Ford Celebrates 100 Years of Commercial Vehicles

Louisville, Ky., April 1, 2005 – One hundred years after Ford rolled out its first work vehicle, the company is celebrating its long tradition of service as the world’s best-selling line of commercial trucks. Ford will mark the occasion at the Mid-America Trucking Show with a host of segment-leading products on display, including the F-Series Super Duty, built at the Kentucky Truck Plant. In addition, the company will announce the winner of its Built Ford Tough Super Duty Sweepstakes, as well as a donation to the University of Louisville.

"We have a century-long tradition of building Built Ford Tough vehicles that get the job done," said Joe Castelli, Ford Division Commercial Truck Director. "We know that one truck doesn’t fit all customers in this market. That’s why we’re dedicated to being the industry’s leading full-line commercial truck provider with a product to meet every customer need."

100 Years: Hard at Work

Ford’s commercial vehicle heritage began in 1905 with a converted 1905 Model C. The vehicle was built for service, with a delivery body mounted on the 78-inch wheelbase. It was powered by a 10 horsepower, two-cylinder engine. A century later, the company’s commercial truck lineup includes a vast breadth of products, with sales for 2004 reaching nearly 325,000 units.

Ford’s complete line of commercial trucks offers customers twice as many combinations of cab, vehicle, powertrain and driveline types as the nearest commercial competitor. Led by the F-350 through F-550 conventional cab models, Ford holds about 40 percent of the total commercial truck market. Ford’s commercial truck line includes F-250 through F-750 pickups and chassis cabs, as well as E-Series van, wagon and cutaway models.

Super Duty Sweepstakes Winner Joins Celebration

Earlier this season, Ford invited customers to "Spec’ a truck. Get a quote. Win a new F-350 SuperCab" – the ultimate tough driving machine – during its 2005 Ford F-Series Super Duty Sweepstakes. Lucky winner David Clark of Merrill, Iowa, will collect the keys to his new 2005 F-350 SuperCab today at the Mid-America Truck Show Ford stand. Clark, a loyal Ford truck customer, currently owns a 1980 Ford F-250 as well as a 2000 F-250. The prize-winning truck will join Clark and the rest of the work crew at Larry Clark Construction.

University Gift Continues Tradition of Giving Back to Community

Ford also is commemorating its commercial truck anniversary by extending its long-standing tradition of supporting the community. The company, in partnership with the UAW, Kentucky Truck Plant employees and Louisville Ford dealers, are donating $100,000 to the University of Louisville to support the school’s athletic program.

Ford Motor Company and employees at the two Ford Louisville plants make significant contributions to the Louisville community in a variety of ways each year. In 2004, Ford and its employees donated more than $2 million to local organizations supporting education, environment, health and welfare, civic affairs, public policy, arts and humanities.

Ford’s Louisville Operations: Driving for Success

Ford Motor Company maintains a strong manufacturing presence in two locations in Louisville. This year, the company’s Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) marks its 50th anniversary. Home to the Ford Explorer, the Explorer Sport Trac and the Mercury Mountaineer, LAP employed 3,460 men and women in 2004.

Across town, employees at the Kentucky Truck Plant (KTP) are working on the new 2005 F-Series Super Duty heavy-duty pickup. With unsurpassed power, best-in-class payload and towing ratings and the segment’s toughest frame, F-Series Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs are the most versatile and offer the widest choices of any truck lineup on the market. Kentucky Truck Plant employed 5,655 men and women in 2004.

In March 2004, the company announced a $73 million expansion at KTP. Work has begun on construction of a new facility to house a new stamping press line. It is scheduled for completion this year. The stamping expansion will add 95,000 square feet to the current footprint of what already is considered North America’s largest truck plant. The Kentucky Truck Plant currently is more than 6 million square feet and sits on a 416-acre site. When the stamping facility opens, it will operate with a unique, flexible operating pattern – allowing KTP employees to produce parts around the clock.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.