1930 Lincoln Model L Dual Cowl Phaeton

The Lincoln marque came into existence in 1917 with the purpose of building Liberty aircraft engines during World War I. It was Henry Martyn Leland's second automobile company formed after he left Cadillac in a dispute with General Motors president Billy Durant. As the First World War came to an end, the government contracts were canceled. Instead of laying off the workforce, the business was converted to automobile production with the first Lincolns cars making their appearance in September of 1920.

It had taken a few years for the Lincoln's to convert to automotive production, and this was due to Leland's quest for excellence and perfection. A nationwide recession after the War put Lincoln into receivership and was later rescued by Henry Ford. The company was purchased for eight million dollars in 1922. Leland remained with the company for only four months, as a dispute between Leland and Ford had him abandon the Lincoln Company and ultimately the automotive business forever.

The Lincoln automobiles became Ford's flagship vehicles with the direction of the company put into the control of Henry's son, Edsel. Many of the cars were designed by legendary coachbuilders such as Brunn, Judkins, Willoughby, Murphy and Locke who outfitted the cars with some of the most desirable custom creations of the era.

This particular vehicle has a Locke body finished in Dual Cowl Phaeton configuration. It is believed that this car was once owned by Edsel Ford and Governor Frank Fitzgerald of Michigan. It spent twenty-one years of its life in the care of Eugene Eldridge. Other owners include David Rehor and Rick Caroll. In 1995 it was purchased by John Hazlitt at auction and later sold it to Mr. David Uihlein. It is finished in its original colors of Power Blue and Silver with black fenders and chassis. The interior features leather upholstery in Saddle Brown. It has its original side curtains and rods still in their factory packaging which were discovered upon removal of the front seat cushions. It has been treated to a restoration since new, and is in excellent condition. It was brought to the 2007 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, where it had an estimated value of $125,000 - $175,000. It was offered without reserve which worked well for the buyer who purchased this magnificent automobile for $93,500 including buyer's premium.

The DC Phaeton body is one of the more attractive of its kind, having been created by the legendary Locke & Company of New York City. Their history dates back to the dawn of the automobile and their craft was perfected by clothing such prestigious chassis as Duesenberg, Rolls-Royce, Packard and Pierce-Arrow. In 1926 the company expanded its operations with a new factory located in Rochester, NY. The first Locke-bodied Lincolns appeared in 1926 appearing in roadster, convertible, town car and landaulette styles in the Lincoln catalog. The DC Sport Phaeton bodies of Style 163B were built from 1927 through 1929 with a total of 298 created. This example with chassis number 656574 is the only one known to have been fitted to a 1930 chassis and is believed to have been near the end of the run. It was finished in either September of October and given the benefit of 1931 styling features such as its bumpers, horns, lights, steering column and a luggage rack.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2017