Ford F-Series Retains Crown as America’s Best-selling Vehicle

Ford F-Series pickups officially enjoy 43rd straight year as America’s best-selling pickup and 38th year as top vehicle.

Many of us haven’t even been alive long enough to remember a time when the Ford F-Series wasn’t America’s best-selling pickup or overall vehicle. And by the looks of things, many of us won’t be on this earth anymore if/when the streak finally ends. The numbers for 2019 are officially in, and that means we can confirm that both incredible runs have continued for another year. The F-Series has now been the best-selling pickup in the U.S. for 43 straight years. And the best-selling vehicle, period, for 38 straight years.

It’s an amazing feat indeed, but one that we’ve just come to expect. Diving into the numbers, however, reveals a rather strong year for Ford overall. The Blue Oval moved nearly one million F-Series and Ranger trucks pickup trucks alone (986,097), 8.4% more than last year. That’s also the brand’s best result since 2005. And the Ranger wasn’t even on sale for all of 2019. The reborn mid-sizer totaled 89,571 units sold for the year, but a sizable 33,059 of them came in the fourth quarter alone. Which is obviously a good sign for 2020.

When you throw vans into the mix, the numbers get even more impressive. Sales there totaled 1.24-million units, a substantial 9.1% increase year-over-year. The fourth quarter was exceptionally strong as Ford enjoyed a 15.9% increase, which was their best Q4 sales result since 2001. Van sales of 59,930 units in Q4 were Ford’s best since 1978. For the year, van sales totaled 240,529 units, a 10.5% gain. Transit topped all other vans in total sales, helping Ford extend its streak as America’s top commercial van seller to 41 consecutive years.

SUV sales continued to surge as well. Expedition led the pack with their best sales result in over a decade. The big ‘ute enjoyed a 71.6% increase in Q4 alone, totaling 86,422 for the year and enjoying a 58.1% gain. The all-new Explorer closed out the year strong with a 52.4% Q4 over Q3 increase. And the little EcoSport helped lure passenger car owners with a 57% conversion rate and 19.1% overall increase in sales for 2019.

Overall, 2019 was a big year for Ford. But that’s pretty much what we’ve come to expect. Still, it doesn’t dull the luster of the Blue Oval’s incredible sales success over the years. And at this point, we don’t expect that stranglehold to end anytime soon.

Photos: Ford Motor Company

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.