Holding its spot as the top-selling car or light truck in America, Ford Motor Co.’s (NYSE: F) F-Series pickup led the monthly U.S. car sales list again in July. It is a performance that has recurred almost every month for decades. The pickup was launched in 1948.
The F-series sold 63,240 units last month, up 4.6% for July 2013. Its closest competitor was General Motors Inc.’s (NYSE: GM) Chevy Silverado, which sold 42,087, flat with the same month last year. The dominance of the pickup in the American car market had further evidence because the fourth best-selling vehicle was Chrysler’s Dodge Ram, which sold 35,621 units, up 13.8%. Ram’s growth has been well ahead of its two rivals for the entire year, with an 18.8% increase for the first seven months.
Ford’s management was particularly happy, because it appears that the margins of its F-Series were maintained better than competition. In its press release, the management said:
Ford F-Series sales are up 5 percent with 63,240 trucks sold, a number achieved with the lowest incentives of the three largest pickup truck manufacturers
Incentives have always been an Achilles’ heel of the industry.
Ford’s success with the F-Series owes itself to, among other things, the diversity of the fleet. The F-150 has a base price range between $25,025 and $50,085, depending on the size of the cabin, engine power and trim. One version is more a sports car than a pickup: the SVT Raptor. It has a 6.2L V8 engine. However, Ford claims its capacity to operate off road is also extraordinary:
From hard, rutted dirt to steep grades of rock, the F-150 SVT Raptor can take the most unforgiving terrain a truck can set its tires on. Crawling over hills. Racing through brutal desert. And ready for the kind of off-roading that’s off-limits for the conventional 4-wheeler.
While it may be hard to find those “desert drivers,” the boast shows just how broad the F-Series appeal is. Its spot at the top is not going to change anytime soon.
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