• Lincoln and popular custom motorcycle builders Orange County Choppers combine forces to create a one-of-a-kind Mark LT Chopper.
  • Orange County Choppers build of the Mark LT chopper will air on upcoming episodes of Discovery Channel’s hit series "American Chopper" early next year.
  • The launch of the Lincoln Mark LT is a key part of Lincoln’s plan to broaden its showroom and build momentum.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 20, 2004 – Custom motorcycle builders Orange Country Choppers (OCC) and Lincoln join forces to build a chopper inspired by the all-new 2006 Lincoln Mark LT luxury truck. The build of the Mark LT bike will air on upcoming episodes of Discovery Channel’s hit series "American Chopper" on Feb. 14 and Feb 21 at 10:00 pm ET/PT.

The relationship between Lincoln and OCC highlights the luxury features of the Mark LT. The creative talents of the OCC’s Teutul family will display the Lincoln brand in an unexpected way. Customers will get a chance to see what a Lincoln might look like on two wheels.

"Excitement has been building at Lincoln from day one just thinking about what OCC would come up with," said John Fitzpatrick, Lincoln Mercury general marketing manager. "It will be intriguing to see how they interpret the image of Lincoln luxury and the all-new Mark LT when the bike is unveiled."

"We’re excited to partner with Lincoln on this project bike," said Paul Teutul, Jr., Orange County Choppers, Inc. "We visited Dearborn to see the passion and detail that goes into developing a product like the Mark LT. I was inspired by what I saw and I’m confident that the bike will reveal the true essence of the truck."

Discovery Channel’s "American Chopper" Lincoln Bike episodes will take viewers behind the scenes of the design and development of this one-of-a-kind Mark LT chopper. Viewers will watch the creative genius of the OCC team in action as they work to get the chopper ready for its international debut in early 2005. The bike will feature Mark LT inspired styling elements like chrome accents and soft premium leather.

The OCC team also will build a custom glass trailer to transport the chopper with a Mark LT design theme. The Mark LT chopper, the trailer and the truck will then be combined to make a complete statement about Lincoln luxury.

Paul Teutul, Jr., -a.k.a. Junior or Paulie, will lead the creative development for the bike. With sheet metal in his blood from the age of 12 on, he spent his summers at his father’s steel business learning all the skills of fabrication that he would later use building motorcycles. In 1999, Paul Sr. recognized his son’s design and fabrication talent, and with his blessing, Junior left the rail shop to help establish Orange County Choppers as a business.

That year, the father-and-son team debuted their bikes at Daytona Biketoberfest with overwhelming support from bike lovers, and they never looked back. With Paul Jr., as the chief designer and fabricator, and Paul Sr. lending his considerable business talents OCC has been unstoppable. The hit show "America Chopper" allows viewers to see this real-life dynamic duo in action on the Discovery Channel.

Mark LT – Taking Luxury To A Whole New Place

The Lincoln Mark LT is a key part of Lincoln’s plan to broaden the showroom and build momentum and growth. On sale in early 2005, the new Mark LT is one of five new Lincolns that will be introduced over four years.

The Lincoln Mark LT is designed for customers who want equal amounts of luxury and capability. It has indisputable truck credentials with outstanding payload and towing capacity and adds an additional level of style and sophistication beyond high-end pickup trucks on the road today. The Mark LT offers four full doors, front captain’s chairs and a full rear seat, all providing ample comfort for five adults.

Mark LTs exterior features a theme of chrome accents, asserting the vehicle’s status and enhancing its appearance. Its dominant signature waterfall grille, wide taillamps and thick-spoked wheels give it an unmistakable family resemblance to today’s Lincoln line-up. The Lincoln Mark LT uses contemporary finishes and warm colors that result in an environment that is both inviting and stimulating. The Mark LT delivers, with a standard 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton™ V-8 engine that produces 300 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 365 foot-pounds of torque at 3,750 rpm.

"Being a designer, I understand the commitment and passion that is needed to take an idea and transform it into a reality," said Patrick Schiavone, design director, Ford North America Truck and Mark LT chief designer. "I am a fan of "American Chopper," Paulie and the team at OCC. I cannot wait to see how they transform our design into their own OCC vision."

About Lincoln
Lincoln is a brand of the Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., which manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 328,000 employees worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care and Hertz. Ford Motor Company celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 16, 2003.

About Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is the United States’ largest cable television network, serving 89.5 million households across the nation with the finest in informative entertainment. Discovery Networks, U.S., a unit of Discovery Communications, Inc., operates and manages Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery HD Theater, Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Home Channel, Military Channel, Discovery en Español and FitTV. The unit also distributes BBC AMERICA. For more information, please log onto discovery.com.