DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 23, 2008 – The new 2009 Ford F-150, which already delivers unmatched capability and unsurpassed fuel economy, is now quickly piling up awards and honors from many of the auto industry’s top organizations and publications – including the Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year.

F-Series also is on track in 2008 to extend its streak of truck leadership to 32 straight years as well as being America’s best-selling vehicle – car, crossover; SUV, truck, or van – for the past 27 years.

In the past five years, the “core trucker” – those who use their truck’s towing and hauling capability for work and leisure – has grown to 40 percent from 30 percent of the light-duty full size pickup market. And Ford dominates this expanding sub segment.

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.

F-150 has improved its fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup, thanks to a wide range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. Plus, the F-150’s SFE package – which is available on highest-volume XL and XLT series – delivers unsurpassed fuel economy of 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

The new 2009 F-150 is built at Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant.

Awards and accolades for all-new 2009 Ford F-150 include:

• Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
• Motor Trend's Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA

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 224,000 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.