The LINCOLN LINK LINKINGThe TOGETHER LINCOLN ALL ELEMENTS OF THE LINCOLN MOTORLINK CAR HERITAGE IN THIS ISSUE: • New Lincoln Motor Car Museum Announced • Lincoln Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars • New Lincoln MKS and MKT PUBLISHED SEMI-YEARLY Volume VI, number 1 • summer, 2008 Indianapolis 500 pace cars. For THE EDITOR’S the 1932 pace laps, the 1932 KB was driven by Edsel Ford, and in MUSINGS 1946 the pace car was driven by Edsel’s son, Henry Ford II. The AND RAMBLINGS 1946 vehicle has dropped from sight (hopefully to reappear), ■ HE’S BAAACK! I have another Lincoln MKS but the 1932 KB’s engine and opportunity to serve as guest model lineup. The Mark LT was transmission have been found, editor of The Lincoln Link. a Lincoln variant of the Ford which will allow the recreation Creating the last issue with F150 pickup truck, introduced of that vehicle—a process that is Richard Cole and the many fine in 2005 as a 2006 model year underway. people who contributed to the vehicle. The dropping of the research was such a delightful Mark LT was prompted by Ford Lincoln MKT experience that I am pleased to Motor Company’s change to the be allowed an encore. Lincoln product strategy. It has ■ THIS ISSUE of the Link fea- been decided to avoid thinly dis- tures the public announcement guised versions of other vehicles of the three major Lincoln affin- for the Lincoln brand, a practice ity clubs’ intention to build a known as “badge engineering.” Lincoln automotive museum. The Ford F150 is new for 2009, The boards of the three clubs and the incremental investment ■ THE FRONT DOORWAY and for an appropriately differenti- are using the Foundation as the lintel of the closed Packard fac- ated version for Lincoln was vehicle (nice pun) that will plan tory in Detroit was recently auc- deemed too high for the antici- and direct the construction of tioned. The purchaser is a sup- pated sales volume. The attitude the museum. The Foundation is porter of the Packard Museum at Ford is, “If you can’t do it designated as a public founda- in Dayton, Ohio, and the door- right, don’t do it.” tion by the Internal Revenue way will presumably be relo- Service, and contributions to ■ IN SPITE OF the deletion of cated to Dayton as part of the the building fund through the the Lincoln Mark LT, Ford Packard Museum. The auction Foundation will be tax-deduct- Motor Company continues its price was $161,000. This pres- ible under Section 501 (c)(3) of commitment to high levels of ervation effort is very similar to the Internal Revenue Code. The investment in the Lincoln brand. the Foundation’s rescue of the new Lincoln museum will fit This issue of the Link has some Lincoln entryway lintel and dec- perfectly with the Foundation’s comments on the just intro- orative stonework in 2002. The educational role. duced, highly luxurious and well Lincoln stonework is currently ■ ALMOST UNNOTICED is the received Lincoln MKS sedan and on display at the Gilmore Car deletion of the Lincoln Mark an announcement of a pend- Museum in Hickory Corners, LT from the 2009 Lincoln ing new Lincoln vehicle—the Michigan. Lincoln MKT. ■ THIS ISSUE of the Link was ■ THE LINCOLN OWNERS’ enjoyable to create. I hope CLUB and the Lincoln-Zephyr that the announcement of the Owners Club have graciously museum excites you to the point allowed the publication of infor- where you will become a con- mation based on their articles tributor of time and money to about the 1932 KB Lincoln make the building and its dis- Convertible Coupe and 1946 plays a reality. Lincoln Mark LT Lincoln Continental Cabriolet —JACK EBY 2 volume vi, number 1 New Lincoln Motor Car Museum Announced A facsimile of the press release distributed by the Lincoln Motor Car Foundation, the Gilmore Car Museum and Ford Motor Company during the week of September 8, 2008. URING THE RECENT perfect thread with which to tive museums in the world. Lincoln car club meet tell the story of the American The Gilmore has instituted in the New Hamp- automobile industry and the a unique program to enhance shire White Moun- people who made it great,” its own extensive automotive tains, the Lincoln he noted. “The Lincoln mu- collection by inviting selected DMotor Car Foundation made seum will illustrate that story organizations to share its a dramatic announcement: and, most important, high- campus and infrastructure. the long-anticipated Lincoln light the people associated Michael Spezia, Director of Motor Car Museum will be with Lincoln.” the Gil more, said, “We are built on the campus of the The Lincoln “story” is at delighted that Lincoln will Gilmore Car Museum in the heart of the Lincoln Mo- join the Classic Car Club of Hickory Corners, Michigan. tor Car Foundation, which America Museum, the Tucker The Foundation, working was established in 1999 by Collection and the Pierce- closely with the Gilmore Car members of various Lincoln Arrow Museum as part of Museum and Ford Mo- clubs and retired Ford Mo- our partnership program.” tor Company, is reviewing tor Company executives. The “This is a long overdue architectural plans for an all- purpose of this public, non- initiative,” said Peter new, dedicated building. The profit foundation is to pre- Horbury, Ford Executive Foundation’s public capital serve, interpret and dissemi- Director, Design, The campaign is well underway nate the living heritage of Americas, welcoming the in anticipation of building a Lincoln automotive products. announcement of the new 20,000-square-foot building It has already established an Lincoln museum. “Lincoln in two 10,000-square-foot extensive archive in Hershey, represents over eighty years phases. Construction of the Pennsylvania. of wonderful history and first phase is expected to be- The Gilmore Car Museum, fantastic automobiles. From gin in 2010. nestled in a 90-acre park- the early, elegant cars of the John T. Eby, chair of like setting midway between 1920s to the pure and simple the board of the Founda- Chicago and Detroit, was Continentals of the 1960s, tion, stated that the Lincoln opened in 1966 and displays Lincoln has a wonderful automobile has a rich history over 200 vehicles spanning story to tell. We look forward stretching back to the very more than 100 years of auto- to helping the new Lincoln beginnings of the automo- motive industry. Today, the museum become an exciting tive industry. “The Lincoln Museum enjoys a reputation and educational destination.” automobiles represent a as one of the finest automo- 3 the lincoln link Great Museums Tell Stories HERE IS NOTHING more a reasonable compromise. powerful and exciting than The major criteria considered an idea whose time has in the selection of the Michigan come. The memberships location were the receptivity, of the Lincoln and vision, cooperation and TContinental Owners Club, The track record of the Gilmore Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club management and Foundation; the and the Lincoln Owners’ Club, proximity to the metro Chicago, through their respective boards Detroit and Indianapolis of directors, have decided that population centers and airports; the time has come (some say a bias toward the center of the it’s past time) for a Lincoln The Lincoln museum will be built on the United States; the association motor car museum. The boards campus of the Gilmore Car Museum in with the National Park Service have directed their educational Hickory Corners, Michigan. Automotive Heritage Area; and foundation, the Lincoln Motor the business proposal offered Car Foundation, to take the lead organizations. by the Gilmore. The planning in planning and directing the Unfortunately, there is no committees believe that, all things construction of a 20,000-square- optimum location for a physical considered, the Gilmore is the foot museum, with construction facility to which people must appropriate location. to start in 2010. travel. No matter where a The Lincoln Motor Car A number of interesting sites Lincoln automotive museum is Foundation intends to construct and business relationships for the situated, many people will be a facility that will do much more museum have been reviewed, and inconvenienced; however, the than showcase a collection of it has been decided to accept the Gilmore campus is believed to be automobiles and memorabilia. invitation of the Gilmore Car Many museums do that well, but Museum in Hickory Corners, great museums use their artifacts IBRARY L Michigan, to partner with them C and collection to tell stories. in construction of a free-standing, It is the stories that educate dedicated Lincoln facility on and entertain, create lasting , DETROIT PUBLI their campus and to share their N memories of a museum visit, and TIO infrastructure. C often inspire related activities The Gilmore has a partnership and return visits. ISTORY COLLE program that provides land on H Lincoln is one of the unique which invited organizations can automotive brands that has UTOMOTIVE construct their own facilities. A associated with it a catalog of AL As part of this program, the N stories through which the history Gilmore retains title to the land of the American automotive and contracts to purchase the industry can be told. Some of building if the building occupant the great early Lincoln tales that chooses to relocate at some COURTESY OF THE NATIO come to mind are Henry Leland’s time in the future. In addition, education in precision machining for a monthly fee, the Gilmore in the armories of the American will maintain the building and Civil War and later transfer to collections. The Lincoln clubs, Detroit’s automotive companies; In the early days of the Lincoln plant, through their Foundation, are workers assemble the Liberty aircraft Henry Ford and Henry Leland’s looking forward to becoming engine.