Ford Puts Its Brand on 2011 Texas Truck Rodeo
When 57 members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) recently put 48 of the top trucks in the industry through a rigorous two-day competition to see which were the best in the west, one particular company stood out from the herd: Ford. The Ford F-150 and Edge, as well as the automaker’s innovative EcoBoost powertrain technology, combined to earn top honors in eight separate categories at the event, including the signature “Truck of Texas” honor.
“Texan consumers put their trust in TAWA’s automotive journalists. After lining up vehicles from major auto manufacturers, our members determined Ford simply had the best trucks and crossover,” said Mike Herzing, president of TAWA. “But the real winners here are Texas’ truck buyers. Ford delivers the trucks that fit their lifestyles.”
In addition to the F-150 earning the Texas Truck Rodeo’s top prize, the company also was honored for:
Truck Line of Texas: Ford Motor Company CUV of Texas: 2012 Ford Edge Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck: 2012 Ford F-250 King Ranch Super Duty Luxury Pickup Truck: 2012 Ford F-150 Platinum EcoBoost Full-Size Pickup Truck: 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Mid-Size CUV: 2012 Ford Edge Limited Outstanding Feature: Ford EcoBoost Engine TechnologyThe latter performance is particularly fitting, since EcoBoost engines are available in both the F-150 and the Edge, helping each ring up best-in-class fuel-economy numbers—and score new customers. In fact, drivers are buying so many EcoBoosted Ford products that the company is running near full production just to keep up with demand, and now expects to sell some 100,000 F-150 EcoBoost models alone this year.
“These honors show Ford trucks still reign supreme in Texas, and it is rewarding to see that the truck-savvy Texas auto writers appreciate just how innovative our F-Series pickups are,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “These awards validate what our customers have been telling us about our ‘Built Ford Tough’ F-150, and we are honored by their recognition of the strength of our truck lineup as well as our crossovers and EcoBoost engines.”