Ford, Still King of the Hill

By: Jay Stevens

Ford Motor Co. is determined to keep its reign as the "King of
the Hill." So far, this is the third decade that said automaker
is holding the prestigious title in the pickup truck market.

Ford F-150 is the leading pickup truck for 30 years now. This
year along, it has 133,000-truck lead over the nearest
competitor. There are several attempts to dethrone the F-Series
nonetheless; the attempts did not appear strong enough to topple
the lingering success of the vehicles.

"Let's remember that F-Series is the benchmark when it comes to
trucks," said Cisco Codina, Ford's group vice president, North
America Marketing, Sales and Service. "The competition has done
some work to try to play catch up. We've been through
competitive product reviews, of course, and we see that they
have updated some things and have made strides. But we're not
sitting back. And we're certainly not playing catch up. They
are."

According to auto analysts, to put a dent to the sales and
reputation of F-150's, the automaker's competitors must
concentrate on an expanded truck-buying target market. Analysts
say that the success of Ford's trucks can be attributed to many
alliances with organizations like NASCAR, Cabela's, Professional
Bull Riders, the Professional Bull Riders, Home Depot, Monster
Jam and Harley Davidson.

"Our alliance partners allow us to observe truckers and better
understand how they live and work with their trucks," said Ben
Poore, Ford truck group marketing manager. "Many members of a
group like the American Quarter Horse Association of the
Professional Bull Riders drive our trucks. We know how our
trucks work in a real environment because we are constantly out
there getting feedback from our customers."

Car
parts discount Ford F-150 pickup 99-03 boast quality and
performance. Truck lovers want more torque hence; the automaker
gives it to them. Ford F-150 truck parts, is now equipped with a
V8 engine that can handle greater towing and payload
capabilities. Further, F-150's maximum tow rating is now up 600
pounds to a class-leading 10,500 lbs.

Ford admitted that the company is concentrating on marketing
needs to heighten leadership in the truck market. "We are
playing offense with Ford Trucks," said John Felice, Ford
general marketing manager, Marketing, Sales and Service. "We
created more Ford Truck ads targeted at more diverse audiences
than ever to continue increasing leadership by solidifying our
base and going after new customers."

Ford is also decreasing the suggested retail prices on the
series up to $1,400 lower than this year's prices. The new F-150
FX2 Sport comes in with a dazzling aura. It is equipped with power wheels
Ford-150 and dark billet grille. To boost its style, it uses
monochromatic paint scheme. Enhanced Ford
F-150 headlights with platinum bezels and the sporty front
valance add to the enigmatic charm of the truck.

About the author:
Jay Stevens works as a consultant for an established auto parts
store in the country. He has expertise in automotive technology
and has extensive knowledge on the auto parts industry.