Lincoln Six
Charles Innes
Charles Innes was born in Banffshire, Scotland in 1882. On 6th March 1908 he immigrated to Australia on board The Orient – Royal Mail Line Steamship “ORUBA”. By 1913, records indicate that he had established a Motor Garage in Railway Street, Chatswood NSW. Charles Innes was frequently referred to as an engineer who had a vision for an Australian produced car, designed for Australian conditions and in 1918 he realized his vision with the construction of the first ‘ Lincoln Six’. aka “Lincoln” or “The Lincoln Pioneer Six” and the “Australian Lincoln”
The “Australian Lincoln” nameplate is a more recent adaption to differentiate this marque from the Henry Leland & later Henry Ford built “Lincoln” of Detroit, Michigan USA as this later marque grew in popularity from the mid 1920’s to the present day. All 1920’s American Lincolns were powered by V8 engines, hence the reference to the Lincoln Six being Charles Innes’ “Australian Lincoln”.
Innes’ never sought the protection of a corporate structure for his Lincoln venture, only registering a Business name.
Registered Firms #31853 reg. 19/12/1918
Lincoln Motor Car Co., Help Street, Chatswood commenced on 17/12/1918, Proprietor Charles Innes
Registered Firms #32270 Reg. 14/2/1919
Lincoln Motor Car Co. (Chas Innes), Help Street, Chatswood, motor and truck manufacturers. On the 07/02/1919 the location of the business was transferred to 20-24 Chalmers Street, Sydney.
First Lincoln
Charles Innes claimed that he designed his car on paper to suit Australian conditions from the best components available on the American and European markets. Mr. Charles Innes often described himself as an engineer first and a car salesman second. He travelled to America in 1918 with his plans for his “car”. Innes purchased sufficient components to construct a rolling chassis, with the help of some American friends.
Innes registered his vehicle in the State of Michigan with following particulars:-
Charles Innes
Chatswood
Sydney
Australia
Date of Registration 23rd July 1918
Vehicle Type Roadster
Licence Plate Number: 219718,
Trade Name of Car: Innes
Factory Number: #1.
Engine Number 75235
He and a colleague fitted a temporary seat, and then drove the chassis from Detroit to the Pacific Coast along the then incomplete Lincoln Highway, a distance of some 3,338 miles. Innes travelled across the Great Salt Desert and through the wilderness of Nevada on his epic journey. On arrival in San Francisco, having proved his design, he ordered components for a number of cars.
On the return sea voyage to Australia, Charles Innes would off load his stripped chassis and carry out demonstration runs at some of the Ports of call. It was reported in “The Motor in Australia”, March 1st 1919 that Charles Innes had actually appointed agents in Java and Japan and had booked orders for cars for delivery once production commenced. The magazine proudly announced not only did Australia have a Motor Assembly Industry but it was also a “Motor Exporting Country”. In an article in “The Motor in Australia” March 1st 1919 Charles Innes was reported declaring that he (Innes) wanted to give his car a characteristically Australian name but as a compliment to these kindly American folk that had helped him with his venture, he called his car “The Lincoln”
Why Lincoln?
As Charles Innes had registered his “Roadster” as an “Innes” in Michigan it would be reasonable to assume that he would have preferred to have called his car an “Innes” after himself in the Australian market. However, a Mr. George Innes (no relation) was a well known Motoring identity in the Australian Motoring scene, having constructed several “Innes” cars which were entered in the 1905 & 1906 Melbourne to Sydney Dunlop Reliability Trials. Charles Innes is quoted as saying that he would have liked to have given his car a typically Australian name however in recognition of the help that was bestowed upon by those kindly folk in Detroit that helped him construct his prototype car that he opted for Lincoln as his nameplate, named after the then incomplete Lincoln Highway which Innes had travelled from Detroit to San Francisco.
Production
All mechanical components for the early Lincoln Sixes were imported, only the bodies were made locally. Upon his return to Sydney, Charles Innes established his factory in Chalmers Street, Sydney adjacent to Central Railway Station. Shortly after setting up his factory, Charles Innes began the task of sourcing many of his components from local suppliers. Components such as radiators, guards, step irons, petrol tanks, engine mounts, tyre carriers, spring hangers, springs etc. were made locally – all other components were imported:- engine (well respected Continental Red Seal Motor - Model 7W engine), gear box (Detroit Gear & Machine Company), Clutch (Borg & Beck, front axle and differential (Timken), wheels (Firestone), steering box (Gemmer), chassis frame (US Chassis Frame Company), fuel system (Zenith & Stewart/Auto Vac), starter, generator, ignition, ammeter (Autolite), speedo (Stewart), lights (Hall Lamp Company),
The Lincoln Six is credited as being the first Australian Assembled Car to be Exported! Mr. Charles Innes having spent some effort in promoting his vehicle in Asia before the production actually began!
The vehicles received a good reception at the capital city motor shows from 1920. The Lincoln Six was frequently reviewed as ‘…exceptionally fine in quality, beautiful in appearance, luxurious in equipment, easy to control and thoroughly reliable.’
The Acme Springing System was available as a Factory fitted optional extra at a cost of £25. It was advertised from June 1921 to December 1921. It is believed that the arrangement with The Acme Springing Syndicate ceased at the end of 1921 as promoters of the Acme Springing Syndicate had taken the decision to launch their own Australian Assembled Car – the Summit.
In May 1922 a new improved Lincoln System of Springing started to appear in advertisements being of the cantilever type based on four springs. Charles Innes applied for a Patent for his “Lincoln System of Springing” however he never proceeded to lodge the appropriate documentation, consequently his Patent Application lapsed
In 1923 the Lincoln Six introduced a “New Model”. Built on new chassis, some were possibly sourced from the Receivers for the Australian Six. Surviving examples of these “New Model” range in number from 338 through to 374. (Six (6) examples known to survive). The last Lincoln is believed to have been assembled in late 1926 or early 1927.
Production Numbers
Despite producing quality vehicles, the Lincoln Six could never compete on price with the mass produced imports.
In an affidavit sworn in March 1922, Innes claimed that he had built and disposed of over 160 cars at the time of preparing the affidavit. He also claimed in another affidavit that he had built his first car in June 1918 (obviously referring to the rolling chassis constructed in America), and that he had exhibited the car in Sydney and had sold this car, his first Lincoln car in Sydney in October 1918. There is a NSW registration list for 1918/1919 which has a record of a vehicle registration which shows: - #26707, Charles Innes Chatswood and the make Lincoln. Our research would support the claim that this vehicle may well have been registered around the date claimed in Charles Innes’ affidavit.
Early chassis’ were not numbered (four (4) examples known to survive).Statistically there are more examples of chassis’ surviving today from the period subsequent to March 1922, therefore one could argue that at least the same number of cars could have been built after March 1922 – hence total production estimates within the range of 250 - 350 vehicles are generally accepted.
Two Disastrous Events
Unfortunately Charles Innes experienced several major set backs that may have caused any lesser man to walk away from his vehicle assembly enterprise. There are two significant chapters in the history of the Lincoln Six that are note worthy:
A fire that destroyed a City block, including the Lincoln Motor Car Coy.
A Law Suit, essentially over the right to use the Name LINCOLN within the Australian Market place.
The Fire.
“The Motor in Australia” on the 1st July 1919 carried the following Story:
“Bowser Beats Fire”
“On the night of June 18, one of the most disastrous fires Sydney has known, took place. It resulted in the destruction of A. H. Burnet & Co. Ltd large eight story building, the Crescent Shirt Co.’s factory and the building occupied by the Lincoln Motor Car Coy.
Although a number of the walls collapsed and the different floors crashed to the ground level, the Bowser Equipment which stood inside the entrance to the Lincoln Motor Car Coy.’s premises came through practically unscathed. The large amount of petrol was found to be intact, and after the debris had been cleared away the pump could be used as though no terrible conflagration had occurred.”
“As this is the first large fire that has occurred in Australia where a Bowser Equipment has been in the midst of the most intense part of the blaze, and it certainly is a splendid tribute to Bowser quality that after such a fire occurred on the 18th, the Bowser Equipment should be found sentinel-like and undamaged amidst the surrounding scenes of utter desolation and destruction with its storage of petrol fully intact and ready to supply customers as soon as the debris could be removed”
Personal (Page of the same issue of Motor in Australia” :-
Much sympathy is felt for Mr. Charles Innes of the Lincoln Motor Car Coy in his recent disaster. The fire that swept Chalmers Street, Sydney recently took Mr. Innes’s factory in its stride, destroying the whole of his assembling plant, a large shipment of components and, worst of all, his blue prints. Fortunately he managed to get his car and a few cases of components clear, but only a mere fraction. It seems, that owing to some unfortunate misunderstanding, Mr. Innes finds himself without one penny of insurance.
The loss of his drawings is most unfortunate, as they represent long months of work and study. It is a heavy blow, but Mr. Innes is the sort of man to whom disaster is merely a fresh incentative, and we look forward to seeing the Lincoln Motor Car factory in full swing, on a larger scale than ever, in the near future.
The Law Suit
The Lincoln Motor Car Coy was registered at Help Street, Chatswood on the 17th December, 1918 as a business name. In America, on 8th August 1919 the Lincoln Motor Co. was registered in Detroit, Michigan by the Leland family, subsequently purchased by Henry Ford in February 1922 as his new “flagship” marque to complete against the prestige models from manufacturers such as Hudson, Packard, Cadillac, etc.
As early as October 1920 there were reports that Charles Innes’ “Lincoln” name plate was in trouble due the expansion of Export Markets for the Lincoln Motor Co. of Detroit and it was only a matter of time before Lincolns from Detroit were being imported into the Australian Market place.
A series of Claims and Counter Claims were lodged in local Courts, ultimately ending in the high court of Australia. Charles Innes, trading as the “Lincoln Motor Car Coy.” was successful at the first hearing, but on appeal to higher Courts the decision was over turned, giving both Companies the right to use the word “Lincoln” in the same market. Thus, at the time of the final ruling, the Lincoln Motor Co. of Detroit was owned by Henry Ford.
The Charles Innes vs. Lincoln Motor Co., law suit established principles of “Case Law” that are still referred to today in Law Suites involving disputed Trade Marks.
Also, in a hearing in the Victorian Courts, the Junior Counsel Assisting Mr Dixon QC, representing Charles Innes trading as the Lincoln Motor Car Coy., was one Robert Gordon Menzies, later to become one of Australia’s longest serving Conservative Prime Ministers.
Charles Innes Post Lincoln
Very little is known of Charles Innes after his involvement with the Lincoln venture ceased. We were fortunate enough to be able to speak to a number of former employees of the Lincoln Motor Car Co. and there is little doubt that the loss of the Law suit had a great impact on Charles Innes. Although the LMCC continued until late 1926 or early 1927 Charles Innes was not active in the business shortly after the Court ruling was handed down.
Charles was an accomplished engineer and in addition to designing a new “Lincoln Springing System” for which he lodged a Patent Application, but never proceeded to complete. He did however Patent a device for washing and scrubbing wire wheels which was actively marketed in 1924.
His British Passport discloses that he returned to England in mid 1942, undertaking the dangerous voyage via New York, to visit his frail Mother. He remained in the UK until the end of hostilities in 1945. His occupation was shown as Managing Director however that is all that is known.
Charles Innes and his Adele Mabel Innes were long time residents of Sydney’s North Shore. Charles Innes passed away in 1968 at the age of 85 years.