WARRENVILLE, Ill. (June 30, 2004) – The Power Stroke® Diesel engine this year will celebrate its 10th anniversary – and with that, another year as the best-selling diesel engine in its class. This “decade of power” is a milestone not only for the engine designed and manufactured by International Truck and Engine Corporation, but also for the popularity of diesel power overall. As ramp-up begins for the ’05 model year Ford® Super Duty® trucks, which will be introduced in mid-2004, so does anticipation of the 10th full model year of the engine that made a name for diesel power in America.
This August 4-8, hundreds of Power Stroke diesel owners will drive their prized trucks to Indianapolis, the home of the Power Stroke diesel engine, for a national truck rally celebrating Ford® F-Series™ Super Duty® trucks, Excursion® SUVs, E-Series vans and the Power Stroke diesel engine by International. The highlight of the “Power Fest” rally will be a 10th anniversary tailgating party on August 6 before the namesake Power Stroke® Diesel 200 NASCAR® Craftsman® Truck series race. There, owners can show off their trucks, meet other enthusiasts from across the nation, run on a dyno, enter a Show ‘n’ Shine contest and enter raffles for cool prizes.
“Power Stroke® diesel owners are proud of their trucks and the engines that power them,” said Jack Allen, president, Engine Group, International Truck and Engine Corporation. “The Power Fest rally and 10th anniversary celebration is just one way we saw to be able to give back to those owners, the people who have made the Power Stroke diesel the market leader.”
Through the years, the Power Stroke diesel has become more than just a brand, but a community of people and a lifestyle characterized by hard-working Americans and focused on International’s diesel engine credo: “Power. Performance. Fun to Drive®.” This is evident in the number of regional Power Stroke diesel clubs that have been established and are growing across the country. Club members, who make up more than a dozen clubs nationwide, have taken their ownership experiences and Power Stroke diesel lifestyles to the next level. Many of these enthusiasts also share their passion for the Power Stroke® Diesel in International’s online rewards program, the CREWSM Club, which connects them with thousands of owners nationwide and offers opportunities for rewards.
The Power Stroke diesel helped bring diesel power into the mainstream as an accepted source of automotive muscle. The days of “the dirty diesel” are gone, made possible by the advanced technologies the Power Stroke diesel brings to North American showrooms and garages. Today, two out of every three Ford® Super Duty® trucks sold are sold with a Power Stroke diesel, which is proof that more and more truck buyers are considering and choosing diesel.>
“The advent of the Power Stroke Diesel marked a turn in the way auto buyers would eventually see diesel power,” said Allen. “Electronic controls, reduced emissions, increased power and superior performance are the things that peaked interest in the Power Stroke diesel 10 years ago, and those are the attributes that owners still look for today, and therefore the features we want to continue to improve.”
