Do you remember back when Lincolns used to be cool? Yeah, me neither. And now, history! In what was an odd confluence of automotive industry incestuousness, the luxury marque Lincoln was founded by a guy named Henry Leland. He, along with money men William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen, just so happened to also have created Cadillac from the dregs of what was Henry Ford’s second automotive company. In a final bit of freaky insider-ness Leyland eventually sold Lincoln to the very same Ford. Cadillac had been acquired by General Motors more than a decade earlier,  meaning the Ford purchase of Lincoln would set up an American rivalry for the ages. Except that it didn’t. Over the years Cadillac has become the standard bearer for American luxury automobiles – sometimes for better or worse – while Lincoln has steadily decined in both prestige and, dare I say it, relevance. Oh sure Ford’s luxury brand has had fits of brilliance, and by the same light Caddy has their fair share of turds stinking up the history books, but on the whole, whose team would you rather be on? Actually the question for today is; should there even still be a competition, or has Lincoln forfeited the game? Every car maker wants to have an aspirational brand, but seriously, if you drive the too cool for school current generation Ford Fusion, what’s your step up, a Lincoln version of the very same car? I don’t think so. What do you think, is there any reason that Ford should be keeping Lincoln around any more? Image: GoMotors