LINCOLN BLACKWOOD TOO

LINCOLN BLACKWOOD

By ROY NAKANO

If Darwin's theory of evolution applied to trucks, it would explain the fate of the Lincoln Blackwood. It's one of the most impractical trucks LA CAR has come across. It's short and shallow bed can fit four golf bags, but little else (that motorized lid on the bed doesn't come off). It has four doors, but the rear passenger compartment can only seat two (the rear passengers can enjoy the benefits of a center console, which doesn't convert to a seat space). Thus, almost immediately after the vehicle was introduced, Ford Motor Company killed the Blackwood due to poor sales. Lincoln is now offering lucrative incentives to its dealership to sell the remaining Blackwoods on dealer lots.

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The problem with the Blackwood is that everyone thinks of it as a truck. It's not a truck. It's an SUV with a trunk that looks like a truck bed. And as a luxury SUV, the Blackwood fares better. It sits four adults comfortably. It rides well - particularly when loaded with passengers. It has all the creature comforts one can ask for. It has a gorgeous, show-quality, motorized trunk that's finished in brushed metal, luscious carpeting, and neon lights. The "bed" portion of the vehicle is finished in a handsome black wood trim with brushed metal inlays (you can only get the Blackwood in one color, by the way).

This is one, good-looking SUV. Given the small number of Blackwoods made, it is destined to become a collector vehicle. Thus, if you're looking for a luxury SUV (and not looking for a truck) that's like no other SUV on the market, the Blackwood may be for you. Right now, you can get a heavy discount on the Blackwood (ours listed at $53,995 with the optional navigation system) at any Lincoln dealer that still has it on the lot. However, it may take a few years before the market realizes it's collector status.

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