The Ford F-Series has now achieved 30 consecutive years as the best-selling pickup truck and the company is announcing new product actions to fortify its leadership – including increased towing capacity for the 2007 Ford F-150. In the Middle East, F-150 sales alone were up 80 per cent across the Middle Eastern markets.
“Built Ford Tough is a promise we make to our customers to make the most capable, innovative trucks on the market to help them get the job done,” said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East’s Sales and Marketing director. “Ford has the products today and is making the investments for tomorrow to remain the leader in full-size pickups.”
Ford F-150 Out-Tows All Light Duty Pickups
The Ford F-150 enters 2007 with a new level of capability. It already had best-in-class payload capacity of 3,050 pounds and now F-150 has been engineered for best-in-class towing capacity of 11,000 pounds.
“We constantly work to improve the F-150, especially its capability because that’s what customers expect from us,” says Matt O’Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. “Its fully boxed frame – the backbone of F-150 – makes it tough enough to stand up to the most punishing job.”
2008 Ford Super Duty: The Most Capable Pickup Truck Ever
The new 2008 Super Duty, which accounts for about 40 percent of its F-Series sales, will redefine the heavy-duty truck market again. It features bold new exterior styling and a new interior that sets a new standard for comfort, refinement and quality. Properly equipped, it has the ability to tow more than 24,000 pounds – over 7,000 pounds more than its closest competitor – and haul three tons – over 600 pounds more than its closest competitor.
The new truck series offers a myriad of innovations, such as:
• All-new F-450 pickup: Riding on its own unique chassis, the F-450 pickup combines the right axle, powertrain and suspension to pull the heaviest trailer with confidence and control. Only Ford offers a Class IV pickup.
• All-new 6.4-liter Power Stroke™ Diesel Engine: This available engine, powered by sequential turbochargers, produces 350 horsepower and 650 foot-pounds of torque while delivering a sharp decrease in particulates and emissions.
• TailGate Step: An exclusive feature makes it easy to step up into or down out of the bed to load or unload cargo and is fully integrated into the tailgate and virtually invisible when not in use.
• Powerscope Mirrors: The industry’s first power folding and telescoping trailer tow mirrors, which offer drivers the convenience of adjusting mirrors from the cab.
Ford Celebrates Leadership
Ford has sold more than 32 million F-Series trucks around the world since the nameplate's debut in 1948. Today, there are more F-Series pickups on the road with 250,000 miles than any other brand. It has also been the best-selling truck in America for 30 consecutive years and the best-selling vehicle for 25 years in a row.
“Ford F-Series trucks were among the first to reach the Arabian shores in the late 1940's. Their popularity continues to grow as new generations discover their unparalleled power, toughness, driving dynamics and style. The Ford truck is a true legend - its success, as well as its strength, continues to grow year over year,” concluded Murad.
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.
Ford Motor Company’s history in the Middle East goes back to nearly 60 years. The company’s local importer-dealers operate more than 55 facilities in the region and directly employ more than 4,000 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals.
Ford Middle East is also a responsible corporate citizen in the region, with the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, a grass-root level program that has offered USD600,000 in grants to over 75 Middle Eastern environmental projects since 2000.
