Today marks the 100 year anniversary of Ford Motor Company’s buyout of the Lincoln Motor Company on February 4th, 1922.

As the story is told, Henry Ford, with encouragement from his wife Clara and son Edsel, purchased Lincoln from inventor and automotive engineer Henry Leland for $8 million. Running the numbers through usinflationcalculator.com, that comes out to approximately $133 million.

This celebration comes at a time when Lincoln has pledged to shift towards an increasingly electrified lineup of vehicles, with plans to go full-electric by 2030. Currently, Lincoln offers hybrid versions of their Aviator and Corsair SUVs; however, the brand’s first all-electric vehicle is set to debut this year. Afterwards, three additional electric vehicles will be made using their new rear and all-wheel drive battery electric architecture.

“With classic style, form and function that became the hallmark of the brand, there’s something very special about Lincoln,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO, Ford. “And as we move toward an electric future with connected technologies and always-on experiences, I am so excited to see where the brand will go in China and North America as it begins its second century.”

Lincoln Zephyr

This past year, Lincoln introduced the all-new Zephyr sedan at Auto Guangzhou 2021 in China. Poised to be the automaker’s first locally produced sedan in China, the Zephyr was made specifically for the China market. It is expected to go on sale during the first quarter of 2022. The name is a callback to the original Lincoln Zephyr, launched in 1936. It was the automaker’s first mid-priced vehicle, featuring a streamlined design and “alligator”-styled hood.

In a retrospective release, Lincoln looked back at some of the brand’s crowning achievements and innovations from the last century. Some of these included the 1955 release of the Mark II Continental, the 1977 release of a sun visor-integrated garage door opener on the Lincoln Versailles, the 1994 release of Memory-recall seats and mirror positioning via remote transmitter, and the 2010 launch of Lincoln’s first electric hybrid vehicle, the MKZ Hybrid.

We’ll have more info on Lincoln’s impending EV-debut right here on MotorWeek!