Henry Leland, a Detroit industrialist and nemesis of Henry Ford, left Cadillac in 1917 after having a disagereement with William C. Durant of General Motors over Durant's reluctance to convert Cadillac to the production of Liberty aviation engines for the World War II.
At age 74, Leland created the Lincoln Motor Company in order to build 6000 Liberty engines for the government with a $10 million advance. He named the company for the President for whom he cast his first presidential vote in 1864.
