Ford's Truck Vehicle Center Grows Truck, SUV and Van Excellence
18 February 1999
Ford's Truck Vehicle Center Grows Truck, SUV and Van Excellence
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 18 -- Ford Motor Company's
Truck Vehicle Center (TVC) is the company's worldwide home for truck, sport-
utility and commercial van design and development. Formed in 1996 following
the merger of Ford's commercial and personal use truck development
facilities, the TVC accounts for more than 2.5 million vehicles sold around
the world.
"When we created the Truck Vehicle Center, we wanted to combine the
experience and expertise of Ford engineers from across the globe into one
dedicated product development facility," said Gurminder Bedi, vice president
of the Truck Vehicle Center.
"The TVC has responsibility for developing some of the best-known and
best-selling nameplates in the automotive industry: the Ford F-Series pickup
truck, the Ford Explorer Sport Utility vehicle and the Transit medium
commercial vehicle use in Europe."
The Truck Vehicle Center is in Ford's Product Development Center in
Dearborn, just outside Detroit, Michigan. The Product Development Center also
houses the Large and Luxury Car Vehicle Center and some of Ford's advanced
vehicle engineering and scientific research facilities.
The center had sales revenues of around $60 billion in 1998 and if treated
as a separate company would rank fifth among Fortune 500 top companies.
The Truck Vehicle Center is responsible not only for the ongoing
engineering support of Ford's current range of trucks, SUVs and vans but also
for the design, testing and development of all forthcoming products. Such
vehicles include the next-generation Transit van and the new Explorer Sport
Trac, which was unveiled at the recent North American International Auto Show
in Detroit.
The Truck Vehicle Center's products include:
Ford Ranger pickup (North and South America): Competing in the compact
pickup truck market segment, Ranger leads with a product that offers
practicality and durability in a value-for-money package. Ranger is available
with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or the choice of a 3.0- or 4.0-liter
V-6. In North American markets, Ranger offers regular or four-door supercab
configurations; in South American markets, Ranger is also available with a
larger four-door crew cab.
Ford F-Series (under 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight) pickup (North and
South America): F-Series is the best-selling vehicle in the United States for
17 years running. In under 8,500-pound-GVW form, F-Series can be specified in
a multitude of engine and body-style configurations including regular cab,
four-door Supercab and later this year, four-door crew cab.
F-series is powered by a 4.2-liter V-6, 4.6-liter V-8 or range-topping
5.4-liter V-8 engine. Since its introduction in 1948, F-Series has sold more
than 28 million units worldwide.
Ford F-Series Super Duty (over 8,500 pounds GVW) pickup (North and South
America): Complementing the lighter duty F-series is the new Super Duty range
of pickup trucks. Available with three cab configurations and as a standard
pickup or chassis cab, the Super Duty goes right up to the United States
Class 5 truck classification. Although part of the F-Series family, Super
Duty is built on a unique platform. In addition to the 5.4-liter V-8 engine,
it can be specified with a 6.8-liter V-10 or 7.3-liter diesel engine.
Ford Explorer (North and South America, Europe and selected Asia Pacific
markets): The vehicle that redefined the sport-utility market, Explorer is the
best-selling SUV around the world. It is available in two basic body styles:
a sporty, short wheelbase two-door model and a spacious longer wheelbase four-
door version. Explorer is powered by two versions of the Cologne, Germany-
built 4.0-liter V-6 engine or a higher output 5.0-liter V-8. Sales of
Explorer and its sister vehicle, Mercury Mountaineer, were more than 500,000
units in 1998.
Mercury Mountaineer (North America and Gulf Coast Countries): Built on
the same platform as the Ford Explorer, Mountaineer was introduced in 1996 as
the first sport-utility vehicle to be sold in a Lincoln Mercury dealership.
Mountaineer is available in a four-door body style with the choice of either
4.0-liter V-6 or 5.0-liter V-8 engines.
Ford Expedition (North America, Russia, Gulf Coast and selected Asia
Pacific markets): Using the F-Series pickup truck platform, Expedition is the
larger relative of the Explorer SUV. Introduced in 1996, Expedition has
quickly established itself as the most popular full-size SUV in the United
States. Powered by either the 4.6- or 5.4-liter V-8 engines from the F-series
pickup, Expedition can seat up to nine people (when equipped with the third
row seat) and haul up to 4 tons of cargo.
Lincoln Navigator (North America): When launched in 1997, Navigator was
the world's first full-size luxury SUV. Based on the Ford Expedition,
Navigator combines on- and off-road ability with luxury features such as
electric leather trimmed seats, wood trim, CD player and even power adjustable
pedals. Navigator is also the most powerful full-size SUV in North America
with the recent introduction of a four-valve 300-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8
engine.
Ford Econoline van and wagon (North America): The best-selling full-size
van in the United States for 19 consecutive years, Econoline has become one of
America's favorite ways of moving goods and people around the country.
Available as a panel van, or as an eight-, 12- or 15-seat passenger van,
Econoline is also popular with manufacturers of motor homes and small-bus
manufacturers who use the stripped chassis model as a basis for conversions.