Ford’s tricky F-450 Series Super Duty with bed-extender

Ford’s top-selling work truck, the F-Series Super Duty, has been overhauled for the 2008 model year and will go on sale in early 2007 with a new range-topping F-450 pickup as the star of the show. The F-450 can handle payloads in excess of 6,000 pounds, has a towing capacity of more than 24,000 pounds, and can be powered by the well-known 362-horsepower 6.8-liter V-10 Triton gasoline engine, or a new 6.4-liter Power Stroke Diesel that delivers 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque starting at 2,000 rpm. The bit that really caught our eye though, was the ingenious two-piece stowable bed extender.

Offered in three cab styles – Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab – and with two bed lengths, the new Super Duty will feature a bold look inside and out, an all-new, more powerful, state-of-the-art Power Stroke Diesel and a host of unique, innovative features not found on any other truck. And the line of Ford Super Duty trucks has been expanded for 2008, with an even more capable workhorse: the new F-450 pickup.

“The F-450 pickup doesn’t just raise the bar for heavy duty pickups, it tosses it out. Game over,” said Mark Fields, President of the Americas. “Every aspect of the new line of Super Duty trucks, including capability enhancements, design changes and feature innovations is uniquely designed after spending a great deal of time talking with – and listening to – our customers.”

Ford’s Super Duty set the standard in the over 8,500-pound GVWR truck segment when it was launched in 1998 as a 1999 model. Unlike competitors who simply modify their existing light-duty trucks, Super Duty utilizes its own unique architecture, designed and developed specifically to meet the needs and demands of the over 8,500-pound truck customer. This unique approach, with two dedicated architectures, is just one reason why the Ford F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 29 years and why Super Duty has dominated its segment, outperforming and outselling the competition every year since launch.

“We’ve been able to attract customers and pull big share numbers with Super Duty because we made the decision to set Super Duty apart from the rest of the segment,” said Cisco Codina, group vice president, North American Marketing, Sales and Service. “We’ve built our leadership reputation over time. Just being able to say that we’ve been America’s best-selling truck for 29 years says that we’ve been here, understanding and consistently meeting the needs of the true truck customer.”

For true truck customers, Super Duty is their life-blood, serving the multifaceted aspects of their lives. Whether towing a backhoe to the construction site or towing a boat to the lake, they demand a truck that is capable and dependable. Super Duty consistently meets those needs.

“The Super Duty customer isn’t the guy who buys a pickup because it’s cool to have a pickup. These guys are working with this truck,” said Ben Poore, Ford Truck marketing manager. “They’re hauling and towing, often earning their living with their trucks, and their truck has to be as reliable and dependable as they are.”

All-new F-450 pickup adds capability for customers who demand the most

Today’s Super Duty customers are consistently searching for more capability. Ford research has shown that more than 90 percent of Super Duty owners tow, and their towing needs are growing. To meet that need, Ford is introducing the new F-450 pickup model. It combines the right axle, right powertrain, and right suspension to manage the loads of pulling a heavier trailer while maintaining a refined, comfortable ride.

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