Drivetrain
Chassis
Body
1931 Lincoln K Convertible Sedan
Lincoln is an American luxury car manufacturer, operated under the Ford Motor Company. Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland and acquired by Ford in 1922, Lincoln has been manufacturing vehicles intended for the upscale markets since the 1920s. Leland named the brand after his longtime hero Abraham Lincoln, for whom he had voted in the first presidential elections for which he was eligible
The company was founded in August 1917 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac (originally the Henry Ford Company). He left the Cadillac division of General Motors during World War I and formed the Lincoln Motor Company to build Liberty aircraft engines with his son Wilfred. After the war, the company's factories were retooled to manufacture luxury automobiles. The company encountered severe financial troubles during the transition, coupled with body styling that wasn't comparable to other luxury makers, and after having produced only 150 cars in 1922, was forced into bankruptcy and sold for USD $8,000,000 to the Ford Motor Comany on February 4 1922, which went to pay off some of the creditors. The purchase of Lincoln was a personal triumph for Henry Ford, who had been forced out of his second (after Detroit Automobile Company) company by a group of investors led by Leland. Ford's company, renamed Cadillac in 1902 and purchased by rival General Motors in 1909, was Lincoln's chief competitor.
Lincoln quickly became one of America's top selling luxury brands alongside Cadillac and Packard.
The Lincoln Division was turned over to Edsel Ford by his father some say as a way keep him busy outside of the Ford Brand, since the elder Ford was very set in his ways and didnt easily take to the new ideas of his son. Separate books were not kept for Lincoln so Edsel was free to buiild the finest and most elegant cars he could without as much of an eye towards profit. It is rumored Lincoln lost money on many of the cars they built, even though they were priced slightly higher than their competitors. As the Classic Era got into Full swing the finest coachbuilders in the world were building bodies on Lincoln Chassis. In 1927, Lincoln adopted the greyhound as their emblem, or mascot.
The Lincoln K-Series (also called the Model K, reflecting the earlier Ford Model K) was a line of luxury vehicle produced by Lincoln from 1930 to 1940. While the original K-Series featured a 385 in V8, a V12 became standard in 1933. Customers also had the choice of ordering a fully custom coachwork.
The original Model K appeared in the 1931 model year on a new chassis with a 145 in wheelbase. Factory bodies included a 2- or 4-door phaeton, the latter available as a dual-cowl model. The 384.8 in engine was a derivative of the earlier L-series 60° V8, but a dual venturi downdraft Stromberg carburetor, higher compression, and altered timing upped power to 120 hp.
This Spectacular example was treated to a very high quality restoration and has been used sparingly since so still presents as a freshly restored car in every sense of the term. The black paint is deep and flawless, and perfectly accentuated by the orange pinstripe and wire wheels. The chrome is without fault and shines like jewelry against the black finish. The Upholstery is perfect in every manner, and the top is of the highest artistic quality with lazer straight stitching. As you can see the undercarriage is as nice as the top of the car with quite a lot of attention to detail with even full leather spats on the springs laced in the correct pattern. The choice of Blackwalls add a sedate appearance to this classy, yet understated car.
In excellent running and driving condition, this wonderful car has it all and is ready for the most demanding Concours and most importantly- the Road!