The new Ford F-150 is set for a June 25 unveiling, and the world's best-selling vehicle still on the cards for an Australian launch, with the brand's local executives still pushing for factory right-hand-drive production.
Ford's executives have told CarsGuide that they believe there is a market in Australia for another big truck (proven by the success of the locally converted Ram 1500), and that they effectively lobbied their US counterparts by "making sure people understand there is a market" Down Under.
While the previous Ford F-150 was available in left-hand drive only, rumours persist that, much like the Mustang, the new iteration of the American pick-up will be offered with a steering wheel on either side of the cabin. If so, that would put an Australian launch right into contention.
It must be said, though, those rumours remain sadly unconfirmed for now.
"We continue to put in our market wants. We have a process at Ford which looks at where we believe our customers are, and where we believe our strengths will be. Commercial and trucks is clearly one of our strengths," Ford Australia president and CEO, Kay Hart, told CarsGuide in March.
"We continue to ask and make sure people understand there is a market."
It's a feeling shared by Ford Australia's marketing manager, Danni Winter, who told us: "I think if customers go that way, we’d absolutely bring one in. We've had full-size pickups here before, when they were available in right-hand drive.
"There is no right-hand drive full-size pickup available, but if there was, we’d look at it and see if there was demand here."
In the meantime, Ford COO Jim Farley has confirmed the new version of the F-150 will be officially unveiled on June 25, ahead of a July on-sale date in the USA. Whether that unveiling includes talk of right-hand drive remains to be seen.
We do know that conventional engine versions of the truck will be first to appear, with the much-hyped electric F-150 seemingly now pushed back to a 2022 launch.
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