FORD’S F-SERIES REIGNS AS AMERICA’S BEST-SELLING VEHICLE IN 2008

Image via WikipediaThe beat goes on. For the 32nd year in a row, Ford’s award-winning F-Series is America’s best-selling truck with 2008 sales of 515,513. F-series outsold its nearest truck rival by more than 50,000 units.

In addition, for the 27th year in a row, F-Series is once again America’s best-selling vehicle of any type – car, crossover, SUV, truck or van.

“Our thanks go out to our customers, our dealers and, of course, the Ford employees and supplier partners who design, engineer and manufacture quality, fuel-efficient trucks delivering unmatched capability,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president, Marketing and Communications. “The all-new F-150 affirms what Ford has known for years – that listening to customers provides the best rewards.”

The all-new F-150 recently was named 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™, Texas Auto Writers Association Truck of Texas, and is a finalist for the 2009 North American Truck of the Year.

The 2009 F-150, new inside and out, is the new benchmark for full size pickups, appealing to a growing number of core truck customers. During the past five years, the “core trucker” – those who use their truck’s towing and hauling capability for work and play – has grown to 40 percent from 30 percent of the light-duty full-size pickup market.

In the commercial/fleet portion of this core trucker sub-segment, Ford F-Series continues to dominate. The F-150 has 46 percent of the light duty commercial/fleet market; and Super Duty is stronger still with over 57 percent of heavy duty commercial/fleet market.

2009 F-150 improvements include a new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis that delivers even more horsepower, unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading towing and payload capacity.

From industry-first SYNC to Ford Work Solutions, 2009 F-150 sports an array of smart technologies. SYNC provides hands-free, in-car communication. Ford Work Solutions is an innovative suite of options including an in-dash computer with Internet access, Tool Link to track tools, Crew Chief technology to dispatch workers and reduce vehicle operating costs and Cable Lock to improve security of tools and equipment.

F-150 also features conveniences such as the Box Side Step and Tailgate Step that help customers easily gain access to the truck’s pickup box.

The new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

For 2009, F-150 also has improved its fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup, thanks to a wide range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. Plus, the F-150’s SFE package – which is available on highest-volume XL and XLT series – delivers unsurpassed fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

The new 2009 F-150 is built at Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant.

The 2009 Ford F-150 has won the following awards and accolades:

• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
• Motor Trend's Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA