Truck of Texas: We Have a Winner

Calling it the Super Bowl of the truck industry, Harold Gunn, president of the Texas Auto Writers Association, underscored the magnitude of the new-for-'09 Ford F-150's trophy. Ford went up against Dodge's Ram, also new for '09, but took the Truck of Texas title for the sixth year in a row.

Hmm. Detroit Free Press explain that "40 jurors cast their ballots" during the annual Dallas-Fort Worth-area Truck of Texas rodeo held during the last several days. The selection terms for this jury are not discussed in the Detroit Free Press' article. Ford officials were said to be celebrating additional wins, such as "best truck-line of Texas," "the best SUV of Texas" with the Expedition King Ranch edition, and "the CUV of Texas" with the new Flex.

Adding to the award's nuances and creating perhaps a bit of confusion is the Dodge Ram's win of the "full-sized Truck of Texas" award. Huh? Seems awfully close, if a bit narrower, than the "Truck of Texas" award. Not to mention that the F-150 is, indeed, a full-size truck.

Texas sells more trucks than any other state in the union, and according to Detroit Free Press, "whoever wins the pickup wars in Texas usually is the national leader in sales." Ford needs every edge it can get, with sales of the F-150 down 39 percent this September compared to that month last year. And both Ford and Dodge's winning entries are being discounted and rebated to keep them moving off dealer's lots.

Please, you truck aficionados, help shed some light on this win and its significance. Do Texans bleed blue Ford blood? Is this win representative of Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge sales in Texas? Does any of this portend or predict sales dominance for full-size trucks in '09? With sales imploding, competitions like these could soon be well past their golden age.--Colin Mathews 2009 Ford F-150Enlarge Photo Calling it the Super Bowl of the truck industry, Harold Gunn, president of the Texas Auto Writers Association, underscored the magnitude of the new-for-'09 Ford F-150's trophy. Ford went up against Dodge's Ram, also new for '09, but took the Truck of Texas title for the sixth year in a row. Hmm. Detroit Free Press explain that "40 jurors cast their ballots" during the annual Dallas-Fort Worth-area Truck of Texas rodeo held during the last several days. The selection terms for this jury are not discussed in the Detroit Free Press' article. Ford officials were said to be celebrating additional wins, such as "best truck-line of Texas," "the best SUV of Texas" with the Expedition King Ranch edition, and "the CUV of Texas" with the new Flex. Adding to the award's nuances and creating perhaps a bit of confusion is the Dodge Ram's win of the "full-sized Truck of Texas" award. Huh? Seems awfully close, if a bit narrower, than the "Truck of Texas" award. Not to mention that the F-150 is, indeed, a full-size truck. Texas sells more trucks than any other state in the union, and according to Detroit Free Press, "whoever wins the pickup wars in Texas usually is the national leader in sales." Ford needs every edge it can get, with sales of the F-150 down 39 percent this September compared to that month last year. And both Ford and Dodge's winning entries are being discounted and rebated to keep them moving off dealer's lots. Please, you truck aficionados, help shed some light on this win and its significance. Do Texans bleed blue Ford blood? Is this win representative of Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge sales in Texas? Does any of this portend or predict sales dominance for full-size trucks in '09? With sales imploding, competitions like these could soon be well past their golden age.--Colin Mathews