Henry Leland

Henry Leland (1843–1932) was an automotive legend whose engineering genius and innovative ideas brought Cadillac and Lincoln into being.

Like many famous designers, he began as an ordinary mechanic. Before founding his own firm in 1890, he worked on steamships, in a sewing-machine factory, at an armoury and at the machinery manufacturer Browne & Sharpe. His first company, Leland and Faulconer, specialised in cast and stamped metal products, particularly chassis components, and in designing car engines.

He founded Cadillac with businessman William Murphy. His first car, the Cadillac Model A, unveiled in 1903, did not bring worldwide fame but remained in production for seven years. Leland’s principle of standardised components was a major step towards turning car building into an industry. Precision manufacturing eliminated additional fitting work, greatly accelerating assembly. A demonstration at Brooklands in 1907 caused a sensation: three cars were completely dismantled before the public, their parts mixed together, and three reassembled Cadillacs proved fully functional.

Change came in 1917, when Leland left Cadillac and founded Lincoln Motor. Initially specialising in V12 aero engines, it began making cars after the First World War. By 1922, however, Henry Ford had bought the company.

Leland is remembered not only for founding famous marques. His successful engineering ideas included the electric starter, the V8 engine first fitted to Lincoln Motor’s first car, and the first metal roof on the Cadillac Osceola, replacing the wooden roof previously used.