Reply #38: Counting on hefty pickups to haul in profits [View All]

[54anickel]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pickups19nov19,1,169067.story?coll=la-headlines-business

There's a monster truck battle brewing in dealer showrooms across America.

Redesigned versions of three industry heavyweights — the Ford F-Series Super Duty, the Chevrolet Silverado and the Toyota Tundra — are going head-to-head in a fight for the shrinking but highly lucrative market for full-size pickups.

The showdown has deep implications for Ford Motor Co. and Chevy maker General Motors Corp., which need to boost truck sales to shore up their sagging finances. Toyota Motor Corp. is banking on its redesigned Tundra to finally give the Japanese auto giant a solid foothold in the American truck market.

Ford, awash in red ink, has the most at stake. Pickup trucks have been a bedrock of its product line for years — its F-150, introduced in 1948, is the bestselling vehicle in the United States.

The all-new Silverado is already in showrooms, and the revamped Tundra will arrive in late January or early February. Although the redesigned Super Duty is expected to create excitement among Ford fans when it arrives early next year, it represents only about 40% of F-Series sales. The flagship F-150 isn't due for a makeover until 2008.

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