Lincoln is one of the most popular automotive brands in the US. Although this luxury brand has the whole luxury vehicle industry to compete against, and it is often seen os Ford’s underdog, the Lincoln still menages to record good sales and extend its fanbase. Of course, Lincoln menage to pull all the right moves recently, and to make a profit along the way. However, will it be room in the company’s schedule for the new Lincoln LT luxury pickup?
Lincoln is known for good judgment when it comes to the production of new models. The company recognizes the urge for crossovers, so they made more crossovers. Moreover, they introduced the brand-new world-class sedan – the Continental. Therefore, the logical next step is the updated Lincoln LT pickup truck. In the past, Lincoln had a bit of bad luck with the pickup truck production attempts. Maybe now it’s the right time for another shot.
Lincoln LT and Blackwood – A Brief History
To understand the brand’s approach to the SUV and pickup truck and why now is the perfect time for the comeback of Lincoln LT, we must go back to 2001. Imagine that again, you driving around town with The Blueprint album, Aaliyah, or perhaps the Argument by Fugazi blasting from your Navigator, and everything is as it should be. Lincoln made such an impact on the industry with this model. Also, the Navigator was the first American full-size luxury SUV. So, the automaker assumes that they can go with the flow and that there will be a demand for an even bigger luxury vehicle.
Around that time, the Lincoln Blackwood enters the scene. The pickup was available only in rear-wheel configuration, with a SuperCrew cab and all-black exterior and cabin. Back then, the cargo was carpeted and included a power tonneau cover, which provides a more of a big trunk feel rather than a bed. But, the Cadillac answered the challenge and made the Avalanche-like EXT. This truck was more affordable than the Blackwood, with a more appealing design and available 4-wheel drive setup.
All in all, the Blackwood was a failure, with only 15 months of the production run, shortest of any Lincoln vehicle. The second attempt is the vehicle that is probably still active on the streets – the Lincoln LT. However, it continues production in Mexico until 2014. The LT change the course and try to dodge the same mistakes of the Blackwood. So, the company offers the pickup with a lower starting price, and more standard equipment and features.
But, the LT was nothing more than a sloppy reconstruction of a Ford F-150. The pickup has nothing impressive and different to bring on the table, which F-150 already didn’t offer to the customers. On top of that, at the time, the price of gas was over $4 per gallon, so it easy to understand why luxury pickups become a not-so-desirable class. But another failure didn’t stop the Ford. Soon the company launched F-150 Platinum, a brand-new range topping-trim, which brings excellent sales ratings.
What’s The Situation on the Luxury Pickup Truck Market Right Now?
Let’s go back to the present day. After the discontinuation of the Lincoln LT, the luxury pickup truck market go into a very prosperous period. The new models are more and more luxurious, and the price is getting higher and higher. For example, now you can easily spend six figures on a truck like Ford Super Duty. We don’t say that you should spend that amount of money on a damn truck, but the whole class is becoming bizarre with the prices.
So, with that in mind, we think that Ford might relaunch the LT at a more affordable price and draw attention to new types of customers. Of course, some of you might think that the launching of the new LT will destroy sales of the F-150s. There’s a risk, but we believe that the two can coexist together alongside Silverado and Sierra Denali.
