downsized to 18 inches. To produce the cargo bed at a realistic cost, the 20 square feet of expensive wood was replaced by screened laminate composite panels (the inlaid aluminum strakes remained). Intended to enter production in early 2001, sales of the Blackwood were delayed several months by supply problems related to the cargo box (produced by Magna Steyr). At the end of 2001, Ford froze their contracts with parent company Magna International in response to the issue. At the time of its launch, Lincoln was unsure of how many examples of the Blackwood would be produced. Intending to limit yearly production (to maintain exclusivity), Lincoln did plan to sell at least 18,000 vehicles over multiple years. Model overview Chassis The Lincoln Blackwood uses the chassis of the tenth-generation F-Series (introduced by the 1997 F-150), using a 138.5-inch wheelbase. The Blackwood shared its front short-long control arm independent front suspension with the F-150; while retaining the solid rear axle, the rear suspension was also fitted with air springs (closer in line with the Lincoln Town Car). In contrast to the Lincoln Navigator, all Blackwoods were manufactured with rear-wheel drive (to maintain a lower ride height). The model line had a 1200-lb payload with an 8700-lb towing capacity. Powertrain details Shared with the Navigator, the Blackwood is fitted with a 5.4L V8, producing 300 hp. In place of the SOHC 16-valve Triton V8 used by the F-150, the Blackwood used the DOHC 32-valve InTech V8 used by Lincoln; the engine was paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Body design Exterior Sharing its cab with the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, the Blackwood sources its front bodywork directly from the Navigator. In contrast to its Ford counterpart, the 4-foot 8-inch cargo bed of the Blackwood was constructed of plastic composites. In its namesake design feature, the exterior of the cargo bed was styled with imitation black African wengewood with aluminum-strake inlays (making it the first "woodie" Ford Motor Company vehicle since the LTD Country Squire and Colony Park station wagons, discontinued in 1991). In another major design change, the rear cargo bed was repurposed as a watertight trunk, adopting a permanently-mounted tonneau cover (power-operated), opening above a 50/50 hinged door (replacing a tailgate). The interior of the Blackwood cargo area was fully carpeted, lined in polished aluminum, and lit with LED lighting. While far smaller in interior size than a similar-length F-150 cargo bed,