1925 Lincoln Model L

Henry M. Leland was a machinist, inventor, and businessman who had an important and far-reaching influence on the American automotive marketplace. His skills as a machinist were fine-tuned in the firearms industry and helped him become a leading-edge automobile developer during the turn of the 20th century, applying many of the lessons learned in the firearms business to the automobile, most importantly, the use of interchangeable parts. The machine shop, Leland & Faulconer, became a supplier of engines to Ransom E. Olds's Olds Motor Vehicle Company, later to be known as Oldsmobile.

In 1902, the Henry Ford Company enlisted his skills to appraise their assents prior to liquidation. Henry Ford left the company, along with several key partners, in March of 1902 following a dispute with his investors. The financial backers, William Murphy and Lemuel Bown enlisted Leland, who provided the appraisal and suggested they reorganize and build a car based on an engine Leland supplied to Olds. A new company was created on August 22nd of 1902, called the Cadillac Automobile Company, using the Henry Ford Company factory at Amsterdam Avenue and Cass Street. In 1905, the Cadillac Company merged with Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing and quickly established a reputation for precision engineering. They became the first volume manufacturer to offer a fully enclosed car, in 1906, and in 1908 they participated in the interchangeability test in the United Kingdom and were awarded the Dewar Trophy for the most important advancement of the year in the automobile industry. In 1909, Cadillac was sold to General Motors, but Leland remained in charge. In 1912, he headed the development of the electric self-starter alongside Charles Kettering.

In 1916, Leland left Cadillac following a dispute over the production of Liberty Aircraft engines, and subsequently founded another American luxury marque, Lincoln, named after the president for whom he had first voted in 1864. This company was not initially intended for automobile production, instead, it built Liberty engines for a government contract. After a brief period, the Armistice came to a close, prompting Leland to switch to automobile production.

Henry Leland's first model since he formed Lincoln Motor Company following his contentious departure from Cadillac was the Model L. It was introduced in 1917 and wore bodies designed by Leland's son-in-law, Angus Woodbridge, who had been trained as a lady's hat maker. The mechanical aspects of the Lincoln benefitted from Leland's expertise and experience, using precision engineering with rugged and compact components. They were powered by a 60-degree V8 engine with fork-and-black connecting rods, full-pressure lubrication, a large torque tube drive, and initially developing 81 horsepower. The coachwork, however, was stodgy and dated. Coupled with the post-World War I recession, the company soon experienced difficult financial times, prompting Leland to sell Lincoln to Henry Ford in 1922 for $8 million.

Henry Ford's Model T was America's best-selling automobile thanks to its durability, practicality, and affordability. He dominated the low-priced market, and with the Lincoln, Henry Ford hoped to do the same to the luxury car segment. Henry Leland left after four months, and Mr. Ford assigned his own son Edsel to head the new division. Edsel was more than just a successor to the Ford fortune, he was a talented designer who understood the importance of style on a high-end automobile. He created new designs for the L-series, streamlined the production process, improved handling with the addition of hydraulic shock absorbers, and turned Lincoln into a profitable business in less than a year.

By 1925, the Model L was devoid of cowl lights, wore a new nickel-plated radiator shell, factory-installed bumpers, and had a Gorham-produced greyhound radiator ornament. The radiator ornament began as an optional but was adopted as standard during the year. The steering ratio of 12.67:1 was replaced during the year with a 15:1 ratio, and the emergency brake lever was improved. The 60-degree, L-head V8 engine continued to displace 357.8 cubic inches, used mechanical valve lifters, three main bearings, a Stromberg updraft carburetor, and delivered 90 horsepower at 2,800 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed sliding gear manual transmission with floor shift controls and multiple disc, dry plate clutch. Mechanical brakes on two wheels provided the stopping power, although Lincoln's built for the Police used four-wheel brakes.

The Lincoln automobiles were offered in a wide array of factory and custom bodies. External coachbuilders included Brunn, LeBaron, Holbrook, Dietrich, and Judkins. Prices ranged from the high $3,000s to the upper $6,000s (or more depending on coachwork, options, and trim). Optional equipment included disc wheels, Rudge-Whitworth wire wheels, painted radiator shell, side-mount covers, natural wood finish wheels, and dual side-mount spares. During 1925, 8,451 examples of the Lincoln were built, an increase over the 7,053 produced in 1924, and similar to the 8.787 produced in 1926. Similar production figures continued through the remainder of the 1920s before dropping to 3,515 in 1930 due to the Great Depression. Lincoln production would soldier on through the mid-1930s with production below 4,000 units annually. In 1936, the unibody-built Lincoln Zephyr was introduced, with modern and aerodynamic styling that quickly caught the attention of consumers, and nearly 15,000 examples were sold that year, along with 1,515 of the top-of-the-line Model K. The Zephyr was joined by the Continental in 1940 which would continue to define the styling used through the 1940s (sans the World War II years).

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020