interesting article...

Automotive News
Ford rolls out new F series — but will it stay No. 1?
January 21, 2008
Amy Wilson
DETROIT — The best-selling vehicle in the U.S. auto industry — the Ford F-series pickup — might lose its sales crown in 2008. With the race narrowing, it is crucial that Ford successfully launch the new version of its crown jewel: the re-engineered and restyled 2009 F-150. The new model, going on sale this fall, features new exterior styling meant to echo its big brother, the Super Duty. The F-150 will face a re-engineered and restyled 2009 Dodge Ram, also on sale this fall. The F series finished 2007 with U.S. sales of 690,589, down 13.2 percent. The Silverado, which was re-engineered and restyled for the 2007 model year, was just 72,332 units behind — the closest it's been since 1994. A sampling of what's new in Ford's restyled and re-engineered 2009 F-150 pickup:
• New high-end Platinum series; Longer crew cab model; Flat load floor and fold-up rear seats in back of crew cab; Redesigned interiors; Stronger and lighter frame; New tailgate step; Longer leaf springs
Incentives for all big-pickup players except Ford and Toyota rose in December, according to Edmunds.com. Erich Merkle, industry analyst, IRN Inc.: No. "It might be tough for Ford to maintain that lead in 2008, simply because GM might be much more aggressive on the incentive front. (Ford has) chosen to pull back on production instead of offering large incentives to maintain sales, and I don't disagree with that strategy."

 

can someone in marketing explain this to me

 

It isn't to maintain sales as the article is written. By reducing production numbers, sales aren't going to stay the same or increase. It's actually profit that they're referring to. If they build only enough trucks to meet consumer demand than they'll not be forced to offer incentives to get the trucks off the lot. Therefore, they make more per vehicle.

 

This also saves consumers of F150's from ultra low resale values due to huge dealer incentives on new models.

 

Exactly. On top of that, the resale value is also effected by Ford's 31 yr #1 status too. Since they sell so many F150's, there are more on the market to choose from, therefore, for a dealer to move his inventory, he may have to drop the price to compete with other dealers, thus, resale value being hurt. It's the same with GM as well though in that aspect. Toyota and Nissan not so much. Other problems w/ being #1 is that everyone's gun'n for ya too.

 

I think you're reading it wrong... it isn't written as
it is written as
to make it more clear
is that more clear???? or more confusing?

You're response is correct though... rather than building the same number they built (and sold) 3-4 years ago and then needing to offer huge incentives at the end of the year, Ford has decided to scale back production to meet the demand now that the economy has slowed and gas prices are higher.

 

I must have read that sentence about 20 times to try to understand how you're reading it, but i think it means what I had originally said, reducing production numbers so that they aren't going to have to offer the large incentives at the end of the year.

 

It would stink to lose the sales crown, but honestly, it's better to be a profitable company than to be able to say you have a title. Just look at Nintendo Co., LTD. Back when I was a kid I was always reading how they had ZERO debt. Look how that's worked for them. They went from #1 to #3, but did they care? Nope! They were still making money hand-over-fist compared to Sega Enterprises and Sony Computer Entertainment. And then Sega dropped out of the console race because they couldn't afford it anymore. So you see, better to be profitable and reduce/eliminate debt rather than have a cool title, sweet though it may be.

 

The other day I asked my dad if he saw the pictures of the new F150. He said ya looks good and adds hey your truck is still the number one selling truck. And I said hey ya so is yours; even thou its a F250 its still part of the F-series Fleet and that makes it a number 1 seller. And then we laughed and said that my uncles F450 is also the number one selling truck.

Today was a funny day.

 

Yeah, but as Smiggs pointed out to me last week, what really IS #1 - when the total of all the Silverados AND Sierras total more that what the total of the F-Series is. It's hard to think that way when all that separates the Chevy and GMC lines is a few stickers (and now a grille).

 

The best advice I have For ford is to quit worrying abought loading them out and shipping them out and concentrate on getting every F-150 100% perfect, Ford should build only 30,000 F-150 in 09.

A smaller number of quality built and warenty backed F-150's is going to do more Fo ford than a 100,000 bulid them just to sell them F-150's.

A better buit truck is better than a better selling truck.

 

Give me a break. Just worry about your Dodge. The F150 is second to none in quality and they have really stepped up the time and effort they put into tough truck testing the 2009.

 

this Ford quality or lack of thing pi$$e$ me off, especially when it comes from the Toyota crowd. 15 yrs ago, sure, maybe Toyota was a more reliable vehicle, I don't know, but now, there's no chance. In all reality you're comparing apples and oranges when you think about numbers of defective trucks. Its only common sense that Ford will have more trucks with problems because they produce 4 times the amount. That whole SD flame throwing issue for example. It effected maybe 50 trucks. that is about .007% of the F series. But the Tundra crankshaft issue that effected 50 trucks is a much higher percentage of the overall Tundras sold.

So what I'm getting at is a lot of people use Toyota as a benchmark in quality comparison. Before you do that, multiply the amount of Toyota problems by 4 and then compare.

 

Uh oh, we have have a new candidate for the "single dumbest post ever" right there. You're lucky it's early in the morning and I am not in a bad mood yet or I would let it rip...

 

Hey every 09 150 would be a collectors item