The reality of $4 per gallon gasoline coupled with a major slowdown in construction work has conspired to put the US truck market in a world of hurt. Ford has already postponed the launch of the all-new F-150 by two months, and when the truck goes on sale, the Blue Oval will be focusing its marketing efforts on the people that use their trucks for what they were designed for: work. Ford is betting that customers that buy trucks for looks are all but gone, but like Ford Marketing Manager Mike Crowley says, you can't build America with a fleet of Priuses. Past F-150 launches arrived with mostly high-end crew cab models were geared towards recreational truck owners, but the 2009 model will arrive mainly in two door and extended cab configurations. Those less expensive models are a big hit with fleets and construction companies.
The truck market may be down 21% in 2008, but by focusing on core buyers Ford is hoping to gain ground on the competition. Since roughly one-quarter of Ford's sales come courtesy of its F-Series lineup, lets hope the 105 year old company is right.
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[Source: Detroit Free Press]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Eek @ Jun 25th 2008 2:08PM
Good start I guess. Then dump the Super Duty line and make Super Duty a package for the F-150.
MemphisNET @ Jun 25th 2008 2:26PM
Super Duty's are for super duty... you can't do that on the 150 chassis.
Now, a truck being used for work? Come on... that's so out in left-field...
1337 @ Jun 26th 2008 2:55PM
Eek,
Why don't we just make F-150 a package for the Ranger, too?
The F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 super duties are only distantly related to the F-150. The super duties are engineered especially for commercial hauling and towing, rather than recreation.
Randy @ Jun 26th 2008 5:04PM
I agree! Super Duty is for more intense work! A Ford Truck of any kind kicks azz and takes name but I wouldn't throw a 10,000 tow job at a regular F-150... Or would i ;)
Alex @ Jun 25th 2008 2:09PM
When ever i purchased a truck i was always looking for standard cab, long bed, 4x4. Basic truck for hauling and plowing snow. It was amazing to me how hard it was to pick up a truck like that off the lot. King Ranchers and Quad-cabs and the like were all over the lots.
DanMan @ Jun 25th 2008 6:19PM
Very true, I grew up in farm country and most of the farmers wanted 3/4 to 1ton, diesel, manual transmission, 4X4, regular or extended cab, manual windows, rubber floor, pretty bone stock. By the time I graduated high school (1995) they had to special order them because the dealers just wanted to carry ones with all the bells and whistles.
When Chevy brought out its W/T package and promoted it heavily they all got sold very quickly, the only problem was they were too light duty for the farm boys.
1337 @ Jun 26th 2008 3:00PM
DanMan,
Chevrolet has offered 2500 W/T trucks for some years now. Also, the Chevrolet 2500/3500 Base (and GMC 2500/3500 SL) are pretty bare bones, with vinyl seats and such. The Base/SL trucks have been around since the '80s.
BlackCanary @ Jun 25th 2008 2:10PM
Makes perfect sense.
TJ @ Jun 25th 2008 2:17PM
This must be a really slow news day indeed.
First, GM's board immediately scratches a random suggestion, woah... stop the presses. But wait, there's more! BOF trucks are still popular with actual blue collar workers and industries!?!?!?! My head is spinning I am so amazed....
Dude @ Jun 25th 2008 2:18PM
Since that's what it is, this makes perfect sense.
Next up, Ford to market Mustang as sports car.
Soul Shinobi @ Jun 25th 2008 9:18PM
They'd have to build it as one first.
brent @ Jun 25th 2008 2:19PM
The other day, as I drove past a public works road construction site, I saw a government-issue, orange F250 (or was it an F350?) with the newly redesigned grill and parking lights/headlights configuration. And I again thought to myself: "Man, that's an ugly look. Why did they do that?"
Then I realized why: Part of the stigma against U.S. automakers is a (largely correct) perception that the companies cajole innocent civilians into buying trucks they don't need.
I don't happen to care about that; in fact, I don't think anyone ought to care. But, apparently, people do care -- to the point that they'll equate buyers of large pickup trucks and SUVs for leisure with everything else they hate politically, philosophically, etc. They then transfer that hate to their own country's ability to have an industrial base.
So, in my opinion, Mullaly's on to something -- make ugly F250s and F350s. Make sure only people who really need them (e.g., work crews like the one I drove past). Make sure people who don't need them (that is, "don't need them" in the eyes of others) won't buy them because the vehicles are ugly and so obviously for their purpose. Take Ford out of the haters' equation.
Brilliant.
brent @ Jun 25th 2008 2:28PM
Man...I wish I could edit my comments here -- bunch of fragments and other beasties in there...apologies.
Jason @ Jun 25th 2008 2:44PM
So you're going to penalize those people that have to use these trucks for a living by only giving them ugly trucks? Yes, that's brilliant... /sarcasm.
Hey, let's penalize mid to low income people as well by making all sub-$20K vehicles ugly too (oh wait, they pretty much do that already...).
So who exactly gets the luxury of driving the "pretty" cars???
brent @ Jun 25th 2008 2:59PM
Um, Jason? I think the inferences you made aren't what I necessarily implied. Sure, they're possible inferences, but surely not the only conclusions you could have drawn.
I'm talking about full-size pickups and SUVs. We're talking about a huge, collective presence of vehicles across the nation that has basically become an advertisement NOT to buy Detroit iron because of global warming hype (more like ennui, if you ask me), and now energy price fatigue. Get it? Drastic times call for drastic measures.
And let's be clear: I couldn't care less who buys big SUVs and full-size pickup trucks. I'm not of the goody-two-shoes, environmental proselytizer crowd. And I'd rather they look great, not bad. But, like I said, there may be a method to the madness.
That One Person @ Jun 25th 2008 3:56PM
The city I work for got four brand new 08 F-550s back in the fall. Great trucks. The only Ford SDs that I prefer in our fleet are our older 7.3L equipped F-550s.
But I wouldn't give Mullaly all the credit. I believe the final front end design was greenlighted back when Billy Boy was in office...along with some of the company's other questionable designs.
Oh and I still see a ton of everyday folk driving fully loaded Super Duties.
Jason @ Jun 25th 2008 3:46PM
You said to intentionally make trucks like the Superduty ugly so as to dissuade buyers who don't need them from getting them... thereby forcing the people who DO need them to be stuck driving ugly trucks.
Personally, I like the look of the new SDs. I do think the old ones looked better (on the outside anyway), but the new ones don't look bad IMHO, and they're certainly better looking than that fugly new Silverado.
What they need to do is work on making their small cars more appealing.
Stick shock at the pumps is doing more to change buyers' habits than any styling could/would anyway.
brent @ Jun 25th 2008 3:59PM
I don't know. I don't disagree with what you're saying, but you're kind of missing my larger point. I never said they shouldn't ALSO work on their smaller cars. But it seems like you think I did. I also don't think the premeditated idea was to FORCE those who MUST use trucks to drive ugly ones. And I also understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I don't think many people will think those Super Duties front fascias are attractive.
BlackCanary @ Jun 25th 2008 4:42PM
Brent - forget it. You are a little to nuanced for this crowd of knuckle draggers. By the way, that was one of the best postings I have seen on Autoblog. You posses better insight and writing ability than many of the actual AutoBlog contributors.
brent @ Jun 25th 2008 4:50PM
Back Canary...thank you. I think you might be right.