Car Lincoln Model L for sale

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Retaining its original matching-numbers engine and chassis (both numbered 24576), the car benefits from an extensively documented history and a highly sympathetic restoration carried out overseveral years by Emilio Ripollés in Barcelona. Remarkably, the restoration preserved the original coachbuilt structure, original mechanical components, and virtually all factory-fitted hardware, making this an unusually authentic surviving example of the Lincoln Model L.

Few surviving Model Ls can today be traced through documented ownership to a major American historical family, making chassis 24576 an unusually well-documented and historically evocative example.

TheLincoln Model L (1921–1930)

Introduced in 1921 as the first production automobile of the Lincoln Motor Company, the Model L rapidly established itself among the finest American luxury automobiles of the Classic Era. Conceived byHenry M. Leland following his departure from Cadillac and subsequently refinedunder the ownership of Ford Motor Company, the Model L combined exceptional engineering standards with increasingly sophisticated coachwork directed by Edsel Ford.

Powered by Lincoln’s distinctive 60-degreeL-head V8 engine, the Model L earned a reputation for smooth performance,durability, and mechanical refinement. Throughout the 1920s it competeddirectly with the leading prestige marques of the period, including Packard,Pierce-Arrow, Cadillac, Duesenberg, and Rolls-Royce.

Unlike many contemporary manufacturers, Lincoln offered its chassis to a wide range of renowned American coach builders, resulting in an extraordinary variety of bespoke body styles. Between 1920 and1930, approximately 66,000 Model L chassis were produced, establishing Lincolnas one of America’s premier luxury marques and laying the foundations for thecompany’s enduring reputation for elegance, craftsmanship, and engineering excellence.

OriginalFactory Specification

According to the original Lincoln Motor Company production records preserved at the Benson Ford Research Center, chassis andengine no. 24576 was assembled on 11 February 1925.

The car was bodied by the American Body Company of Buffalo, New York (Body No. 2-1036) and completed as a Type 123 LincolnModel L Phaeton. Factory records specify Lincoln Gray coachwork with D.T.(Dualtone Mouse Colored Leather) upholstery.

Significantly, chassis 24576 belongs to thefirst production series incorporating Lincoln’s revised intake valve train specification, introduced beginning with motor no. 24549. As such, this example was assembled only twenty-seven units after the implementation of the factoryCamslide Roller modification, representing an early example of the improved mechanical specification.

Although the car no longer retains its exactoriginal factory colour combinati on, the present restoration was completed using authentic Lincoln colours and trim materials available during the period. The current Mulberry Maroon finish, complemented by a Brown Spanish leather interior, reflects a highly attractive and entirely period-correct Lincoln colour scheme that could have been specified by a customer in 1925.

Provenance

· 11 February 1925
Completed at the Lincoln Motor Company plant, Detroit, Michigan, according to surviving factory production records preserved at the Benson Ford Research Center, Dearborn, Michigan.

· 1925 - 1945

Unknown but currently under investigation.

· 27 June 1945

Documented ownership by Hans Carl Hinrichs, Washington, D.C.

· 8 June 1962
Acquired by Richard Evelyn Byrd III (“Dickie Byrd”), son of Admiral Richard E.Byrd, as confirmed by the original Certificate of Title preserved within the Byrd Papers at Ohio State University.

· 1960s–1980s
Preserved within the wider Richard E. Byrd III collection in Maine, where ByrdIII assembled an extensive museum-like collection of automobiles andexploration-related memorabilia associated with the Byrd family legacy.Contemporary correspondence from the period refers to Byrd III maintaining acollection of approximately 13 Lincoln automobiles.

· Late 1980s / Early 1990s
Believed dispersed as part of the gradual liquidation of the Byrd III collection and museum holdings in Maine following family estate disputes and the fragmentation of the collection.

· By the late 1980s or early 1990s
The car had entered the custody of Thomas Carey of New England, reportedly having been acquired from the Byrd III collection during the dispersal period.

· 15 September 1993
Massachusetts title issued to Anne T. Carey, Belchertown, Massachusetts.

· 2008
Acquired in the United States by Viklit Graae Jørgensen and subsequentlyimported to Europe, where it was sold to Emilio Ripollés of Barcelona,Spain.

· 2008–Present
Fully restored between 2008 and 2015 and preserved within the Ripollés Collection, Barcelona.

Historical Notes

Research conducted through the Benson Ford Research Center, The Henry Ford archives, and the Byrd Papers at Ohio State University has established a significant contextual relationship between the Ford family, Lincoln Motor Company, and Admiral Richard E. Byrd during themid-1920s.

Archival records confirm that Edsel Fordpersonally supported Byrd’s polar expeditions and maintained direct contactwith Byrd throughout the period. Surviving Ford archival material furtherdemonstrates that Lincoln automobiles were occasionally employed aspresentation or prestige vehicles for prominent public figures of the era.

While no definitive evidence has yet emergedproving direct ownership of chassis 24576 by Admiral Byrd himself, thepossibility remains historically plausible and consistent with the documented Ford–Byrd relationship of the period.

Particularly significant is the later acquisition and preservation of this specific Lincoln by Richard E. Byrd III, a noted collector and custodian of Byrd family memorabilia who maintained anextensive collection of historic automobiles in Maine.

As such, chassis 24576 represents not merely asurviving Lincoln Model L Phaeton, but a remarkably well-documented examplewhose history intersects with the worlds of American luxury motoring, exploration, aviation patronage, and the enduring legacy of the Byrd family.

Restoration and Conservation

Following its acquisition by Emilio Ripollés in 2008, the Lincoln underwent a comprehensive multi-year restoration carried out personally by Emilio within his own workshop in Barcelona, Spain.

The restoration was approached with a strongemphasis on authenticity, preservation of original material, and mechanicalintegrity, while maintaining the character and craftsmanship of the originalcoachbuilt automobile.

The vehicle was fully dismantled to bare shell,including complete separation of body and chassis. Both the chassis and bodystructure were professionally sandblasted, returning all metal surfaces to baresteel prior to refinishing.

The paintwork was subsequently completed usinga two-stage priming system, followed by a water-based base coat and finishedwith multiple layers of clear lacquer.

During the mechanical restoration, all wornwheel bearings and steering box bearings were replaced. The original Ferodo-type brake linings were carefully inspected and ultimately retained dueto their remarkably well-preserved condition.

The original wooden-spoke wheels were fullydisassembled, refinished, and reassembled. Dashboard instruments and fittingswere removed individually and professionally re-chromed.

Particular care was taken to preserve theintegrity of the original coachbuilt body structure. The internal timberframework was found to be in exceptional condition and was therefore conservedrather than replaced. The wood structure was thoroughly cleaned, refinished inblack, and retained substantially intact.

The interior was entirely retrimmed in leather,faithfully reproducing the original upholstery patterns, stitching, and pipingdetails. The convertible top and interior trimming work were entrusted toTapicerías Ribó of Barcelona, regarded among Spain’s leading specialists inhistoric automotive upholstery. Hood material was sourced directly from Mercedes-Benz in Germany.

The engine received a complete overhaul,including dismantling of cylinder heads, crankcase, and pistons. New pistonrings and valves were installed throughout, while the cylinder heads wereresurfaced and fitted with new gaskets.

Throughout the restoration, all hardware,fittings, handles, and visible brightwork were either re-chromed or zinc-coatedas appropriate. The wheel rims were likewise zinc-coated.

A new set of correct tyres was imported fromthe United States.

The luggage trunk was also fully retrimmed inkeeping with the interior restoration.

Importantly, the car retains its original major components throughout. The only known missing element at the time of restoration was a single end cap from one of the running board steps, which wascarefully recreated in aluminium by a specialist foundry.

Today, the Lincoln presents as a highlyauthentic and carefully restored example, benefiting from long-term enthusiastownership and an unusually sympathetic restoration philosophy focused onpreservation rather than over-restoration.

Technical Especifications

Chassis Number: 24576

Engine Number: 24576

Body Number: 2-1036

Body Type: 123

Engine: V860-degree | L-Head 5863 cc | 357.8 cu in. | 5.9 L.

Power : 90 HP (66.24 KW) @ 2800 RPM

Weight : 4840 lbs | 2195.387 kg

Top Speed : 80 mph | 128.72 km/h

Body Designer: Brunn (Brunn only produced 1234 bodies between 1922 and 1939, this includes all body types)

Body Builder: American Body Company

Doors : 4