The first all-new Lincolns under Ford control appeared in 1923 albeit with minor improvements. What remained was the Henry Leland engineering brilliance; in particular, the big Lincoln V-8 with its “fork and blade” connecting rods. This innovative but costly design allowed the cylinders to sit perfectly opposed from one another, bank-to-bank, making the Lincoln V-8 one of Detroit’s smoothest operating powerplants.

Under Edsel Ford’s direction, Lincoln continued to gain status, as did the car’s image as one of America’s leading luxury automobiles. Unlike his mechanically minded father, Edsel was a man of sophisticated taste with a keen eye for design and classic good looks. He also contracted with coachbuilders to construct both catalogued and coachbuilt customs.

This lovely Lincoln five-passenger sedan was restored by well-known marque specialist Tony Henkels for then owner Gordon Wallingford. According to the consignor, it has remained a California car its entire life with very few owners. It was freshened by Aires Restoration, Inc. of Hollister, California, just prior to receiving Best in Class honors at the Ironstone Concours d’Elegance in 2009 and being shown at Pebble Beach in 2010, where it completed the 80-mile road tour. It has been recently serviced, exercised regularly, and always kept in a moderate climate. The Lincoln comes complete with its original trunk, tools, tool pouch, and its “Book of Instructions.”

This is a wonderful, well-preserved, and most desirable Model L.