Another jewel in the 2004 Ford F-150 crown

Already crowned the North American Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Canada's best-selling pick-up for the last 38 years again demonstrated how successful Ford has been at "Rethinking" the truck.

"Make no mistake about it, the F-150 is the best truck anywhere," said Jim Benintende, managing director of Ford Middle East. "We're proud to add this distinction to our growing list of awards. Receiving this array of titles by these knowledgeable groups is quite an accomplishment, because we haven't just improved on it, but we have redefined it.

"The F-150 remains the cornerstone of the Ford truck and SUV lineup, and it is no surprise that this truck still is the world's best selling truck for 26 years running. In the GCC, already the all-new model is posting unprecedented success as F-150's 2003 sales have grown by more than 110 per cent. We're looking forward to yet another successful year for this great truck as we move ahead in 2004," he said.

This most-recent Truck of the Year award is a powerful addition to an already well-stocked trophy case for the 2004 F-150. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHHS) assigned the vehicle its "top crash rating" and labeled it the "best pick" in frontal offset crash testing - the institute's highest possible rating.

In addition, the 2004 F-150 had already received the coveted Motor Trend "Truck of the Year" award, and the 2004 Automotive Showcase People's Choice Award (Winnipeg Free Press).

Also, eMOTION! REPORTS.com, an automotive/aerospace industries research and analysis site (www.emotionreports.com) that targets professionals within the academic, media, corporate and government sectors, announced the F-150 as Truck of the Decade.

For more than 55 years, F-Series has delivered on its Built Ford Tough heritage. Nearly 29 million F-Series trucks have been sold to date, making it the most successful vehicle nameplate in the world.