Comments on: Pickup Sales Slump to Lowest Level in 25 Years http://www.ridelust.com/pickup-sales-slump-to-lowest-level-in-25-years/ - Motion + Mobility Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:25:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Terry Parkhurst http://www.ridelust.com/pickup-sales-slump-to-lowest-level-in-25-years/#comment-12646 Terry Parkhurst Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:11:07 +0000 http://www.ridelust.com/?p=32132#comment-12646 When Henry Ford conceived his pickup truck, by installing a box behind the cab of a model "T" Ford, he had no idea what he was spawning. The F-150 was the best selling vehicle - period - only a few short years ago. The General also made mucho bucks from its pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Silverado was a popular choice of new vehicle, even in the midst of the so-called "clunker bill" frenzy. But now, we're seeing the country go back to the roots of the pickup. Soon, we might even see the return of the smaller pickup as the Leader of the Pack, amongst trucks. Indeed, the smaller pickup became a staple of Ford, GM and Chrysler, circa the early 1980s, to meet the needs of contractors and farmers. (Prior to that, Ford brought in the Courier and GM and Chrysler rebadged other machines as their own. Datsun and Toyota were ahead of the curve, with the former bringing small pickups into the States, even in the early 1960s - collectibles those.) With all due respect to country singer Joe Diffie, it might be time for the pickup to become less of a fashion statement, and more of what it was meant to be, by Henry Ford: a vehicle for the Average Working Stiff. When Henry Ford conceived his pickup truck, by installing a box behind the cab of a model “T” Ford, he had no idea what he was spawning. The F-150 was the best selling vehicle – period – only a few short years ago.

The General also made mucho bucks from its pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Silverado was a popular choice of new vehicle, even in the midst of the so-called “clunker bill” frenzy.

But now, we’re seeing the country go back to the roots of the pickup. Soon, we might even see the return of the smaller pickup as the Leader of the Pack, amongst trucks. Indeed, the smaller pickup became a staple of Ford, GM and Chrysler, circa the early 1980s, to meet the needs of contractors and farmers. (Prior to that, Ford brought in the Courier and GM and Chrysler rebadged other machines as their own. Datsun and Toyota were ahead of the curve, with the former bringing small pickups into the States, even in the early 1960s – collectibles those.)

With all due respect to country singer Joe Diffie, it might be time for the pickup to become less of a fashion statement, and more of what it was meant to be, by Henry Ford: a vehicle for the Average Working Stiff.

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