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“You aren’t going to have the guys who get them as a macho thing anymore.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/business/05auto.html?_r=1&ref=automobiles&oref=slogin)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Ford_F150.jpgNick Bunkley - NY Times - June 5, 2008

2009 Ford F-150.

As truck sales become mired in the mud, more fuel efficient offerings are taking their place... And quickly. -- Ed.

DETROIT — Ford Motor and Chrysler expected to find themselves in a hard-fought showdown when they rolled out bigger, brasher pickup trucks this fall, hoping to enlarge their shares of a segment that has brought them huge profits.

Instead, Ford, Chrysler and General Motors have discovered $4-a-gallon gasoline and a housing slump to be more formidable foes. This year’s battle will be for pieces of a much smaller pie than they ever imagined.

This winter, when Chrysler paraded 120 Texas longhorns outside the Detroit auto show to promote its 2009 Dodge Ram, and Ford brought in the country superstar Toby Keith to unveil its new F-series truck, full-size pickups accounted for 13 percent of the United States vehicle market. They were just 9 percent of the market in May, when for the first time since 1992 the country’s top-selling vehicle was a car — the Honda Civic compact sedan — rather than a truck… http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/business/05auto.html?_r=1&ref=automobiles&oref=slogin

"Analysts say each pickup carries a profit margin of as much as $10,000, much greater than the margin on smaller vehicles."


Dang!! I guess they had a gold mine in that less educated segment of our vehicle buyers.
I've never really looked at how well these trucks are made, but since their prices were so
high, I figured they must be of really good quality.

But, it turns out they were just marked up for the sucker market.


What is interesting is the reason they are afraid to really mark down the 2008 models currently on the lots.
They don't want to make the older models more desirable than the 2009s..?..

I guess they still don't get it.. It sounds like these truck makers are pretty dimwitted,
if they think that people who work in offices are still going to buy pickups because they look macho etc!

Me thinks they are still in the denial stage..
Denial is the second stage of the Kübler-Ross identified a grief cycle.

with the way gas prices are going, people who dont need a truck dont really need a truck.

on the other hand I was at the mall yesterday and saw a family of 3 (young mom and pop with a 5 year old kid) leave the mall with a brand spanking new ford F-250 with 4 doors and the wife was whining about gas prices. they must have bought it because they got a 1000 dollar gas card or employee pricing, or some great deal for ford to unload these monsters

While the number is declining, there are a few stories of people that are willing to make car payments at the pump...for me it better be a darn good investment.

Instead, Ford, Chrysler and General Motors have discovered $4-a-gallon gasoline and a housing slump to be more formidable foesGood points here. $4/gas is probably the biggest reason for the drop in big-truck sales, but the housing slump accounts for a good chunk too. Although a lot of guys buy these trucks for towing for simply ego, a pretty big share of the market has always been people in the construction trades. Many of those guys are hurting right now, and are probably deciding to keep the old rig running rather than buy a new one.

Looking at their past sales figures for pickups, I think it must have a lot to do with location.
Around here, (Boston area) I would guess we don't have even 5% of drivers in pickups.
But, when I've been back home in small towns in Texas on vacation, it sure seems like 50% of the traffic is pickups..
(Even I run around down there in a borrowed Dodge pickup. ;)

Off hand, I can't think of any male relatives (down in Texas) that drive cars..

Up here, I know only one person who has a pickup. My friend is builder
(for the last 25 years) and his father-in-law owns a Ford dealership.

Yes, I am glad I own a pickup that I can use for work purposes. I am also glad it's paid for as I certainly wouldn't be buying one now. I am also glad I wound up with my Corolla for daily driving.

There are plenty of good uses for pickups and SUVs. Running the kids to soccer ain't one of them.

I can't believe people were stupid enough to think this was a sustainable form of transportation.

I guess when we think in terms of payments, we throw good sense right out the window.

There are plenty of good uses for pickups and SUVs. Running the kids to soccer ain't one of them.

I can't believe people were stupid enough to think this was a sustainable form of transportation.

I guess when we think in terms of payments, we throw good sense right out the window.


"a sustainable form of transportation"???

Like this?
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f147/Xringer/fanny.jpg

Given enough ice cream, I can go for miles and miles.. :)
But, today it's about 98 degrees out there.. No bikes until sunset.. :(