President George W. Bush drove one on his Texas ranch while in office. Former senator Scott Brown famously campaign in his. And country singer Carrie Underwood used one to make an example of an unfaithful lover.
No matter how you slice it, pick-ups are as American as apple pie.
“In the U.S., specifically, pick-up trucks between the mid-size, the light-duty full-size and the heavy-duty full-size represent about 12 percent of the overall market.”
Two-point-seven million trucks sold last year. A big chuck of them came off a GM plant in Flint, Michigan.
“Many of the vehicles here are designed specifically for work applications…On the other end, for more leisure customers who are outdoors-type people, they can be pulling boats and trailers…Chevrolet trucks is very, very important.
Important because they are such a profit driver. Analysts say GM makes around $10,000 for each truck sold because buyers are willing to pay for all the bells and whistles.
“With features like 4G wifi, people can handle all of their needs, maybe your kids are in the backseat, you know, streaming live videos.”
Chevy’s crosstown rival is also investing in emerging technologies.
“Ford Motor Company…their all-new F-150, I’s coming with things like adaptive cruise control and front brake assisting, collision alert. All the automakers know that this is the wave of the future.”
And then there’s Ram. Fiat-Chrysler’s truck was the third best-selling vehicle last year, behind the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado.
It’s a boom foreign automakers are seeing as well, thanks in part to stable gas prices and improving fuel economy.
“Light trucks were up about seven percent. Every single segment was up. So, consumers are telling us, loud and clear, at today’s fuel prices, what their desires are.”
Honda, meantime, is finding success with its smaller pick-up.
“The 2017 Truck of the Year is the…Honda Ridgeline.”
The average age of a truck in the U.S. is 14 years. Some industry experts say that could be a sign of strong sales for the rest of the year.