lineup, and the company began to show a profit.
Post-WWII, Lincoln continued to curate unique and instantly recognizable models, including the understated for the era and now iconic Lincoln Continental four-door convertible and sedan. The 1970s brought more homogenization with pedestrian Ford models, Lincoln variants often separated only by minor trim bits and a unique fascia. The trend continued with varying results throughout the 1990s, the brand finding a new identity of sorts in the Lincoln Navigator SUV that resonated with the buying public. Essentially a high-luxury adaption of the Ford Excursion, its success trickled down to the MKC, MKT and MKX SUVs.
Now, Lincoln is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, offering no less than five SUVs, including, from largest to smallest, the Navigator, Aviator, Nautilus, Corsair and MKC. Its passenger car lineup consists of the full-size Continental and mid-size MKZ sedans.
