Lincoln is a luxury brand of Ford Motor Company. Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland and acquired by Ford in 1922, Lincoln has manufactured vehicles since the 1920s. Leland named the brand after his longtime hero Abraham Lincoln. Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac, founded the company in August 1917. Lincoln was also part of the Premier Automotive Group from 1998 to 2002, but was pulled out due to Ford's new marketing strategy of separating its import brands from its domestic marques. Lincoln vehicles are currently officially available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, China, South Korea, and the Middle East.