Ford celebrates historic milestone for F-Series trucks
Ford announced Thursday that its F-Series trucks achieved a historic milestone, having held the title of America’s best-selling truck and best-selling vehicle for over four decades.
Ford said 2023 will mark the 47th consecutive year that it made the best-selling truck in the U.S., while it will also be the 42nd consecutive year with the best-selling vehicle in America.
"It’s a streak that spans four generations (and started when I was only four) and has lasted longer than the entire lifespan of many other popular consumer products, including compact discs and mp3 players, and the entire brick-and-mortar video rental industry," Rob Kaffl, director of U.S. marketing and sales for Ford, wrote on the company website. "But this accolade is not a walk down memory lane; F-Series continues to grow and in 2023, remained the best-selling vehicle in the nation for the 42nd year in a row," he added.
Ford F-Series trucks also celebrated achieving what the company called the "Truck Triple Crown" – having made the best-selling full-size electric truck and best-selling full-size hybrid truck in addition to the top-selling pickup truck in 2023.
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The company said over 700,000 customers chose a Ford F-Series truck in 2023 and that its lead over pickup truck runner-up Chevrolet was nearly 200,000 trucks through November.
Kaffl wrote that Ford is continuing to "push the boundaries of what electric vehicles can do" and that the F-150 Lightning exemplifies the company’s "dedication to a more sustainable future without compromising on power and performance."
Ford began producing the F-150 Lightning in 2022 as a means of competing in the growing EV pickup truck segment.
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A report from Automotive News cited a memo sent to suppliers by Ford indicating that the company is planning to produce an average of 1,600 Lightning trucks per week starting in January – below its prior plans to produce an average of 3,200 per week. In response to the report, a Ford spokesperson told FOX Business that the automaker "will continue to match Lightning production to customer demand."
Kaffl added that the company is excited to start production of the new gas and hybrid models of the 2024 F-150 models early in 2024. It also has an "unwavering focus on growth" across its gas, hybrid, and electric models as it looks to meet consumer demand.
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"The enduring legacy of the F-Series is not just a result of our relentless pursuit of improvement but also a reflection of the trust between our company and customers," Kaffl wrote. "We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve our customers and are committed to continuing to earn their business every single day."
FOX Business' Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.