Ford Unveils Latest ‘Essential’ Work Truck at Texas State Fair
Last month, Ford executive Mark Fields underscored the importance of the company’s new work truck, ironically by botching a speech. Calling the truck an “essential” tool for fleet owners, the Americas division president said at the State Fair of Texas, “If the truck doesn’t do its job, [owners] don’t get paid. And these are the people that are building and maintaining the infrastructure of our company—of, of our country.”
Reminiscent of Charles Wilson’s “what’s good for General Motors” speech to Congress in 1953, Fields accidentally made the point: Despite the economic slump and outcry for smaller vehicles, big trucks are still valuable work tools. Ford maintains a 60% market share in the commercial pickup segment and plans to keep it with new powertrain options geared toward such heavy users as contractors.