Ford unveils the new F-150 with a body built almost entirely out of aluminum. at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014.Carlos Osorio/The Associated Press
Ford Motor Co. has shipped thousands of aluminum-bodied F-150 pickups even as the re-engineering of the popular truck required extra quality inspections to ensure they are "absolutely perfect," the company said.
"We've shipped more than 5,000 all-new F-150s to dealers across North America, and we're shipping more each day," Kristina Adamski, a Ford spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. "We are on plan to be at full production at Dearborn Truck Plant by the end of this month."
Additional inspections have led the Dearborn, Mich.-based auto maker to park hundreds of finished trucks in lots around Detroit. While auto makers sometimes stockpile models that need repairs, Adamski said that isn't the case with the F-150.
"They are doing extra quality checks on the first part of the launch," she said. "All the feedback we get from dealers is very, very positive."
Ford sold 763,402 F-Series pickups last year, 18 per cent more than in 2012, making it the top-selling vehicle line in the U.S. for a 32nd consecutive year and helping boost Ford's North American pretax profit to a record $8.78-billion (U.S.).
Ford rose 1.2 per cent to $15.34 at 12:44 p.m. New York time.
Gasoline prices in the U.S. have fallen for 71 days to $2.62 on Dec. 10, the lowest in more than 4-1/2 years, according to AAA. The prices have been lower than Ford expected, chief executive officer Mark Fields told reporters Thursday in Dearborn. Ford sees oil prices remaining at $60 to $70 a barrel in the near term and rising in the longer term, he said.
Falling gasoline prices help stimulate the economy like a tax cut, Fields said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.