1930 Lincoln Model L

The Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by engineer Henry Leland and his son Wilfred to produce Liberty Aero engines during World War I. Leland, who had founded Cadillac in 1903, decided to re-enter the luxury car market after the war was over with a new car; the Lincoln. Introduced in 1921, it was powered by a 358 cubic-inch L-head, 60-degree V-8 engine. Conventional V-engines of the era offset the cylinder banks slightly to make room for adjacent connecting rod bearings on the crank journals. The engine powering the Lincoln, however, used expensive, precision-made fork-and-blade connecting rods and disposed of the cylinders directly opposite each other. Leland's V-8 also had full pressure lubrication, an unusual feature for the period.

The first model, the Model L was produced from 1921 to 1930. The Model L, powered by a V-8 was comparable in size and price to a Cadillac but had a larger more powerful engine. The price of between $4,600 and $6,600 made the car only available to the most well-to-do. Leland's forte was not in styling and the car suffered from a stogy appearance, and bad economic times. Lincoln tried a quick redesign with a set of twelve body designs by Hermann A. Brunn, but it was too late as dismal sales, the post-WWI recession and an erroneous 4.5 million-dollar tax bill spelled the end of Lincoln.

The Lincoln Company was bought out of receivership in 1922 by none other than Henry Ford to balance the success of the economical Model T with the best-engineered and best-built luxury automobile in America. The Lincoln body styles were refined through the styling genius of Edsel Ford, creating designs that would make Lincoln one of the premier motor cars in the world.

The 1930 Model L featured a 384 cubic-inch engine producing 90 horsepower. The 136-inch wheelbase could be fitted with custom-built coachwork. LeMay museum's car featured here has a Willoughby Town Sedan body. Only about 244 were produced in 1930 with a base price of $5,900. The Willoughby Company was one of America's larger custom body builders and they specialized in chauffer-driven town cars, landaulets, and limousines. Willoughby's quality and workmanship was first, although their styling tended to the conservative. Willoughby built their custom bodies in Utica, New York from 1903 through 1938.