(first posted 7/24/2018) “O-kay,” someone at Ford (probably) said after the last Blackwood was sold “That…didn’t really work out did it? It was hideously expensive, we had to get the beds from Europe, and to top it all off it turns out people want to feeeeel like their truck can haul stuff about! Even if all they do is throw grocery bags in there!”
“Still, that doesn’t mean the idea itself isn’t sound. What if we give it another go?”
So…I’ve already written a couple of choice words on the Lincoln Blackwood once. If you haven’t read that one, I end up comparing its flaws with the Chevrolet SSR. After all, both were around at the same time and shared a similar approach to practicality. The key difference between them, however, was the initial concept. The SSR was a brilliant execution of a flawed concept. I’m sure everyone at GM thought that a concept car made manifest by massive fan reaction would be a hit. Alas, it went about as well as anything that asks fans to put their money where their mouth is.
By contrast, the Blackwood was an inadequate execution for an ultimately good concept. The luxury pickup truck has been a thing ever since luxury meant “poncy velour seat covers” and “Two-tone paint”. By trying to move it closer to what you would normally classify as Luxury on a car/SUV, Lincoln was just trying to follow the natural evolution of the concept. It just so happened to have been a little too close to a luxury car to be fully accepted. Still, it was a reasonable idea. And if Ford needed any further evidence that the concept itself was sound, they only needed to look at Cadillac.
Cadillac had also decided that they needed a luxury pickup truck based on their Full-size SUV; and, like the Blackwood, the Escalade EXT had its own bed gimmick. In this case, it shared the Avalanche’s silly “midgate” bed arrangement. Ostensibly designed for the man who wanted increased risk of damaging their interior when hauling stuff, the midgate allowed you to remove the window and divider between the bed and the cab. The result was a longer bed on command. I would love to see the numbers on how many Avalance/H2 SUT/EXT owners actually took advantage of this feature. In lieu of that, I’m going to go ahead and speculate that the numbers are about the same as the people who took the roof off their final-generation Broncos.
But I digress. The EXT was selling in some numbers, partly because the Escalade was a hot commodity at the time, partly because it could actually function as a pickup truck and nobody thought carpeting the bed was a good idea. Ford certainly took notice. This is why when a new generation of the F-series was released in 2004, they decided that giving the Lincoln Pickup truck idea was worth another chance.
The Mark LT (Luxury Truck?) was released in 2005 carrying a sticker price of $40,050 ($50,300 in 2018 dollars), or about ten grand less than what Lincoln had asked for a Blackwood. Styling was…done by bean counters. For as much flak I gave to the Blackwood, it was at least distinctive. FoMoCo took the time and expense to make it look like a Navigator pickup. The result was nobody complaining about the design (or indeed anything) in front of the C-pillar on that one. With the Mark LT, on the other hand, it seems distinction would’ve been too much. And so the final product looked like little more than a Ford F-150 with a chrome grille. A chrome grille so loud the Lincoln logo is practically camouflaged in the middle of it. Ford apparently noticed, as 2007 models added oversize MARK LT badges to set the record straight.
On the plus side, and I can’t stress this enough, the bed actually functioned as a bed on this one! And you got novelty reflectors on the tailgate to compliment the taillights.
Inside, GM badge-job alarm bells lowered their volume slightly. Yes, it was indeed still an F-150-interior, but it was fitted with enough wood and chrome to make it feel as though you actually got your money’s worth. A feeling that was reinforced when you grabbed any touch surface to discover that they were lined with the finest leather that the Eagle Ottawa Leather company could produce.
The results? In its first year the Mark LT tripled the total volume of the Blackwood (10,274 against 3,356). 2006 was even better, with 12,753 buyers. Sales would go down from there but the concept was already proven. There was indeed a market for a luxury pickup and customers would gladly pay a premium for it.
But did it need to be a Lincoln? Surely everyone who bought one could readily see that the Mark LT was nothing more than an F-150 wearing a shiny suit? May as well cut the charade out and save some in federalization costs. And so, when the new generation of F-series was released in 2009, the Mark LT stopped being offered. In its place, you had the F-150 Platinum trim level. For the man who wanted the last word in comfort but also needed to do the occasional run to the DIY store; and also the first in a series of high-sticker trucks made by Ford which culminates today in the F-150 Limited and its $61,300 price tag. Proving that Ford had the right idea all along, they just needed a couple of iterations to polish it to a (Platinum?) shine.
Special thanks to T-Minor for uploading his wonderful Mark LT pictures to the Cohort. And congratulations at finding one in Austria.
I find it fascinating that Ford actually tooled up another generation of the Mark LT exclusively for Mexico. The sales must have been good there!
I saw an LT recently in full work-truck mode, with a lumber rack, tools, materials etc. Working for a living.
He’s not alone, we have a handyman here in town that has an LT with a hard tonneau cover and a large toolchest with deep rollout drawers fitted to the back (tailgate) portion of the bed. The tailgate itself is his workbench. It’s usually immaculately clean and he does a very good job, nice guy.
Mark LT: “For The Tradesman Wearing The White Gloves” or some such…:-)
This is truly emblematic of the 2000s death of Lincoln. Ford tapped old-guard veterans to bring the company back from the brink after Nasser’s disastrous tenure, and they brought with them their 1980s idea of what made a Mercury-tack a few new bits on, lux up the interior, and charge a premium.
Even inside my colleagues and I saw this as a very cynical, lazy effort. Because it was. Using the platform is one thing, but at least bother to dress it differently. Putting a fake mustache on in not a convincing disguise.
Ill take the Escalade!!
But i fail to see where either Lincolns were “silly” as they opened the way for luxo trucks. and each were rather nice and well equipped trucks.
I am actually kind of amazed that nobody has ever given the pickup tailgate the “Magic Doorgate” treatment. A tailgate that both opens like a door (either split like the Blackwood or in one piece) or like a conventional tailgate would seem to be an idea that would be a hit with truck buyers.
I would love to see a comparison chart of transaction prices and sales numbers of high end Ford pickups vs. the Mark LT during the Lincoln’s years of availability. I suspect that there were just as many Ford trucks sold in that price neighborhood as Lincolns, if not more.
I’ve wondered about the “Magic Doorgate” concept myself, but there seems to be a contingent who find a need to remove tailgates on pickups, either for 5th wheel towing or apparently other uses, as it’s a frequently seen phenomenon. It would seem like such a logical progression, but perhaps there’s some engineering hurdle involved in producing one that wouldn’t in any way hinder any of the expected usefulness of a standard tailgate. I’ve pondered this more than once.
I know it’s been discussed here before, but the luxury branded pickup “thing” (ie a Lincoln or Cadillac vs a Ford or Chevy) is very similar in concept to the age-old “Buick Man” or “Oldsmobile Man” who’d buy one of those marques optioned to the hilt, but wouldn’t be caught dead in a Cadillac showroom for fear of putting on airs.
My brother and his wife have owned a string of loaded Fords, from an F150 Lightening that he’s had since new to a couple of Raptors, an Edge Limited equipped with anything and everything in the option chart, and most recently a top-line Explorer Limited, but I doubt the day will come when they have a Lincoln in their garage. Obviously there’s no Lincoln counterpart to the Lightening or Raptor, but I did comment when they bought the Edge that he likely could have just as easily bought a Lincoln. But like my father, who drove Chryslers because they helped him maintain his everyman image, my brother’s response was that he wouldn’t feel like himself pulling into the diner parking lot or going to meet the boys for a beer in a Lincoln. Makes sense to me.
My first thought when I see the words “Magic Doorgate” is not of the dual-hinged type door that Ford pioneered (I think), but of the old disappearing clamshell that full-size GM station wagons had in the late sixties/early seventies. Seems like something like that might actually pan-out in a truck application. I have no doubt that the idea has been kicked around by the companies, particularly as trucks have risen in popularity over the years.
That is, of course, if they could fix the bugs of the original clamshell design. In the non-motorized version that used a counterweight, it wasn’t the easiest to use. Worse was debris would get into the track or the tailgate would simply get cockeyed and get solidly jammed while partially open/closed. It was not an uncommon occurrence to see a partially open clamshell tailgate back in the day.
But a motorized, disappearing tailgate would seem to have been perfect on a premium Lincoln pickup truck. Maybe even a design that used the Dutch doors that disappeared into the sides of the pickup bed rather than underneath it.
Clamshell would require the spare tire be relocated and would remove the ability to carry longer loads resting on the open tailgate. Side opening would eat up quite a bit of bed space. I think those are dealbreakers for most truck buyers.
Sand, gravel, construction debris etc loads would render a sliding clamshell gate inoperable.
Any reasonable person wouldn’t rest loads on the tailgate anyway. There are those rail type things specifically so that motorcycles or ATVs sticking out over the suburban dad 5’5” bed wouldn’t rest on the tailgate. At least lay down some planks or something. Then again I’ve falsely expected reason from American motorists far too many times.
I’m talking about things like 4×8 sheet lumber, which the tailgate is perfectly capable of handling and which will not fit in the above truck’s 5.5′ bed with the tailgate up. I’ve hauled all sorts of stuff with the tailgate down in my pickup, all well within its capacity. Seems part of the problem with your expectations may be the assumptions you make along with them.
“That is, of course, if they could fix the bugs of the original clamshell design.”
The only way to fix the bugs was to scrap the design altogether. “Fixing the bugs” wouldn’t have kept snow, rain, etc. from entering the load area when the rear window was raised, no matter what was tried.
Honda Ridgeline has always had the dual-open tailgate. It’s pretty nice because you can reach further into the bed. I doubt it supports as much weight, as the cable support is only on the left side, and it’s not easily removable. I would guess that’s why more manufacturers don’t do it.
“Cadillac had also decided that they needed a luxury pickup truck based on their Full-size SUV; and, like the Blackwood, the Escalade EXT had its own bed gimmick. In this case, it shared the Avalanche’s silly “midgate” bed arrangement. Ostensibly designed for the man that wanted increased risk of damaging their interior when hauling stuff, the midgate allowed you to remove the window and divider between the bed and the cab. The result was a longer bed on command. I would love to see the numbers on how many Avalance/H2 SUT/EXT owners actually took advantage of this feature. In lieu of that, I’m going to go ahead and speculate that the numbers are about the same as the people who took the roof off their final-generation Broncos.”
I’m not so sure about the vitriol in this passage. For starters, the Hummer H2 SUT did not have the Avalanche/EXT midgate.
And, when the midgate was in use, the plastic bottom of the folded-up rear seat would seem to do a good job of protecting the interior.
Still, I agree that it would be interesting to know the frequency of use for the midgate. I thought it was a great idea and still hope for its return in a smaller, more economical pickup like, say, the Colorado/Canyon or, better still, the Tacoma. In fact, I thought it would have been perfect in the late, unlamented Subaru Baja.
Regardless of whether the midgate was really useful or not, the Avalanche/EXT was a substantially better effort than the Lincoln trucks. I think the basic problem might have been that the GM products were based on full-size SUVs. The Lincolns were based on Ford pickup trucks, and that difference in execution was significant.
I didn’t read it as vitriol, so I think that you may be taking a bit more harshly than others. As far as the ‘gimmick’ on the EXT and Avalance, it goes back to the Studebaker Wagonaire, from the 1960s, at least in essence, and really is just another case of trying to solve a problem nobody has, just to be different. The mid-gate was more than likely used once by owners, then determined to be more of a hassle to use than it was worth to do so. That was the opinion of my friend who owned an Avalanche. It was the newest and most expensive version available, a status symbol, and that was what influenced him buying one. Most of these are not used as haulers of cargo, rather haulers of passengers, so it really didn’t matter to the buyers in the long run.
A tad harsh, yes. And, yeah, usage of the Avalanche/EXT midgate was probably minimal, due in no small measure to the somewhat time-consuming and convoluted process of manually removing the window glass, storing it on the midgate, then folding the rear seat and lowering the gate itself.
With that said, the Studebaker Wagonaire analogy is more aptly applied to the GMC version of the Avalanche, the Envoy XUT, a large SUV which had a virtually identical Wagonaire rear sliding roof. For a time, the Avalanche/EXT was popular, actually having a second generation version. Just like the Studebaker, the Envoy XUT never sold well and was short-lived. In fact, I think the Envoy XUT may have been to what the author of the CC was referring when he wrote H2 SUT.
Really, though, the Avalanche/EXT, to me, anyway, seemed not so much a pickup truck as it was more of a ‘lifestyle’ vehicle, similar to a Jeep Wrangler. I always thought the appeal was to opt for one with a sunroof, whereby one could lower all the windows, open the sunroof, and drop the midgate for an open-air experience on a nice days. The ability to carry larger cargo was more of a secondary consideration.
I also thought the midgate was a great idea, but in reality it was pretty flawed. The bed of the Avalanche/EXT was very narrow and the structural sail panels made it worse. Visibility suffered and the windows were prone to leaks.
I was in the market for an Avalanche but couldn’t justify the price premium over a standard crew cab pickup. In retrospect I don’t regret it at all as I use the wider bed space a lot more than I would use the midgate. There are also safety issues to consider. I don’t think this was ever tested but it seems obvious that there isn’t much structural strength between your passengers and your cargo in the event of a crash.
Don’t get me wrong, they were neat and had their place, they just had a lot of compromises.
While it’s true that there wouldn’t be as much of a barrier between occupants and cargo in an Avalanche with the midgate down as a normal pickup, the same could be said of, say, a large cargo van with the same cargo capacity, so it wouldn’t be any more or less dangerous than that situation.
It totally had a midgate. The one in the hummer is even worse because you had those side windows in the way. Still, I suppose it will let you carry a moped in a pinch.
Thanks for the correction. That’s the first I’d ever actually seen one with the midgate folded down, and had never seen it advertised. Of course, the SUT wasn’t in production very long, either.
If it makes you feel any better, I wrote an entire retrospective on the H2 and forgot the SUT existed. 😛
“I’m not so sure about the vitriol in this passage.”
It seems to be a popular thing lately for writers to poo-poo things they don’t understand or quite care for. I don’t get it either. It makes it difficult to take the rest of the article seriously.
I got the impression he didn’t want absolutely everything he wrote to be taken extremely seriously.
“I thought it was a great idea”
It was a good beginning of an idea, but they really thought the idea to the end with the .. what was it called, GMC Envoy XUV. Basically an SUV, but the tailgate was bottom mounted with retracting glass, and the roof above the entire cargo area could slide forward, and then you could erect a sealed midgate behind the rear seats. This allowed you to operate between actual SUV and actual pickup truck (with the rear quarter glass still in place), and not just between actual pickup truck and SUV with half the roof missing. Can’t haul anything in the Escalade EXT with the midgate down in the winter or in bad weather. Only issue with the Envoy: it was “merely” midsize, it was no good at offroading, and it was generally kind of a turd.
XUV tailgate also opened from the side…but was hinged on the right, which seems backwards.
Interesting tidbit on these…you could fit 4×8 sheet lumber in them. The tailgate had an extra prop rod support you’d put in place on the drivers side which would prop up the tailgate level with the load floor.
If I recall correctly, the biggest issues with the XUV were weight, expense, awkward looks, poor reliability, and the cargo area not working as well in real life as it did on paper. And yeah, the Trailblazers/Envoys had a lot of issues in general. Good lookers and competent SUVs in standard configuration though.
Wow, a full size American pick up in Austria? I imagine its got to be a pain in the butt to own one there.
Could be worse.
Taxes can get pretty bad in some countries compared to the US (where in return infrastructure is underfunded), however the kinda folks to drive US vehicles in Europe aren’t in the least hesitant to spend a couple hundred bucks or even a thousand bucks a year in taxes on their hobby. Also there are loopholes in some places (registration as a utility vehicle and/or through a company).
Fuel is more expensive, but for one Europeans don’t drive nearly as much as Americans do on an annual basis so it already evens out for regular cars, and fuel thirsty American ship anchors are often times converted to LPG or CNG which in a lot of countries is tax exempt and brings fuel costs per mile down roughly to American levels.
I’m in Germany and a co-worker of mine has a Ram SRT10 with LPG that he says costs him less to drive than his previous everyman diesel Mercedes.
My greatest worry about these vehicles is parking. Standard issue public lots or supermarket lots aren’t really made for these so you’d stick out like a sore thumb or have to park in the back across multiple spots, and I know for a fact from renting a Sprinter once that vehicles this large basically need a spotter to get down the driveway by my house, not to mention the garage that I doubt they’d fit into.
I’ve not been out of the US for a long time, but I remember thinking a couple of times, upon seeing a very large American car or truck in Europe, that “you’re a long way from home.”
There is a book entitled the “Ford F series Pick Up Owner’s Bible”. It covers a lot of territory on 80’s and older trucks. In the first chapters it gives advice on selecting the “right” truck. The kernel of truth is to buy a truck that will handle 90% of the tasks that you need it for. It has to be big enough to carry your typical loads, powerful enough to tow the heaviest loads you need, and rugged enough to stand up to the service you put it to. ( No loading an F150 up to F350 loads!) There is nothing worse than buying a new truck that is less than you need. You can always drive it around empty, or partially filled when you don’t need the capacity.
Obviously the Blackwood didn’t fit many buyers needs. Likewise the LT, although it wasn’t as limited in practicality. It just wasn’t worth the extra expense in a vehicle that is likely to pick up a few dents and scrapes in use. Besides, I’m sure that resale would be more difficult.
Dolled up pick ups (and SUVs) make a lot of sense, especially quad cabs. They are usually “Dad’s” car, much like the big American coupes were in the past. A “reward car”. And you can get a lot of use out of them. You can carry the family, a load in the bed, and still tow the boat or camper to the lake. Even use them everyday at work. They make a lot more sense than a Monte Carlo. Of course there is a fuel economy penalty.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the “magic tailgate” concept on pick ups. Now that I have an old Explorer, I find that certain loads, like appliances are easier for me to load by myself, than in my F150. The bed is lower, at knee height. When removing the item I don’t need to lean over the tailgate or climb up inside. I can even get access through the rear doors. At my age that is starting to make a difference. Those short bed quad cabs need the tailgate with a load extender to make them more useful. A long bed pick up is usually a working vehicle, so the tailgate is put to more uses. Often as a portable work bench.
I guess it all still comes down to selecting the right tool for the job.
I caught one in the wild just a few weeks ago!
At the time these were out, I was driving a 2006 F150 Lariat Crew Cab. I aspired to a Mark LT. Just never pulled the trigger.
Please note that there was a second generation of the Mark LT pick-up, but it was for the Mexican market only. Was a bit more distinctive than the first gen as well! Produced 2009 through 2013.
Well don’t spoil my next article 😉
My experience with the LT has been infuriatingly positive. It’s still an F-150 underneath, and a well equipped one at that. My father bought a used 2008 model as a towing vehicle. Turns out all of these were equipped with a towing package, or at least they were for the 2008 model year. It actually tows remarkably well provided there are no hills in the way. The 5.4 Triton motor hasn’t given us any trouble yet, although I understand these motors were prone to spark plug troubles. Something to do with the 3-valve arrangement. It feels weak, though. I sincerely doubt the 300 horsepower rating on these engines. The suspension is soft, but somehow it doesn’t dip in the rear under load. The interior feels cheap, but it’s still a reasonably nice place to be. The seats seem to be real leather, and they are comfortable in the same way a recliner is comfortable. Not much support, but they are soft. The rest of the interior is mostly hard plastics, although it seems like a nicer interior than my friend’s 2008 Explorer. My father doesn’t like the LT very much, and as a result, he really only drives it when he has something to tow. The rest of the time, it sits. I take it out every week or so to ensure it gets used. I also use it any time I need to move something big. Despite all the chrome, it’s a remarkably capable truck. Plus, on the used market, they did not seem to command a premium over similarly equipped Ford F-150s. Heck, the F-150’s we found with the same options were more expensive than the Lincoln. I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit that the Lincoln Mark LT is an enjoyable truck.
Actually, there is a history of upmarket brand versions of identical models that end up on the resale market for less than the mass market brand. This was especially true for Mercury over Ford. As an example, a Montego and a Torino, side by side on a used car lot, often saw the Montego priced less. Since less was known about them, and fewer actually recognized the model name, they went with the known, mainline version. It makes no sense to those who understand the similarity and original MSRP on the 2 versions, but it happens.
Curious! The only Mark LT I’ve seen, I saw in Austria too!
This seems to be an obvious but little-noticed fact, but the Mark LT was the last Lincoln vehicle (AND the only pickup to date; also excluding concept cars) to officially use “Mark” in its model name, after the Mark VIII luxury coupe was axed after 1998.
One could argue that the MK in the modern Lincoln lettering just as well stands for “Mark”. Makes the model names sound better when saying them out loud, too. Mark T, Mark Z, Mark X. Of course the MK- scheme didn’t last long, and now they’re digging all the old names like Continental back up.
Spotted in the fast lane on the Santa Monica Freeway yesterday afternoon – a Lincoln Mark LT. With attached tool boxes and a step ladder in the bed: a working truck! I was so surprised I had to chase it to get a picture. And then to find this thread to post. Not sure when I last saw one of these Lincolns.
I wonder if the Mercedes Class X could be worth of a study of silly pickup as well? Rebadging with some little reskin of a Nissan truck into a Mercedes is Mercedes counterpart of the Cadillac Cimarron.
“There’s no education in the second kick of a mule.” Mark Twain
Some people in high places are slow learners when it comes to what vehicles to make.
These articles treat Lincoln’s truck gestures as though they were sales proof. More likely, FoMoCo execs saw how much buyers were willing to spend on Ford-branded trucks and got Lincoln-price-point ideas people most states didn’t agree with; but rest assured in Texas there were plenty of Blackwoods and Mark Las (considering the sales numbers – probably most of them)
If I have to replace my current truck I would consider an LT. If I couldn’t find a nice one I’d go with the King Ranch.
I think the Lincoln Blackwood is a true collectible (admittedly, more because of its rarity than intrinsic virtues), where the Mark LT is more of a weak-hearted attempt to make something of the same concept – one that didn’t really have a home. Those two (and to a lessor extent, then Navigator) are in no-man’s-land for Ford: there is a demand for such a vehicle, but they’re a vehicle that’d be nixed as a Lincoln if the brand were properly run, while at the same time being ham-strung to be sold at Ford lots. I think people have just gotten used to buying a 3/4 ton truck with a Town Car interior that’s still a Ford, despite all the “King Ranch” badging. If you think about it, it’s still in that weird territory where some buyers would gladly pay more for the exclusivity of another brand, but not enough to justify the perils and expenses of trying to launch another brand. People have just accepted it is all.
Still, what would a Ford luxury truck/SUV brand look like? I’m thinking you leave the soft-roader crossovers to Lincoln, but basically you have a line of trucks and body-on-frame SUVs with some significant body changes (at least give us a little exclusive sheet metal, not just grills and tail-lights like the Mark LT) and real luxury interior appointments. Ideally, at least half the interior would be exclusive – none of this brushed metal and woodgrain on an otherwise identical dash. It’d probably sell well enough, but you’ve got a huge decision point in whether to truly split it from Ford, or try to sell them alongside crummy little Ecosports and such. I say go for broke, Ford. Not only that, tell the world you’re so determined that you’re going to pick the one name that, should you succeed, will show that you’re still a giant and redeem sixty-five years of ignominy. I speak, of course, of Edsel!
Anyway, it’s probably clear that I don’t care much for the Mark LT. If I want a real truck, just sell me a Ford with a nice interior (and I don’t want leather – Ford grade leather looks and feels more like vinyl than the good stuff). In some ways, the Blackwood was more authentically Lincoln because it obviously wasn’t meant to be used as a truck. The Mark LT is just a King Ranch F150 sold by Lincoln dealers – pure brand engineering. With the number of rich truck buyers willing to pay just for exclusivity, it’s not surprising that Lincoln and Cadillac dealers have sported such vehicles – the sort that would have shocked shoppers just thirty years ago – but there’s no denying the identity crisis they bring on, and it’s even worse when they’re not really more luxurious than the top-spec Ford or GMC.
As a woodbutcher I was intrigued to see that Wenge was selected as the specie for some wood trim on this “truck.” Wenge is one of the blackest hardwoods we have—though not as black as ebony, which lacks the interesting brown streaks this mark this unusual wood. Whether Wenge is appropriate for a part exposed to the elements is a question I have not pursued . . .