| abstract | - The Blackwood was a luxuriously-trimmed version of the Ford F-150 Crew Cab pickup truck, and was greeted with enthusiasm after its debut at the North American International Auto Show in January 1999. Lincoln's success with the Lincoln Navigator emboldened the company to pursue the first-ever luxury pickup truck, and Cadillac was in hot pursuit with the Cadillac Escalade EXT. But when they arrived at dealerships, the Blackwood stalled while the EXT soared. The Blackwood was only available with a black exterior and interior. The truck bed was redone as a trunk, with a power tonneau and plush carpeting. The box was manufactured from plastic composites but lined with stainless steel. The exterior of the bed featured aluminum pinstripes over artificial burled black wood. The truck was rear wheel drive only. All of these luxury features limited the practical usability of the Blackwood, and stood in stark contrast to the highly-utilitarian Cadillac. Only 3,356 Blackwoods were made in just 15 months of production, with the final models selling well below invoice. Retail price was to be US$52,500. The Blackwood was delivered late, with first sales in October 2001, due to a supply problem with the cargo box, produced by Magna Steyr. Ford reportedly froze their contracts with Magna International for part of 2001 over the issue. The Blackwood was manufactured at Kansas City Assembly in Claycomo, Missouri, through December 2002. Lincoln recreated their unique luxury pickup truck as the Mark LT in the 2006 model year, however they did not repeat many of the mistakes made with the Blackwood—particularly its lack of options and versatility. In addition, the Lincoln Mark LT has been most recently discontinued, but continues sales in Mexico. The Blackwood shared components from many Fords, and Lincolns, the body was from an F150, the front fenders and hood were from a Lincoln Navigator, but there were some unique parts on it, such as the bed with a power tonneau cover, with stainless steel box lining. The Blackwood came with one option, which was a navigation system with a 5" color screen.
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