[Oldsmobile stopped]

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS...

Chevrolet and Ram are enjoying a golden sales opportunity for full-size pickups.

Falling gasoline prices and a growing economy are stoking U.S. demand, while Ford Motor Co. is caught changing over to the aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150.

The Ford F series, which includes Super Duty models, stayed in first place in September, despite a 1 percent drop. But counting both the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, General Motors sold more large pickups than Ford overall for a second consecutive month.

The Silverado, with a 54 percent gain, hit 50,000 units in a month for the first time since 2012. A 30 percent surge for the Ram helped Chrysler Group outsell Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. for the first time in three years.

Pickups "still rule the roost, as they have for decades," said Karl Brauer, senior director of insights at Kelley Blue Book. But with Ford trying to avoid running low on pickups before the aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 arrives, "they can't get into a sales race with Chrysler and GM right now."

Only one of Ford's two F-150 plants is assembling pickups. The other is being refitted to assemble the 2015 model.

Gasoline prices, down to about $3 a gallon for regular fuel in some states, are helping bring back buyers who don't need a pickup but like driving one. And the economic recovery has finally persuaded more contractors and business customers to trade up.

"We took in a 320,000-mile truck just last week," said Ted Eck, general manager at Chevrolet of Montebello, in a Los Angeles suburb. "That was someone holding onto their work truck as long as they possibly could."

LINK

 

[optiongm]

I've said this before, most pickup sales are to existing customers.....GM,Ford, and Ram need to persuade their millions of existing customers to trade up to the new shiny model they are selling now. It has to be compelling changes to move these customers...You have to sell to your base first before you try to do conquest sales....
Ram has been the best so far with compelling changes Coil springs, Ram box, 8 speed, and diesel engine.....
GM has a really great truck, but with not one compelling change
Ford with aluminum body and new tech options, we will see soon how compelling these changes are for Ford....

 

[ponchoman49]

Wait a minute wait a minute! You mean to tell me the horrible awful looks identical to last years failure Silverado/Siera is starting to sell now? You mean to tell me lower gas prices are actually sparking the economy and making things sell again? And assuming the truck traded in was one from the Big 3 how can it have lasted 320K miles? Only Hondas and Toyota's can do that. The kid internet geniuses said so so it must be true right? How can this be?

 

[KingElvis]

The thing is though, this is going to be one of the longest years ever for the Ford because they will make '14s at the KC assembly plant IIRC until DECEMBER. Meanwhile, '15 Silvies are on the lots now.

That means at least on paper and out of context, Ford will have one of its best years - the year that lasted 15 months - in a similar way that the "64 1/2" Mustang sales were melded into the '65s.

 

[Evo69]

When the new F-150 is delivered to dealers in significant amounts things will go back to 'normal' more or less. The new Ford trucks are getting good reviews and making impressive numbers, its good Chevy/GMC and RAM are taking advantage of the change over from now.

 

[sepi]

Dishonest article.

RAM sales have surged months ago - at the total expense of the worthless 2014 Total Recall Motors Silverdodos - sold as low rent, third rate Chevrolet and the professional grade lie from GMC.

Silverdodo has one month of sales outside of the outhouse - this is not a surge - and Ford has only cut back fleet orders to maintain profitability and availability to retail customers. And unlike the disaster of the 2014 Silverdodo rollout where TRM had a 100 day supply of antiques to sell along with its unimproved new-old truck, Ford will still be able to keep the supply constant - one plant will make the existing F-150 to keep lots stocked at less than 60 day supplies while the new trucks are starting production; then the old plant will be changed over and a constant supply of new trucks will be on its way - Ford was clear about their strategy and they won't have flooded their dealers' lots with worthless old trucks like TRM did.

You can be assured that once the 2015 Ford is in full supply, TRM will resume its low rent place in the truck world all but ignored by those people wanting a competitive truck.

 

[DGA]

That $8k plus on the hood sure does help! Trucks sell well when gas prices are low and their high price is brought closer to an average selling price of vehicles, around $30k.

 

[KingElvis]

DGA: I was engaging in my time-wasting vice of cruising around Autotrader.com. I looked up some entry luxury sedans just for a change of pace. You really notice how they don't play the high price/ high rebate game pickups play. If there's a rebate or markdown on asking prices it's maybe 5-10% in the car world. You don't get the asking prices that are, ostensibly at least, 25% off sticker ($40K turns into $30K) like the pickups.

 

[guionM]

There's nothing wrong with GM's new trucks. It's just that there wasn't heaps of cash on the hood to move them and Ram is on a roll.

The thing is though, this is going to be one of the longest years ever for the Ford because they will make '14s at the KC assembly plant IIRC until DECEMBER. Meanwhile, '15 Silvies are on the lots now.

That means at least on paper and out of context, Ford will have one of its best years - the year that lasted 15 months - in a similar way that the "64 1/2" Mustang sales were melded into the '65s.

And don't forget the 2002 Camaro and Firebird....it's final "year" ran something like 14 or 15 months.