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Ford F-Series trucks gain ground

Sept. 1, 2009

So much for small cars. We’ve been told for months now that the biggest problem with the U.S. automakers has been the lack of fuel efficient, smaller cars that the American public was demanding due to higher gasoline prices. Some of that is likely ...

So much for small cars.

We’ve been told for months now that the biggest problem with the U.S. automakers has been the lack of fuel efficient, smaller cars that the American public was demanding due to higher gasoline prices. Some of that is likely true. Just not in the case of the Ford F-Series pickups.

Ford announced late last week that it would add a third shift at its Dearborn, MI, plant to meet increased demand for its popular F-Series. According to one of our sister publications WardsAuto.com, Ford was expected to post its first year-over-year sales increase for the F-Series since October 2006 – nearly three years ago – when it announces its August sales figures this week.

According to Wards, Ford will produce 10,000 more F-150s than originally planned because of demand. That means that 2,800 workers who had been working two-weeks on, one-week off schedules will return to full time employment.

And just today, Ford announced it will now produce its own diesel engines for its Super Duty pickup, starting with the 2011 model year. Navistar had been supplying diesel engines for the truck, but Ford put an end to that relationship last year.

The company said the engine will be a 6.7-liter turbocharged V-8 and will meet all 2010 EPA emissions guidelines when it debuts.