Forgotten Cars: Lincoln Mark LT

"LJ909" (lj909) 02/07/2018 at 10:57 • Filed to: None

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Source: Netcarshow.com

How do you follow up a failure? With another one. That’s what the Lincoln Mark LT was. Essentially a successor to the failed luxury truck but not a truck Blackwood, the Mark LT was nothing but an F-150 with Lincoln trimmings.

Introduced for the ‘06 model year, the Mark LT was based on the F-150 Supercrew. It was powered by the same 5.4 Liter Triton 300 horse V8 and could be had with rear or awd. Starting price in ‘06? $43,495. Lincoln touted the Escalade EXT as its sole competitor.

Inside it was even more Lincoln-ey, with ford thinking that lots of fake chrome and Lincoln star badges was enough for people not to see that this is just an F-150.

Produced alongside the F-150 at Ford’s River Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Ford had high hopes for the Mark LT. Initially, they wanted annual sales of 13,000 and it was more successful than the Blackwood its first year, with 10,274 finding owners. But after that the EXT consistently outsold the Mark LT with it eventually being canceled in 2008. The Mark LT is the reason the Platinum trim of the F-150 exists, as it was created as a sort of replacement for the Mark LT in 2009.

Mexican market Lincoln Mark LT

Even though it wasn’t a success here, Lincoln in Mexico saw that it was their best selling model, and a refreshed second gen was sold there with a grill similar to the MKT. It was also offered in 2 versions, a short-bed Dearborn and the long bed Cuautitlán . 

So remember, every time you see a Platinum or Limited trim F-150, know that they owe their existence to their predecessor, the Mark LT.

punkgoose17 > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:20

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The 2nd generation Mexican market truck looked much better than the 1st gen.

LJ909 > punkgoose17 02/07/2018 at 11:22

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Yea it did. Even that balleen whale grill somehow works. I think because the Mexican truck was based on the F-150 refresh it got at the beginning of the decade.

Dasupersprint - base trim is enough > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:25

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They didn’t try hard enough. I didn’t know about the 2nd gen, thanks

Spanfeller is a twat > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:25

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Branding is very important here... I know that the few people that buy trucks for luxury rather than work don’t buy Lobos or Cheyennes because those are seen as work trucks... But a Ram or a Linclon or a Cadillac? Well that’s what they want.... Regardless of the truck’s beginning.

WilliamsSW > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:30

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I haven’t forgotten it - only because my next door neighbor DD’s one. :) It’s a pretty nice truck.

LJ909 > Dasupersprint - base trim is enough 02/07/2018 at 11:32

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No problem.

LJ909 > Spanfeller is a twat 02/07/2018 at 11:33

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Its why high end trims of luxury trucks do so well in Texas. I’m surprised this didnt do well there.

LJ909 > WilliamsSW 02/07/2018 at 11:34

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They were, but I always thought it was a half assed effort.

CobraJoe > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:34

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Proof that Ford screws up historic nameplates.

The Lincoln Mark series was their affordable halo car. Sure, it had its low periods, but the Mark VIII in ‘93 was one of the best American GT cars ever. It shared some design with the MN12 Thunderbird, but it was more than different enough to get it’s own chassis name.

Then the next version of the “Mark” comes out, and it’s a leather wrapped truck. Which was a flop, and it ruined the possibility of a return to the proper Lincoln Mark..

Now Ford is doing it again with the ST badge and threatening to call an electric SUV a “Mach 1".

LJ909 > CobraJoe 02/07/2018 at 11:42

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They are running out of ideas sadly.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:44

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Fake chrome is probably one of the worst offenses of 2000s car designs. I wonder if there is a sufficient aftermarket for a company to come out with true brushed metal replacements for those now horribly scratched up plastic bits. Could really spruce up the feel of an interior that was trying to look classy but was built on a budget.

LJ909 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 02/07/2018 at 11:48

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And from my experience, late 00's sliver painted plastic in these cars dont hold up well at all. I’ve seen too many cars with it peeling off from age showing the white plastic underneath.

CobraJoe > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:53

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They’re really bad at ideas.

Call the new electric suv the Electruck. Or Zapper. Or Fruit Loops.

Any of those make more sense than reviving a legendary name that has nothing to do with the product.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 11:56

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Yeah exactly. It’d be cool to be able to slowly add bits to improve the look and feel of your car with more premium materials without going full on Singer or custom restoration.

WilliamsSW > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 12:23

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I think it just makes more sense as a Ford to begin with. Seems like there’s a sizable market for luxury pickup trucks, but the brand equity for those buyers is in Ford/Chevy/GMC/Ram.

LJ909 > WilliamsSW 02/07/2018 at 12:24

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Yea exactly. It makes sense only as far as trucks are Ford’s thing not Lincoln’s. But the flip side of that is the toe stepping elsewhere. Like upper trims of the Expedition getting too close to the Navigator.

Chariotoflove > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 12:29

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This is the big thing I see. If you are going to go upmarket, it doesn’t matter that your truck is obviously built on a plebeian platform mate. The Escalade proved that. What matters is that you make it feel upscale. Silver painted plastic fails completely in that regard.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 13:10

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To be fair, the Mark LT basically predicted the luxury truck market exploding - it was just way before its time.

LJ909 > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 02/07/2018 at 13:14

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Yea exactly. It was the right truck but the wrong time. Lincoln now could pull it off if the Platinum and Limited trims of the F-150 didnt exist.

feather-throttle-not-hair > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 13:39

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I totally saw one the other day when i was on my lunch break. I then came back and made my co-workers guess what car i saw while only giving them 1 clue: Its the saddest pickup truck ever made.

They got it really quickly.

LJ909 > feather-throttle-not-hair 02/07/2018 at 13:43

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Thats weird some people probably would have guessed Mitsubishi Raider.

Pickup_man > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 13:49

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I’ve actually been window shopping these lately, in a couple years when it’s time to buy a new truck these are at the top of my list.

LJ909 > Pickup_man 02/07/2018 at 13:49

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You wouldnt rather a top trim F150?

Pickup_man > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 13:52

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Why when these are pretty much the same price, usually have lower miles, are nicer, and more unique?

LJ909 > Pickup_man 02/07/2018 at 13:53

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This is true. You might even get questions about it.

Pickup_man > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 14:16

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Just want to note as well that it received an extremely mild face lift in which the Mark LT got it’s own unique set of headlights that had more square centers compared to the old, and F-150 headlights with the round centers. IMO it was a massive improvement.

Edit: also a new lower fascia as well, which again made a big improvement.

LJ909 > Pickup_man 02/07/2018 at 14:18

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I do not remember this. Thanks. It was a good improvement though even though it was subtle. Its actually more handsome.

feather-throttle-not-hair > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 14:39

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Hmmm the only wrong guess i remember was the 454 SS.

Its funny because, i totally agree on both the Mark LT and the 454 SS’s sadness, but I would probably drive either vehicle because they’re both still kind of charming despite everything.

Pickup_man > LJ909 02/07/2018 at 14:42

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I agree, the first “generation” looked like nothing more than an F-150 with a slapped on grille, the face lift makes it stand apart a little, even though it’s clearly still an F-150 at heart.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > LJ909 02/08/2018 at 14:44

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I 100% would prefer the Mark LT, I 150% did not forget about them, and I was definitely looking up their prices about a week ago.

I love the Mark LT, Blackwood was a flop, it’s useless as a truck so it had no purpose. This is - like you said - an F-150 in a fancy outfit and that’s exactly why I like it.