• Detroit Free Press , Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:30 AM

Ford plans to focus most of its marketing efforts for the all-new 2009 F-150 on customers who buy a truck for work instead of pleasure or everyday driving -- a big shift from the past when Ford was focused on selling Harley-Davidson and King Ranch SuperCrew trucks as luxurious substitutes for cars. Ford will launch the truck with the two-door models that always have been more popular among contractors, farmers and fleet customers.

Ford also will spend more time talking about the improved fuel economy in the 2009 F-150, which involves seven models, according to Mike Crowley, Ford's group marketing plans manager for trucks and SUVs. Ford has achieved a 1.5-mile-per-gallon improvement, on average, for the new F-150 lineup by making the new truck lighter and more aerodynamic and by adding a 6-speed transmission and a new, 4.6-liter, 3-valve V-8 engine.

The F-150 is the base model for the F-Series lineup, which represents nearly one-fourth of the company's total sales. "It's the flagship of the company," explains Terry Kidd, a member of Ford's dealer advisory board for marketing.

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