Ford to Halt Luxury Truck After Slim Sales

Ford Motor Co. will end production of the Lincoln Blackwood pickup after selling fewer than 400 of the luxury trucks, which sport a carpeted bed and a price tag of more than $50,000.

The Blackwood was delayed five months, missing the chance to beat General Motors Corp.’s rival Cadillac Escalade EXT to showrooms as Ford, the second-largest auto maker, tries to rebound from a $5.45-billion loss last year.

Blackwood sales were hurt because the pickup comes only in black and lacks full-wheel drive for snowy climates, analysts said.

“It’s almost as if this were a ballyhooed Broadway show that opened up and closed the next day after criticism,” said Michael Schmall, managing partner at Planning Edge auto forecasting company. “It was either a complete misunderstanding of the market or that they weren’t the first entry into such a small niche market.”

The Lincoln luxury division sold 379 of the 2002 rear-wheel-drive pickups from November through February. Analysts predicted sales of the Blackwood would reach as many as 8,500 for the 2003 model year beginning in July. Production runs through December.

Ford has built about 1,000 Blackwood pickups since beginning production last summer at a plant in Claycomo, Mo.

Ford also said Monday it is working on a remedy for an engine defect that is causing oil leaks in some truck models. A head gasket is causing leaks from some 5.4-liter V-8 truck engines, primarily in F-Series pickup trucks from the 1999 model year, Ford spokesman Todd Nissen said.

“There is an oil seepage issue,” he said. “But it’s not something that’s on every engine.”

The affected engines also are installed in some Ford Expeditions, Lincoln Navigators and Econoline vans.

Nissen declined to comment on the number of vehicles that may be affected by the defect or estimate how much repairs and replacements could cost the auto maker.

“It’s something that we’re actively working on and expect additional improvement actions coming in the future,” he said.

Earlier in the year, Ford announced that its F-series pickup trucks were the best-selling vehicle in the United States in 2001 for the 20th straight year.

Ford shares fell 76 cents to $15.73 on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock of Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford has declined 44% in the last 12 months.