R.I.P., Lincoln Mark LT, 2006-2008.

Sad news this week: Lincoln has annonuced it will discontinue the Mark LT pickup truck after the 2008 model year.

Now, repeat after me: Awwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Coming only a few years after the Blackwood debacle, it should probably be self-evident by now that Lincoln needs a pickup truck in its product line about as much as Jaguar or Land Rover do, and hopefully, the folks in Ford product planning will take the hint and drop the "Lincoln Truck" idea for good.

One thing that is surprising, though, are the number of Mark LTs actually sold in North America. According to published reports, Lincoln sold 12,700 of them last year---an unsustainably low figure, granted, but frankly, I'm astonished they even sold that many. I mean, I live and work in the Car Capital of America, and I swear I haven't seen more than two or three of these things on the road since Ford rolled 'em out two years ago. Anybody else had a similar experience?