Blackwood An Early Goner - Ford Forums

HSE2 · 04-02-2002, 02:59

BLACKWOOD AN EARLY GONER
Planning on buying a Lincoln Blackwood? Buy soon - Lincoln spokespeople
told various press outlets on Monday that the limited-production,
rear-drive, luxury four-door truck would be a lot more limited than
originally planned. After debuting the 2002 model last year, Lincoln will
not build the 2003 model-year Blackwood after all, officials said. After
setting out to make a about 10,000 of the trucks - which sported covered
beds with brushed aluminum and a $53,000 price tag - the company will stop
after the 2002 production run ends. Lincoln has shipped only about 700
copies thus far, according to Reuters, because of production problems.

Stacy94PGT · 04-02-2002, 10:20

Lincoln won't offer posh Blackwood pickup in 2003

By RICK KRANZ
Automotive News

Lincoln has pulled the plug on its luxury pickup. The 2002 Blackwood will die this year, one model year earlier than planned.

Lincoln has sold only 379 Blackwoods since the model went on sale last November. The launch was hampered by engineering delays, and only 1,019 units have been produced in eight months.

The Blackwood also has marketing problems. It is available only in rear-wheel drive, making it unattractive in the Snow Belt. Only one color is available: black. And the carpeted, enclosed cargo box holds little more than golf clubs or suitcases.

"We're going to build the '02s, and we're done," said Brian Kelley, Lincoln Mercury president.

"Will we at some point bring out another Blackwood, Rosewood or something? Possibly, but that's not in the plans right now."

Kelley said the automaker's plan was to produce the Blackwood for about 18 months, to be "in and out" with the product. But he declined to spell out why it would not be offered in the 2003 model year.

Dealers said they expected Lincoln to build the truck for the 2002 and 2003 model years.

When the Blackwood was introduced last year, Lincoln Mercury predicted sales of 11,000 units for the 2002 model year. A supplier source said the combined production volume for the 2002 and 2003 model years was expected to be 18,000 units.

Jim Trainor, a Lincoln Mercury spokesman, said engineering problems delayed the Blackwood's launch: "Mostly craftsmanship, fit and finish kinds of things. Nothing like that had ever been done like that before. It's a composite (box). The insides have an aluminum lining, LED (accent) lighting. It just proved to be a lot trickier than we thought it would be."

The Blackwood's special feature is a plastic pickup bed that resembles a luxurious trunk, with carpeting and special accent lighting. The plush bed is meant for carrying luggage, golf clubs or antiques, not wallboard or topsoil.

One dealer who asked not to be identified said the Blackwood is difficult to sell: "The thing that hurt us the most is that it didn't come out when it was supposed to. A lot of the interest went toward Cadillac because their model came out first."

Cadillac's Escalade EXT bed is more functional. It offers a typical pickup bed plus General Motors' Midgate, a cargo door in the rear of the passenger compartment.

The Cadillac model went on sale late last year. Through February, the automaker sold 2,236 Escalade EXTs, nearly six times the number of Blackwoods. The Escalade EXT has a $49,990 sticker price, including the destination charge.

But Kelley says he still thinks the automaker can sell 11,000 Blackwoods this model year.

"The challenge is, we launched a marketing campaign earlier than the product was ready," he said. "So now we're going back and remarketing the product so the customers know it's there and get excited about it."