Lincol’ns Ford Centennial

In the earliest days of the American automotive industry, there were hundreds of inventors trying to come up with a better idea. Two of the most gifted engineers in the race were both named Henry: Henry Leland and Henry Ford.

Henry Leland was a mechanical genius and cofounder of Leland & Falconer, which supplied engines to early Oldsmobiles. Henry Ford had built his first Quadracycle in 1896, and in his second attempt to get into the automaking business, his “The Henry Ford Co.” had mediocre success in design and development. To make matters worse, by early 1902, The Henry Ford Co. was so over-extended it had to liquidate its assets.