The Liberty aircraft engine was one of the very first attempts at creating a modular engine that could be easily mass-produced by several different manufacturing companies in large quantity, in anything from four- to twelve-cylinder configuration. It was designed by Jesse G. Vincent and Elbert J. Hall, and produced for the World War I effort by Packard, Lincoln, Buick, Ford, Cadillac, and Marmon, with Lincoln and Packard (Vincent’s employer) producing the majority of the engines.

Unfortunately, due to delays finalizing the design, very few of the 13,574 Liberty engines produced were used during the war. The surplus engines were put to use running tanks, civilian seaplanes and air mail planes, and even in several racing cars.

The Liberty L-12 offered is a display piece and is missing some ancillary pieces, including the exhausts; its operational condition is not known as it has been on exhibit in the Burdick Collection for some years.