During the second quarter of 2021, the Ford F-150 was dethroned by both the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500. Those other pickup truck models couldn’t honestly think they’d be able to keep the king down for long. After the third quarter of the year, the Ford F-150 returns to its rightful place at the top. Since vehicles are suffering from a shortage of inventory, it only makes sense for F-Series to take the lead. F-Series pickup trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in America for more than 40 years, and the streak isn’t ending just yet.

How did Ford increase sales during a microchip shortage?

One of the best ways to increase sales during a microchip shortage is to release a brand new product. During this year, Ford released an F-150 with a hybrid drivetrain. For the first time, those loyal Ford customers are able to save on gas while keeping the same versatility a Ford pickups offer. Ford, like everyone else, has had its struggles with the chip shortage and that was still true for a lot of 2021. That’s when Ford fell behind its competitors in truck sales.

In the most recent quarter of the year, Ford’s sales recovered and made up for a lot of lost time. According to Kelley Blue Book, Ford sold more than 172,000 trucks between July and September. That’s 55,000 more than either of its rivals, establishing it back on top. The sales for the same time period one year ago were 22% more. As long as Ford is still beating the competition, it’s winning.

Can the Ford F-150 keep its crown?

We expect the pickup truck crown to stay exactly where it is. It even might move down the lineup to a new location. Previously in the smaller pickup segment, Ford was not winning with its lone Ranger offering. The Toyota Tacoma has been the leader in that division of trucks for quite a while. This coming year the hybrid Ford Maverick compact pickup truck will release and brings with it plenty of competitiveness. It’s filled with features and capability while offering exceptional gas mileage and an even better price point.

On top of the new hybrid Ford Maverick, 2022 will introduce the Ford F-150 Lightning. We can tell you for a fact that this fully electric pickup truck will sell well because it already has received more than 100,000 reservations. The Lightning also follows the same pattern as the Maverick and is being offered as one of the cheapest starting points for a pickup in its class. That price only becomes better when you look at other electric pickup truck prices, and loads of features included in the Ford Lightning.

Ford F-Series pickups have proven themselves time and time again. Through thick and thin, no vehicle outsells its opponents across more than four decades by accident. Customers all over the United States love the Ford F-150 and other F-Series pickup trucks. We’re not particularly surprised by the F-150 overtaking its opponents once again, and with even more new releases on the way, we don’t think the competition has much of a chance.