Editing Lincoln Motor Company (section)

===1930s===
{{Main|Lincoln K-series|Lincoln-Zephyr}}During the production of the Model L, Lincoln did not adopt the common American automotive industry practice of yearly model changes. While the company had made minor revisions and upgrades to the model line to the chassis and powertrain, the body was largely left alone over its 10-year production, a business model shared with the [[Ford Model T]]. Lincoln found that customer interest was accommodated by the purchase of multiple Lincolns (or other luxury vehicles) in different body styles; as many Lincolns were custom-bodied from the factory or coachbuilt, yearly styling changes would not properly accommodate its customer base.

For the 1931 model year, the Model L was replaced by the [[Lincoln K series|Lincoln Model K]]. An all-new design (on a longer, lower chassis),<ref name="conceptcarz"/> the Model K introduced upgrades to the carburetor, brakes, and suspension.<ref name="lincolnbrief2"/> Competing against the [[Cadillac Series 355|Cadillac 355]], [[Chrysler Imperial]], [[Duesenberg Model J]], and [[Packard Eight]], the Model K offered both factory-designed bodies and coachbuilt designs.

For 1932, Lincoln introduced its first "multi-cylinder" engine, introducing a V12 engine for the Model K. The next year, the V8 was retired, making Lincoln the first manufacturer in the world to produce vehicles exclusively with V12 engines.

For 1935, Lincoln was positioned upward in price. While limiting sales, the move increased profitability per vehicle; at over $4,000 for a factory body (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|4000|1935}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars {{inflation-fn|US}}), the Model K competed against the [[Rolls-Royce Phantom II]], [[Renault Reinastella]], Duesenberg Model J, [[Mercedes 24/100/140 PS|Mercedes-Benz Typ3 630]] and the [[Cadillac V-12]] (and [[Cadillac V-16|V-16]]).

Largely overshadowed by the Lincoln-Zephyr, the final Model K was assembled during 1939. The company has since not developed a direct successor to the Model K line.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Lincoln K 1.jpg|1931 Lincoln Model K
File:1932 Lincoln 507 Sedan pic2.JPG|1932 Lincoln Model KA (V8) six-window sedan
File:1935 Lincoln Model K (14362770852).jpg|1935 Lincoln Model K
File:Lincoln Zephyr V12 4-D Sedan 1938 2.jpg|1938 Lincoln-Zephyr 4-door sedan
File:1938 Lincoln K V-12 LeBaron Convertible Sedan - fvl.jpg|1938 Lincoln Model K Convertible Sedan (body by LeBaron)
</gallery>

====Lincoln-Zephyr (1936)====
During the 1930s, Lincoln expanded to two model lines for the first time. Coinciding with the shift in market position for the Model K, Edsel Ford introduced the [[Lincoln-Zephyr]] as a sub-marque within Lincoln for 1936.<ref name="dammann4">{{cite book|last1=Dammann|first1=George H.|title=The Cars of Lincoln-Mercury |last2=Wagner |first2=James K. |publisher=Crestline Publishing|year=1987|isbn=978-0-912612-26-3}}</ref>{{rp|155}} Designed as a competitor for the (Cadillac) [[LaSalle (automobile)|LaSalle]] and [[Chrysler Airflow]], the Lincoln-Zephyr was priced between Ford and the Model K.

The Lincoln-Zephyr was the first Ford Motor Company vehicle to use [[Vehicle frame|unibody]] construction; while designed with a prow-style front-fascia, the model line was sleeker than the Chrysler Airflow. In contrast to its competitors, the Lincoln-Zephyr was powered by a V12 engine (a design separate from the Model K).

The model line was a success in the marketplace, selling over 15,000 units in its first year, amounting to a nine-fold increase over the previous model year.<ref>{{cite book|last=Burgess-White|first=David|title=The World of Automobiles: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Motor Car |publisher=Orbis Publishing |year=1974 |editor1-last=Ward |editor1-first=Ian |volume=10 |asin=B008G7ICEK}}</ref>{{rp|1196–1197}}

====Lincoln Continental (1939)====
{{Main|Lincoln Continental}}
In the late 1930s, Edsel Ford began to consider American cars too boxy. In late 1938, to develop a European-style ("Continental") car for his next Florida vacation, he commissioned Ford Chief Stylist [[Eugene Turenne Gregorie|E. T. Gregorie]] to design a unique body design, using a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Coupe chassis. After [[Chopped and channeled#Sectioning|sectioning]] the body {{convert|4|in|0}}, the running boards were deleted and a spare tire was mounted behind the trunk lid.

Upon his use of the one-off vehicle in Florida in 1939, Edsel Ford attracted a high amount of interest from potential buyers, often referring to its "European" or "Continental" exterior design. From the latter term, the one-off vehicle became known as the Lincoln Continental. For 1940 production, 404 vehicles were produced, with the first vehicle received by Mickey Rooney.<ref name="lincolnbrief2"/>