385ci L-Head V-8 Engine
Single Carburetor
90bhp at 2,800rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Internal Expanding Mechanical Drum Brakes

* A two family owner car from new
* A quality older restoration in good order
* CCCA Full Classic™

THE LINCOLN MODEL L

Henry Martyn Leland had earned his reputation as Detroit's "Master of Precision" long before establishing Lincoln to build Liberty aircraft engines for The Great War. Leland launched Cadillac's reputation as "The Standard of the World", then left in a dispute with Billy Durant and started Lincoln, commencing automobile manufacture after the war.

Leland's first Lincoln was superbly engineered and built. Introduced in 1921, it was powered by a 358 cubic inch L-head 60° V-8 engine. Unlike more conventional V-engines which offset the cylinder banks slightly to make room for adjacent connecting rod bearings on the crank journals, Leland's Model L used fork-and-blade connecting rods and disposed the cylinders directly opposite each other. Unusually for the period, Leland's V-8 had full pressure lubrication. The Model L Lincolns were powerful, reliable and strong.

Leland, however, had an engineer's vision and the bodies which completed his automobiles were stodgy and out-of-date. When it became apparent that drastic measures were needed to brighten up the Leland Lincolns' appearance, they turned to the Buffalo, New York firm of Brunn & Company. Hermann A. Brunn rushed out a set of twelve body designs, delivering one of each to Lincoln. But it was too late as dismal sales, the post WWI recession and an erroneous $4½ million tax bill spelled the end of Lincoln. It was bought out of receivership in 1922 by none other than Henry Ford to balance the success of the bare bones Model T with the best-engineered and best-built luxury automobile in America.

Edsel Ford took charge at Lincoln after Leland's angry parting only four months later and quickly commissioned the best American coachbuilders to create designs for Lincoln. Locke, Judkins, Dietrich, Derham, LeBaron and others soon joined Brunn.

Ford's engineers improved modestly upon Leland's V-8, changing to aluminum pistons and revising the heads for better cooling but the quality and potential of the basic engine and chassis design proved itself by providing the underpinnings for Lincoln until it was superseded by the Model K V12 in 1933.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

The late series Model L in Mr. Hopeman's stable is this 7 Passenger Touring. This car was by far the longest to have remained with him, having been acquired by him in the early 1970s. According to copies of title paperwork, it was purchased from an Alfred D. Judd of East Greenwich, Rhode Island in the middle of December, 1972. A note on its Bill of Sale states very simply 'the described automobile was purchased by my father Howard T. Judd in 1930', 'I have had the car from 1946 to date'. This succinct note of the car's history confirms its lineage as a one owner car from delivery through to 1972, making Mr. Hopeman only its third owner and second family custody from new!

Over the course of nearly 45 years of ownership, the Touring received sympathetic refurbishment, including painting to the current rich green hue in lacquer paint and retrimming in brown leather. Its top, already replaced once was literally being refinished at the time of his passing and has now been completed properly.

A popular car that was literally part of the family being used for personal events as well as car club gatherings, it is a C.C.C.A. Full Classic, enabling it to be used at their events as well as those of the Lincoln Car club, or simply to be enjoyed.