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Pickup Artist: How The Ford F-Series Took Over America

With sales in the hundreds of thousands year over year, Ford trucks of all ages can be found on streets across America.
Gabe Bullard/WAMU
With sales in the hundreds of thousands year over year, Ford trucks of all ages can be found on streets across America.

Chances are, you’ve seen a Ford truck lately. Probably several today.

The Ford F-series is one of the most popular vehicles in America. On average, the company sells one truck every 30 seconds. And the sales keep climbing year over year. The F-series line is more profitable than Coca-Cola. No wonder, then, that Ford is moving away from making passenger cars to focus on trucks and SUVs. The sedan, it seems, is heading to the scrap heap of history, and it’s being towed by an F-150.

But if you think all these trucks are cruising toward construction sites or driving down dusty roads, think again. The number of options and upgrades available mean you can drive off a Ford lot with either a utilitarian pickup or something that’s nicer than many public radio producer’s apartments. As Drew Harwell wrote in The Washington Post, “The truck’s turn from rugged backroads to glitz and luxury has driven its price twice as high as the average car or truck sold in the U.S. this year, pricier even than upscale SUVs from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.”

People who don’t get trucks might be surprised at how popular the F-150 is. They might be surprised to know how many are out there, the way they live, and the consumer power they have. But for those behind the wheel of an F-series, it’s no surprise at all.

GUESTS

Drew Harwell, Reporter, The Washington Post; @DrewHarwell

Nicole Wakelin, Automotive journalist; @NicoleWakelin

Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager

For more, visit https://the1a.org.

© 2018 WAMU 88.5 – American University Radio.

Copyright 2018 WAMU 88.5

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