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- Ford is celebrating the production launch of the 2009 Ford F-150, which offers unrivaled capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and the most choice in the full-size truck segment
- Ford will restore the third crew at Dearborn Truck Plant in January; the move will add 1,000 workers to the plant’s production team
- Ford invested $148 million in tooling and equipment upgrades at Dearborn Truck Plant to build the new F-150
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DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 30, 2008 – Ford Motor Company employees at Dearborn Truck Plant today celebrated the production launch of the new 2009 Ford F-150, which offers unrivaled capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and the most choice in the full-size truck segment.
During the celebration, employees, dealers, government officials and United Auto Workers leaders, also previewed the bold new marketing campaign for the 2009 Ford F-150, which debuts Sunday on “NFL on Fox” with print and radio ads to follow.
“Ford is the truck leader and F-150 truck buyers expect and demand the best truck on the market,” said Ford Motor Company CEO and President Alan Mulally, who thanked plant employees for a successful launch of the new F-150. “The employees at Dearborn Truck Plant are delivering a truck that is ‘Built Ford Tough’ with an unwavering focus on quality and craftsmanship.”
Ford also announced that it was restoring the third crew to Dearborn Truck Plant in January, a move that will add approximately 1,000 skilled trades and production workers to the plant’s work force.
“The new F-150 is the best truck Ford has ever produced and we expect a strong response from core truck buyers,” said Joe Hinrichs, group vice president, Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “Despite the challenges in the market, the full-size pickup segment remains one of the largest in the industry and we are ensuring we have the production capacity we need to meet market demand.”
On sale now, the new F-150’s fuel economy is improved by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup versus the prior model year, the result of a wide range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume 3-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.
The new F-150 offers more standard safety equipment than any other half-ton pickup on the market, with comparable or better pricing at all three cab configurations versus the competition. The F-150 Lariat SuperCrew, for example, starts at $35,820*, more than $5,000 less than a comparably equipped 2009 Dodge Ram.
The new 2009 Ford F-150’s strengths and appeal to core truck customers was affirmed earlier this month when the Texas Auto Writers Association named it the one and only “Truck of Texas,” the top honor at TAWA’s annual Truck Rodeo.
Ford invested $148 million in the Dearborn Truck Plant for new tooling and equipment to build the new F-150, which offers consumers the most cab styles, box options and trim levels.
Upgrades include the addition of flexible automation in the paint shop.
In final assembly, the box line was extended to support installation of the F-150 cargo management system and the tailgate step. The plant also added a New Model Quality Center which is designed to take Ford’s quality-focused manufacturing processes to the next level. The New Model Quality Center helped Ford prove out manufacturing, test vehicles and train employees for the launch of the 2009 F-150.
In the body shop, automated weld fixtures that allow for greater flexibility and state-of-the-art, precision lasers were installed to mate the roof and body-side panels to the truck’s new roof structure, which features the industry’s first use of ultra-high-strength, dual-phase steel. The stiffer, tighter structure contributes to improved safety and delivers a quieter more refined ride.
Before the production launch of the 2009 F-150 began, prototypes of the new truck endured 4.5 million miles of real-world and laboratory testing.
And while the truck was undergoing tough testing, Dearborn Truck Plant employees were focused on ways to build in quality into each new F-150.
“The team at Dearborn Truck Plant understands the importance of the F-150 to Ford,” said Rob Webber, plant manager, Dearborn Truck Plant. “They are proud to build Ford’s best F-150 ever.”
The new 2009 F-150 also is produced at the Kansas City Assembly Plant (KCAP). Ford invested $110 million in Kansas City Assembly Plant for new tooling and equipment to build the new F-150, specifically precision lasers in the body shop, new clear-coat robots in the paint shop and an extended box line in final assembly. KCAP also added 65 new error-proofing devices.
*includes $975.00 destination and delivery
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com
