Insane Pace
Ford has had a number of verifiable hits on its hands in recent years, including the Bronco, Maverick, F-150 Lightning, and Mustang Mach-E, to name just a few. Now, following the debut of the all-new, next-generation 2023 Super Duty, it seems as if The Blue Oval has once again struck gold, with orders flowing in at an "insane pace," according to the Detroit Free Press.
Photos: Ford
Insane Demand
In the last five days of October, Ford took a whopping 52,518 orders for the 2023 Super Duty, but that pace continued through November, as it increased that total to an astounding 151,870 units. "The demand is just insane," said Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862, whose members build the vehicle at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. "A lot of people love those vehicles for farms, hauling. It's a beast."
Photos: Ford
Unprecedented Territory
The 99,229 orders that Ford took for the new Super Duty last month bodes well for the launch of the new pickup, though it's also pretty significant in a historical context as well. "This would be a record," said Erich Merkle, U.S. sales analyst at Ford. "It's crazy. We've never had this kind of activity. It's like taking your food truck to a site and thinking you'll be there all day, but you're done after 15 minutes."
Photos: Ford
Working Overtime
That large number of orders translates to around 5-6 months of production, according to the automaker, which is actually good news for consumers, who have faced years-long waits for many hot new vehicles in recent months. The Super Duty is a big cash cow for FoMoCo, however, which means that the automaker is working overtime to ramp up production.
Photos: Ford
Ramping Up
As Dunn told the Free Press, The Blue Oval is currently making adjustments to its assembly lines to crank out Super Duty pickups faster - an important adjustment as many recent customers have been facing long wait times in terms of taking delivery of their shiny new vehicles.
Photos: Ford
Sheer Profit
Above all, this extreme demand is a good sign for Ford's future profitability, regardless. "This bodes well for the company's future," said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University. "The sheer volume of orders is particularly surprising. It's very important for the company to have high levels of sales in these profitable areas."
Photos: Ford
Coming Soon
Produced at both Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant and Ohio Assembly Plant, the all-new 2023 Ford Super Duty is currently expected to launch early next year, with production of the lower-tier XL, XLT, and Lariat preceding the more luxurious King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited by a couple of months.
Photos: Ford
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