Lincoln’s big news for 1929 was a move to side-mounted spare tires, which were highly recommended by the company. These also reduced the length of the cars visually and removed the need for double spares at the rear. Triplex shatter-proof glass was adopted all round, and the radiator shell, lights and all exterior brightwork were plated in chrome over nickel. The brakes were all internal expanding, the engine rubber-mounted to reduce vibration, and oil pressure increased from 30 to 50 pounds. There were a dizzying number of body styles: 26 offered by 14 coachbuilders, including Brunn, Dietrich, Judkins, LeBaron, Locke, Waterhouse and Willoughby, but Lincoln offered its own bodies as well this year.

Lincoln historians note that this “three-window” Model L sedan of 1929, one of 436, was originally delivered to Hulbert Taft, a member of the prominent Ohio Republican political dynasty, who himself wielded tremendous power as the kingmaking editor and publisher of the Cincinnati Times-Star. Not one to be content behind a desk, he personally interviewed the likes of Benito Mussolini and Leon Trotsky. The Model L was a solidly engineered, elegant car for a person of wealth who knew quality when they saw it, and that certainly described Hulbert Taft. According to a short, written history with the Lincoln, the car eventually passed to Mr. Taft’s grandson, then to the family chauffeur.

At some point many years ago, the Lincoln was refinished to the present colors, but it remains otherwise largely preserved, with period finishes still visible throughout the engine compartment, on the chassis, and especially within the remarkably well-kept, tidy interior. The original serial number plate is still intact, as is the body number plate on solid original woodwork. The Lincoln even retains its original tool set, including the built-in air compressor for filling tires at roadside. At the time of cataloguing, the car’s odometer recorded 61,910 miles.

With a proper awakening after several years spent on display in the owner’s collection, this Classic Car Club of America Full Classic would be a fine tour or CARavan automobile, with comfortable appointments and satisfying originality sure to make it a favorite of its next owner—even if they never interviewed Trotsky.