FORD F-150 RECOGNIZED AS MOST RUGGED TRUCK BY CUSTOMERS IN KELLEY BLUE BOOK’S ONLINE SURVEY

• DEARBORN, Mich., March 13, 2009 – Kelley Blue Book announced that Ford Motor Company is the winner of the 2009 Brand Image Award for the “Most Rugged Truck Brand,” the Ford F-150.
  

The 2009 Brand Image Awards are based on consumer data collected from more than 12,000 shoppers on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. These customers are in the market for a new vehicle.

“The winners of this year’s Brand Image Awards exemplify automotive brands that are on the right track, making a great impression with consumers not just on a specific model level, but across the entire brand lineup,” said Jack P. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com.

The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 continues to make a strong impression on consumers and critics alike as America’s best-selling vehicle and the country’s safest full-size pickup truck. In addition to today’s honor, the vehicle has received a host of prestigious awards and accolades, including 2009 North American Truck of the Year, 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™ and “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers.

“What experts think of your brand is very important, but what shoppers think is equally as important,” said Nerad. “These awards, which are the direct result of opinions given by shoppers who are in the market to buy a new vehicle, are a great honor and something for which your company should be very proud.

“In a vehicle segment where ‘best’ often equates to ‘toughest,’ it would be difficult if not impossible to maintain that kind of track record without building the most rugged truck around,” Nerad said.

There is no doubt that the Ford F-150 is the most rugged truck around, said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Marketing manager.

“We have more trucks on the road with 250,000 miles or more than any other manufacturer,” he said. “That’s one of the proof points of Built Ford Tough, and it certainly speaks to the ruggedness, durability and quality of the vehicle.”

To be rugged, a vehicle also must be capable, says Scott.

“We’ve raised the bar in capability with the new Ford F-150, delivering best-in-class trailer tow and payload across all cab types,” he said. “The 2009 model provides class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,031 – a combination no other competitor can match.”

The new Ford F-150 also delivers more horsepower and unsurpassed fuel economy.

The 2009 Ford F-150, which is built at Ford’s Dearborn, Mich. Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly Plant, also has earned the following honors and awards:

• 2009 North American Truck of the Year
• America’s safest full-size pickup with 5-star frontal and 5-star side-impact crash-test ratings, the highest possible scores, in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests.
• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
• Playboy’s 2009 Best Pickup
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• “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
• F-Series is best selling vehicle in America for 27 consecutive years; best-selling truck for 32 consecutive years