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Lincoln Unveils Concept Vehicle `Blackwood' at L.A. Auto Show

Clic4Video Of The Complete Lincoln-Mercury Press Unveiling January 1999-ONLY ON THE AUTO CHANNEL, Aint This Bitchin!

30 December 1998

Lincoln Comes Home to Greater L.A. Auto Show; Unveiling of Concept Vehicle ``Blackwood'' Shoo-In for Conference MVP

LOS ANGELES--Dec. 29, 1998--This year Lincoln is staying home for the holidays -- in style.

Lincoln's news conference hit a grand slam at the opening of media days for the L.A. Auto Show today with the world debut of a new concept vehicle. "Blackwood," a revolutionary hybrid of California luxury and the rugged outdoors, entered in dramatic fashion and set the stage for the entire show.

In addition to a concept vehicle indicative of things to come, J Mays, vice president of automotive design for Ford Motor Company and one of today's most celebrated designers, was present at the Lincoln news conference to discuss the direction of Lincoln's future.

Jim Rogers, vice president of Marketing for Lincoln Mercury, promises the company will make its presence immediately known at the 1999 L.A. Auto Show. "Lincoln had the first news conference of the show and we lead the way. Lincoln's commitment to differentiating itself and maintaining its leadership of American luxury automobiles was dramatically demonstrated from the get go."

Building on the momentum generated by Navigator, the leader in the luxury sport utility segment, and the upcoming 2000 model year Lincoln LS, Lincoln plans on further expanding the standard of luxury with its new concept vehicle debuted at the Greater L.A. Auto Show.

"Our vehicles are reflective of the California lifestyle -- an aggressive balance of having and doing it all," said Jim O'Sullivan, Lincoln group brand manager. "We intend to absorb all that California offers."

For many years, there has been a cross-country rivalry between East and West -- the Detroit Auto Show versus the Greater L.A. Auto Show. Attention has almost exclusively been reserved for the East -- Motor City was the place to be. That is where the Big Three are located and where concept cars make their world debuts. But, with the relocation of one of the major automotive companies east of the Mississippi, changes abound.

Lincoln Mercury is the first domestic automaker to locate its world headquarters outside Michigan in recent times -- the move to Southern California has not simply been a change in geography, but a change in state of mind. Lincoln Mercury has stepped forward to take a prominent position this year in claiming the Greater L.A. Auto Show as their "hometown" show for the debut of new products.