May 19, 1999 – Ford F-150 Supercrew adds new dimension to trucks

Ford Motor Company continues its tradition
of truck leadership and innovation by adding another branch to its
best-selling F-Series family tree – the F-150 SuperCrew, introduced
in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The F-150 SuperCrew will be the first under-8,500-pound gross
vehicle weight (GVW) truck to offer four full-size doors and a full
rear passenger compartment.

Ford’s new entry joins the over-8,500-pound GVW Super Duty F-Series
introduced for the 1999 model year as another extension of the
best-selling nameplate in automotive history worldwide and the
best-selling vehicle – car or truck – in the U.S. for the past 17
years.

“We don’t sit still when it comes to providing customers with trucks
that fit their needs,” said Jim O’Connor, Ford Motor Company vice
president and Ford Division

president. “We think the new F-150 SuperCrew demonstrates that.
It is 100 percent ‘Built Ford Tough’ and is for customers with
businesses and growing families who need
additional interior space but also require the rugged functionality
and versatility of a pickup.”

F-150 SuperCrew

Today, more than two-thirds of customers choose the popular F-Series
SuperCab model for carrying cargo and for occasional rear-passenger
use. Many also indicate a desire for a larger rear cabin to
accommodate up to six adult passengers – without sacrificing the
capability of the pickup box.

The F-150 SuperCrew provides a truck with the same overall length as
the 139-inch wheelbase SuperCab model — which is important for
maneuverability and parking in garages — but with extra interior
space and the added ease of ingress and egress for passengers.

Unlike the SuperCab, which has smaller hinged doors that swing out
from the C-pillar, the SuperCrew has four full-size doors separated
by a B-pillar on each side, with inside and outside handles on each
door. It is the same type of system currently available on the
Super Duty F-Series Crew Cab trucks.

The rear-seat package of the F-150 SuperCrew is similar to that of a
Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle built on the same platform.
Overall, the SuperCrew boasts 12 inches more cab space than the
current SuperCab model and a 5 «-foot pickup box – vs. SuperCab’s 6
«-foot box.

Strong Heritage

The F-150 SuperCrew has the same muscular, aerodynamic stance and
styling as the current F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCab models. It is
also common under the skin, sharing the automatic transmission and
two TritonO V-8 engines – a standard 4.6-liter and an optional
5.4-liter V-8. The driveline, chassis and braking systems also are
adopted from current-model under-8,500-pound GVW F-Series trucks.

The Truck Market

In the United States, truck sales continue to grow. In calendar
year 1998, trucks accounted for almost 50 percent of all new vehicle
sales.

One reason is the trend toward personal use in under-8,500-pound GVW
pickup trucks. Five years ago, 70 percent of the trucks in this
segment were regular cabs used primarily as work vehicles. Today,
largely because of extra doors, better interior packages, and added
luxury and refinement, 70 percent of customers in this segment use
their vehicles for recreation on the weekends and vacations.

The redesigned 1997 F-Series raised the stakes in the personal-use
segment, offering customers never-before seen features in a newly
styled tough truck.

Last year, Ford followed up with an all-new over-8,500-pound GVW
Super Duty
F-Series lineup, answering the increased demand from commercial and
heavy-duty recreational-use customers.

In calendar year 1998, F-Series sales exceeded 800,000 – the most
sales for any car or truck since 1978. The F-150 SuperCrew extends
the F-Series range even further.

The F-150 SuperCrew models will be built at the Kansas City Assembly
Plant in Missouri and will be on sale in early 2000.