Photo: Lincoln
You know, Lincoln has never been a truck brand until the Navigator was introduced with F-150 underpinnings for the 1998 model year. Since then, the luxury division of Ford has also experimented with proper trucks like the Blackwood and Mark LT.
First of all, the Blackwood lasted for one year in the U.S. and two in Mexico because of poor sales. Essentially an F-150 Crew Cab with different styling, a plusher interior, and a trick cargo box, production for this truck totaled 3,356 units in 15 months as opposed to a projected output of 18,000 units for 2002 and 2003.
The Mark LT was more conservative in regards to the bed, and as a result, it sold marginally better. When Lincoln discontinued this nameplate in the United States, the F-150 Platinum took over as the Ford Motor Company’s high-end pickup truck.
Care to guess why Lincoln didn’t revive these two? “Lesson learned” is probably the most obvious answer, but the Blue Oval is also aware than a successor to the Blackwood or Mark LT would cannibalize the plushest trim levels of the F-150.
Kumar Galhotra, the vice president of Ford and president of the North American region, also let it slip that there are “no pickup plans for Lincoln. We’re very focused on Lincoln SUVs, which are doing great.” So great that the lineup has bid farewell to the mid-size MKZ and full-size Continental luxury sedans. In other words, only crossovers and sport utility vehicles remain for the 2021 model year.
What Galhotra told Ford Authority paints a rather clear picture of the American automotive industry of today. Demand for CUVs and SUVs is greater than ever, and trucks are doing well too considering that many customers opt for mid- to high-range trims like the Limited and Platinum specifications of the perennial F-150.
In theory, the Blackwood and Mark LT were good. But in practice, they were introduced during a time when luxed-up pickups were an oddity rather than desirable.
The Mark LT was more conservative in regards to the bed, and as a result, it sold marginally better. When Lincoln discontinued this nameplate in the United States, the F-150 Platinum took over as the Ford Motor Company’s high-end pickup truck.
Care to guess why Lincoln didn’t revive these two? “Lesson learned” is probably the most obvious answer, but the Blue Oval is also aware than a successor to the Blackwood or Mark LT would cannibalize the plushest trim levels of the F-150.
Kumar Galhotra, the vice president of Ford and president of the North American region, also let it slip that there are “no pickup plans for Lincoln. We’re very focused on Lincoln SUVs, which are doing great.” So great that the lineup has bid farewell to the mid-size MKZ and full-size Continental luxury sedans. In other words, only crossovers and sport utility vehicles remain for the 2021 model year.
What Galhotra told Ford Authority paints a rather clear picture of the American automotive industry of today. Demand for CUVs and SUVs is greater than ever, and trucks are doing well too considering that many customers opt for mid- to high-range trims like the Limited and Platinum specifications of the perennial F-150.
In theory, the Blackwood and Mark LT were good. But in practice, they were introduced during a time when luxed-up pickups were an oddity rather than desirable.
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