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Lincoln built a pickup truck, watched it flop, and then did it again. Most people only remember the first attempt, if they remember either. This 1,700-mile 2007 Lincoln Mark LT 4x4 is live on Bring a Trailer right now. It was bid to $26,666 as of Tuesday, and the auction ends Friday, October 30, at 1:40 p.m. ET.
Lincoln's Second Try at a Pickup
The first attempt was the 2002 Blackwood, a black-only, rear-drive crew cab with a carpeted, power-lidded trunk where the bed should have been. Fewer than 3,400 were built, and the Cadillac Escalade EXT reportedly outsold it by better than four to one. Lincoln pulled the plug on it after a single year in the U.S.
The Mark LT, which arrived for the 2006 model year, was the course correction. Instead of reinventing the truck, Lincoln took the Ford F-150, gave it a bed that actually worked, and dressed the cab like a Navigator. It borrowed the Mark nameplate from the personal luxury coupes that once carried Lincoln's flagship hopes, like the 1976 Continental Mark IV Givenchy Edition. Under the hood was Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8 making 300 horsepower, and buyers could choose rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
It sold better than the Blackwood ever did. Lincoln moved more than 10,000 in 2005 and nearly 12,800 in 2006, according to sales figures. But the numbers slid to about 8,400 in 2007 and roughly 4,600 in 2008, and Ford ended U.S. sales after the 2008 model year. The 2009 F-150 Platinum quietly took over the job. In Mexico the Mark LT kept going and was reportedly Lincoln's best-selling model there, with a second generation that ran through 2014.
The Truck Nobody Drove
This one looks like it rolled out of a dealer showroom last week. According to the seller, it was bought new as a gift for the original owner's wife, who decided it was not for her. He kept it and used it as a Sunday driver, putting roughly 80 to 90 miles a year on it. The odometer now reads 1,700 miles, and the seller says it has lived its entire life in a climate-controlled garage. The Carfax report shows no accidents or damage.
The window sticker lists a total price of $49,085, and the truck is loaded. It wears White Chocolate Metallic paint over Light Parchment leather, with chrome 20-inch wheels, a sunroof, a power-sliding rear window, power-folding mirrors, running boards, heated seats, power-adjustable pedals, and navigation. The chrome bed rails, tonneau cover, and drop-in bedliner mean the bed has stayed as clean as the cabin. It also has the dual-range transfer case and limited-slip rear end, so the 4x4 hardware is not just for show.
Why This One Is Worth a Look
The luxury pickup has had a long run since. Today plenty of automakers sell leather-lined, chrome-trimmed trucks, and nobody thinks twice about a six-figure crew cab. The Mark LT was an early argument for that idea, and it was a little too early and a little too Ford. Still, it is a different kind of find from the usual low-mile muscle truck, like the 22-years-owned 1999 F-150 SVT Lightning we looked at earlier. Where the Lightning was about speed, the Mark LT is about the kind of quiet comfort Lincoln was selling in the mid-2000s.
It also belongs with the other retro and boutique pickups that arrived with big expectations and left without much fanfare. Our look at the Chevrolet SSR's strange story covers one of them, and the 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora Final 500 is another reminder that GM and Ford were willing to take some odd swings in this era.
Finding any 20-year-old truck with fewer than 2,000 miles is rare. Finding one that is also a Lincoln, and a 4x4 in an unusual color, makes it more interesting. With the auction ending Friday afternoon, there is still time to get in on the bidding or at least to watch how a forgotten luxury truck finishes.
You can see the full listing, photos, and video on Bring a Trailer.
