Ford F-150 named Truck of the Year

Motor Trend, the U.S.-based automotive magazine with over a million readers in circulation, gave the award for 2009 Truck of the Year to the Ford F-150 truck for the third time in that model series’ production history. The announcement will hit newsstands on January 6th in Motor Trend’s February issue.  

In a statement released by the Associated Press, Editor in Chief Agnus MacKenzie said, “The stakes were high and the field of contenders was among the best yet for this year’s voting. Despite the downturn in the economy, the pickup truck remains the automotive backbone of America, providing a tough, durable workhorse for business and recreational users alike.”

The Ford F-150 was one of four trucks eligible for the Truck of the Year title. The other contenders were the Dodge Ram 1500, Suzuki Equator and the Hummer H3T. To be eligible, a vehicle must be totally new or redesigned, and released in the 12 months before Jan. 1, 2009. In 2008, Toyota Motor Co.’s Tundra pickup truck took the prize.

Ford sold 118,818 vehicles last month, down from 169,258 vehicles in the same month last year. Sales of Ford brand cars and trucks plunged 30 percent, with total truck sales falling 29 percent to 81,546 vehicles in November.

Founded in 1949, Motor Trend has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total readership of 7.1 million.