Aaron Brzozowski
Ford Motor Company amassed a stockpile of some 15,000 units of the 2017 Ford F-150 pickup with 10-speed automatic transmission while the company conducted final testing on the new gearbox, Reuters reports. The automaker delayed shipment to dealers in order to ensure that the all-new automatic is up to snuff.
“In the normal course of business, when we have a new product launch – this is a new product launch for that transmission – we wanted to be extra sure, to do extra testing,” said Ford President of the Americas Joe Hinrichs. The all-new transmission, the design of which is shared with General Motors, is standard on all Ford F-150 pickups optioned with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, including the high-performance Raptor model.
Now, Reuters says that Ford has released more than half of its 15,000-unit stockpile of Ford F-150 trucks for sale, while the rest ought to be released by the end of the year, according to Hinrichs. The Ford President of the Americas claims that the delay will not impact the automaker’s Q4 profits, as all units should be shipped before December is through.
