Ford sold 46,536 F-150 pick-ups in January, which was flat from January 2013. Sales of American cars and light trucks dove more than 3% last month, a sign that the rapid rise in automotive sales may have started to falter.
The next two best-selling vehicles in the United States are also pickups, but their numbers are so far behind the F-150’s that it is nearly a mathematical impossibility for them to catch Ford. General Motors Co.’s (NYSE: GM) Chevy Silverado sold 28,926 units, a drop of more than 18%. The Dodge Ram pickup sold 25,071, up 22% year over year.
Ford has taken a gamble with the F-150. Much of the 2015 version truck is made with aluminum alloy. Ford claims that will shave as much as 700 pounds off the vehicle. If gas mileage is a concern among buyers, the lighter weight will make a difference. If not, the aluminum is apparently as strong as steel, according to Ford. Married with a new engine, the F-150 becomes even more fuel efficient. Proponents of the truck’s capability say that its capacity to do “truck-like” things like towing and hauling has not been compromised at all.
Ultimately, changes to the F-150 may not make much difference. Ford owners are among the most loyal of all car owners, according to Consumer Reports data. Some 56% of Ford owners are likely to buy another one, just behind Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM). While the loyalty rate does not apply evenly to all Ford models, the place the F-150 holds at the top of the U.S. car sales pyramid could not stay as it is, and has been, if owners regularly deserted it in favor of competitors.
January U.S. car sales are on the books. And, with 11 months to go, a prediction about the 2014 leader is easy to make. The F-150 has too much history in its favor, and a huge lead at the start of a new year — again.
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