Ford | Lincoln

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker founded by Henry Ford in 1903. The company also sells luxury cars under the Lincoln brand.

In 1908, Ford introduced the first engine with a removable cylinder head, the mass produced Ford Model T, which totalled 16.5 million sold over nearly 20 years.

In 1913 Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing using moving assembly lines.

In 1927, Ford introduced the Model A, the first car with safety glass in the windshield.

The Ford Thunderbird was manufactured over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005. When introduced, it created the market niche eventually known as the personal luxury car. The word “thunderbird” is a reference to a legendary creature of the North American indigenous people. The thunderbird is considered a supernatural bird of power and strength.

The Ford Mustang, now in its sixth generation, was based on the Ford Falcon, a compact car. The first production Mustang was released in 1964. The Mustang created the “pony car” class of American automobiles, sports-car like coupés with long hoods and short rear decks.The 1965 Mustang was Ford’s most successful launch since the Model A and won the Tiffany Gold Medal for excellence in American design, the first automobile ever to do so.

The song Mustang Sally, recorded by Wilson Pickett in 1966 was described as “Free advertising for the Ford Motor Company”. Steve McQueen drove a Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 fastback in the famous film “Bullitt” and a Mustang appeared in the James Bond film “Goldfinger” in September 1964.  As a result the Mustang enjoyed celebrity status in the 1960s.

Other famous models include the Anglia, Galaxie, Fairlane, Granada, Fiesta, Crown Victoria, Cortina, Pinto, Taurus, Focus, Fusion, Torino and Escort.

Discontinued marques are the Edsel (1955-1960), Continental (1956-60), Mercury (1939-2011) and Merkur (1985-1989).

The Lincoln Motor Company was founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland, naming it after Abraham Lincoln. In 1922, Lincoln was acquired by the Ford Motor Company and is marketed as its luxury vehicle brand. Lincoln has competed closely against Cadillac for nearly its entire existence.

When Ford acquired Lincoln, it quickly became one of America’s top selling luxury brands alongside Cadillac, Pierce-Arrow, Marmon, Peerless, Duesenberg, and Packard.

Although several body styles were introduced Lincoln also contracted with dozens of coachbuilders during the 1920s and early 30s to create multiple custom built vehicles.

The smaller Lincoln-Zephyr was introduced for the 1936 model year as a marque of its own, It remained a separate marque until the end of the 1940 model year and then became a model under Lincoln, when the large Lincoln Twelve was discontinued.

Lincoln has the distinction of establishing the personal luxury car segment, with the entry of the Lincoln Continental into mass production in 1940. The styling of the rear tire mount proved popular; it would become a styling feature of the Lincoln Mark series. Those who work on custom cars call a similar mount a “Continental kit”.

Originally founded as a freestanding division above Lincoln, Continental was integrated within Lincoln in 1959. The Continental-branded Mark Series was marketed through Lincoln starting in 1968, adapting the Lincoln name in 1986.

The Lincoln star emblem is derived from a badge first used on the 1956 Continental Mark II.

The current product range of Lincoln consists of sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. Lincoln also produces vehicles for limousine and livery use. Lincoln has a long history of providing official state limousines for Presidents of the United States.