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Henry Martin LilandAmerican engineer and industrialist
Date of Birth: 16.02.1843
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Henry Martin Leland
Henry Martin Leland (February 16, 1843 - March 26, 1932) was an American engineer and industrialist. He began his career as a mechanic on steamboats and later worked at a sewing machine factory. In 1890, he founded the Leland & Faulconer company in Detroit to manufacture automobile engines.
The Cadillac Era
In 1903, Leland designed his own automobile, the Cadillac. The first model, known as the "Model A," remained in production for seven years. With the help of William Murphy, Leland reorganized the Henry Ford Company to create the Cadillac Motor Company. Leland's focus was on precision and interchangeability of parts.
One of the most impressive feats of innovation was demonstrated by the company in 1907 in Brooklands, near London. Three cars were disassembled in front of hundreds of spectators and then reassembled using parts from a common heap. The reassembled cars then successfully completed an 800 km drive without any issues.
Beyond Cadillac
In 1917, Leland stepped down as the president of Cadillac and started a new company called Lincoln Motor. However, the company was later acquired by Henry Ford. Leland continued to contribute to automobile advancements and was the first to introduce the electric starter and an original V-shaped 8-cylinder engine on his cars.
In 1920-21, Leland and his son founded the Lincoln Motor Car Company of Delaware, which focused on car manufacturing. Remarkably, Leland was already in his 80s at that time. In 1922, Ford purchased this company as well.
Despite his advancing age, Leland lived for another ten years before passing away in 1932. His contributions to the automotive industry were honored by his induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit.
