World's Best-Selling Vehicle Turns 50
7 January 1998
World's Best-Selling Vehicle Turns 50
Jan. 16 Marks Golden Anniversary of Ford F-Series Pickup
DETROIT, Jan. 7 -- The year is 1948. Harry S. Truman battles
from behind in the polls and beats Thomas Dewey for the U.S. presidency.
Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Kentucky Derby and goes on to
capture the Triple Crown, a feat no other horse will repeat until 1973.
One million U.S. homes have television sets, up from just 5,000 in 1945.
The first jet aircraft to fly across the Atlantic arrives in Labrador,
Newfoundland.
In automotive news, Ford Motor Company introduces its first all-
new post-World War II vehicle, the Ford F-1 pickup -- the first in a new line
of trucks that would come to be known as the Ford F-Series.
Today, 50 years later, more customers have chosen F-Series than any other
vehicle in history. To date, customers have bought or leased more than 26
million F-Series trucks, and more than 8 million of them are still on the
road.
In fact, in each of the past 16 years (1981-1997), F-Series has outsold
every vehicle -- car or truck -- in North America, and it has outsold every
truck in the United States for 21 straight years (1976-1997).
In 1997, F-Series as a single model outsold 38 of the 43 automotive
franchises doing business in North America. F-Series also outsold the two
best-selling cars in America combined.
"One of every 10 vehicles built and sold by Ford since the company was
founded has been an F-Series truck," said Jac Nasser, president, Ford
Automotive Operations.
Introduced at dealerships nationwide on Jan. 16, 1948, F-Series celebrates
its golden anniversary in 1998. To mark the anniversary, Ford is displaying a
1948 model F-1 pickup at the 1998 North American International Auto Show. A
50th anniversary Special Edition F-Series -- a limited edition 1998-model
Lariat SuperCab with a gold trim package -- goes on sale in April. The
vintage truck and Special Edition model will be displayed at the show through
Monday, Jan. 19.
Each 1998 F-Series model features a colorful 50th anniversary logo
depicting a 1948 pickup alongside a 1998 truck. The logo appears on the rear
window of the driver's side. The F-Series advertising campaign also
highlights the truck's heritage.
"We have millions of customers to thank for F-Series' success over the
past 50 years," Nasser said. "Last year alone, nearly 750,000 customers drove
home in a new F-Series truck.
"Over the past 50 years, this truck has made a major contribution to
commerce, industry and recreation," Nasser added. "Without a doubt, the
explosive growth in the truck market over the past few years has been one of
the biggest stories in business. Even with the popularity of minivans and
SUVs, full-size pickups are purchased by more customers than any other kind of
truck."
Ford's F-Series assembly plants in Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.;
Norfolk, Va.; Oakville, Ontario; Cuautitlan, Mexico; Monterrey, Mexico; Sao
Paulo, Brazil; and Valencia, Venezuela are planning celebrations to mark the
truck's anniversary.
F-Series will be the honored marque at the 1998 Eyes on Classic Design in
June at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.
Vintage F-Series trucks will be displayed and judged at the show.
Ford and its dealers also are marking the 50th year of support for the
Future Farmers of America by donating more than $230,000 in college
scholarships to the National FFA Foundation. Participating Ford dealers will
award $1,000 scholarships to 226 high school students involved in FFA chapters
across the country. Ford Division, the world's best-selling automotive sales
division, will award five $1,000 national scholarships.
Scale-model 1948 F-Series trucks and collectibles will go on sale through
catalogs and toy stores nationwide during the first half of 1998. Other 50th
anniversary merchandise, such as shirts, hats and jackets, is available for
purchase at 1-800-288-0324. Those interested in learning more about the
history of Ford trucks can access the F-Series 50th anniversary web site at
http://www.ford.com.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
