Cadillac Wasn't The Only Car Brand Founded By Henry Leland

Henry Leland's sanction isn't arsenic well-known arsenic those of chap early auto-industry visionaries Henry Ford and nan Dodge Brothers, but Leland brought a definite style and panache that launched not conscionable one, but 2 luxury automakers still successful business to this day. Born successful Vermont, Leland arrived successful Detroit successful 1890 pinch a inheritance arsenic a machinist successful nan firearms trade. A decade later, his patient started building transmissions, and later engines, for Ransom Olds' eponymous fledging car enterprise. Despite his company's anterior attraction chiefly connected bicycle parts, nan automotive components were of exceedingly precocious value and could moreover beryllium interchanged betwixt vehicles — a caller idea.

Next came nan events that would specify Leland's career. He was hired to assistance successful nan liquidation of The Henry Ford Company, Ford's troubled early effort astatine building cars, though evidently not his last. Instead, Leland suggested keeping nan institution going utilizing an engine originally developed for Oldsmobile, whose 2004 decease we're still not over. Of course, a sanction alteration for nan business was successful bid and Cadillac — later to person a unique duck-laden logo — was born, named aft nan explorer who founded Detroit.

Cadillac was sold to General Motors successful 1909, but Leland remained there until 1917, erstwhile he resigned because of GM's refusal to produces warfare materials to thief America conflict World War I. Soon after, pinch nan thief of his son, Wilfred, Henry Leland formed a caller institution to build craft engines for nan war: nan Lincoln Motor Company. 

While Cadillac was named aft a French explorer, Lincoln's root was decidedly much American. Leland was a lifelong instrumentality of Abraham Lincoln and voted for him successful nan statesmanlike predetermination of 1864. After World War I ended, the Lincoln Motor Company stopped building craft engines and revisited Leland's aged forte of building luxury cars. But aft conscionable a fewer years, Lincoln foundered arsenic an automotive marque and was, ironically, purchased by Henry Ford, who had yet recovered success.

One logic Lincoln grounded successful nan hands of Leland and boy was that, despite nan machine's awesome chassis, its styling was dated and, immoderate would moreover say, ugly. This, mixed pinch a depressed postwar system unfriendly for trading high-end cars, meant that successful 1920, Lincoln only sold astir 700 automobiles versus a predicted measurement of 6,000. The last nail successful Lincoln's coffin arsenic an independent carmaker occurred successful 1921, erstwhile nan IRS pursued nan institution for backmost taxes owed.

As pinch Cadillac's waste to GM, nan Lelands remained employed astatine Lincoln pursuing nan waste to Ford. However, Henry Ford not only acted strangely — like eating weeds, for illustration — but he was besides notoriously difficult to get on with. After aggregate disagreements, some Lelands were forced to resign successful 1922. Leland's contributions and impressions connected nan early car manufacture earned him nan nickname "Grand Old Man of Detroit." Unfortunately, his expertise to play authorities successful business was possibly not arsenic honed arsenic his engineering chops.