A few words if I may.

I fully realize that an LT is a badge engineered Ford truck, just as my Navigator is a badge engineered Expy and my former Blackwood was also a badge engineered Ford truck and my 92 TC is a stretched Crown Vic.

The difference between my point of view, I guess, and yours is that to me it has the Lincoln name on it and I buy/bought them from a Lincoln dealer and have them serviced at a Lincoln dealer.

Read my sig, and you see that I fit Lincoln's demographics to a T even if I chip/filter/exhaust them. Driving a Lincoln nameplate vehicle sets me aside from someone who drives a Ford and if I can afford the difference, I overlook the genetic heritage of the vehicle. This is not snobbery, you all know me better than that, it is a mindset.

That mindset is most likely shared by 90% of Lincoln owners or wannabe Lincoln owners and I think for that reason that Lincoln will sell their initial target of 10,000 units. They are marketing the hell out of the thing, it is on TV, billboards, big time magazines etc. etc., none of which happened with the Blackwood. My dealer has three of them parked in "place of pride" on the grass verge in front of his store.

Over the last few years, I have seen many, many owners of KR and other high line Ford signature trucks sitting next to me in the service lanes at my Lincoln dealership. They wanted a top of the line FMC truck but Lincoln had nothing but the Blackwood which was a botched marketing project from the get go. I would imagine that like Jim Fausen and myself, they own an LS or a Town Car or some other Lincoln but just could not buy a Lincoln pickup until now that was a true pickup. As they want the "Lincoln Experience" they bring their high line Ford pickups to their Lincoln dealer for service.

I really don't want to knock Ford dealerships here, necessarily, but the experience is really very different. If any of the 5 Lincolns I have owned recently needs to stay overnight or longer at the dealership, I always get a free loaner, even, even with my 13 year old Town Car. When I drop one of them off for service, I get a ride to my store with a salesman or lot boy, and they either deliver the car when it is done or come and pick me up. At my local Ford store, you have to sign up for the commuter van in advance and I never got a loaner even on a recall.

To try to return to my point, I believe there are at least 10,000 people out there that will buy a Lincoln pickup, most of whom would not even know it was a Ford F150 under the skin.

To comment on the Escalade, I also feel that potential buyers would not even consider that vehicle vis a vis the LT as they are not folks who are into Bada Bada Bling Bling, rock stars and sports heroes. I doubt we will see many LTs pimped out like the dozens of Escalades I see here in Atlanta that are sometimes pretty horrible.

Let me close by saying that I think we should give Lincoln their due. They ******ed it up the first time, they may have it right this time even with the skimpy high end options list. I for one, wish them well.
Bill

 

Bill,

Well, put in response to this post. I see exactly what you are saying about the Lincoln just being a totally different demographic than a fancy ford. I also agree with the dealership difference. You see this with a true Lincoln or Cad dealership, not one that sells Fords and happens to have Lincoln's on the lot. I also think the 10k mark on sales will be a piece of cake. I would imagine this to be a VERY POPULAR lincoln by next year.

-Will

 

If I could get an LT for a few bucks more after incentives than a Lariat I'd prolly go for it. And I'm just a young whipper-snapper.

What chaps my **** the most is the warrenty. It's the same friggin' truck yet Lincoln owners get a solid 4/50k warrenty while the ford folks get the outdated & rather lame 3/36k.

I really enjoyed my LS when I had it, and would definitely consider another Lincoln down the road, even if I'm not in their key demo..

 

they may know, but they definitely don't care.

Continental = Taurus rental/fleet car
Town Car = Crown Vic cop car/taxi


I think this truck will sell. It looks nice. It has all the toys. Its just an overall nicer truck inside than the Escalade (IMHO) and that will sell it.

 

J-150:
Thanks for reminding me about the Continental. Pat had two of those before she got the current Navigator. I must say, though, that the Conti engine was rather a step above the Taurus. I was never able to convince her to chip/filter her Conti's and for my money they were severely handicapped by the factory PC programming. The 4 cammers that I have had really responded to a chip/filter combo.

She will not let me modify her Navigator but I would like to hear from anyone who has installed such a combo on the now current 3 valve 5.4 motor.

As a By the way, you mention the Maple Leaf flag, are you in Canada or of Canadian origin. Pat, family and I lived just outside of Toronto for two years in the late 1970's.

Cheers
Bill

 

Hey Bill, who says you need to tell her about the combo? Can't you just sneak it in there one day when she's not looking. Then when she mentions how much peppier it is just tell her it must be past its "wear-in stage".


PS- Rob if you try that on the stang....well I'm sure you can guess what will happen to you (you know I will pop the hood occasionally to check things over).