2008 Ford F-450 Completes America's Toughest Road Test

SAN ANTONIO, May 18, 2007 -- The new 2008 F-Series Super Duty will go down in history after completing Bold Endures: America's Toughest Road Test, the longest non-stop test ever recorded, after logging the final mile of a 150,000-mile adventure earlier this month.The historic journey, part of a massive marketing launch, adds to the 10 million miles of testing that brought about America's most capable truck.

A trained team of drivers led the effort in the 2008 Ford Super Duty F-450 -- the first-ever Class 4 pickup -- across 49 states, including Alaska and the District of Columbia, and seven Canadian provinces while always towing a massive trailer. This innovative truck can tow up to 24,500 pounds, 8,000 pounds more than the nearest competitor.

"Ford tests F-Series trucks to the extremes so customers can take on the toughest jobs every day," says Ben Poore, Ford truck group marketing manager. "The Bold Endures road test highlights how the new Super Duty Ford F-450 pickup raised this bar so customers can work and play harder."

The team drove cross-country averaging 1,145 miles a day in all types of terrains and conditions, including temperatures ranging between minus 18 ? F and more than 100 ? F. The team recorded many impressive feats, including:

* Continually towed a 40-foot triple-axle trailer loaded with up to 18,000 pounds for 150,000 miles
* Towed at least 12,000 pounds at all times
* Towed an 18,000-pound trailer -- a weight no other heavy-duty truck is rated to tow -- 100,579 miles (88 days)
* Drove in elevations from 100 feet below sea level to 9,000 feet above sea level
* Drove an average of 1,145 miles per day, including at least 1,000 miles in a 24-hour period 84 times and an amazing 1,537 miles in one 24-hour period

Built Ford Tough Across America

The Bold Endures road test began in Phoenix in December 2006 and traveled across the country 24-hours a day, seven days a week only stopping f or routine maintenance. Ford will continue touring the truck around the country and is working with the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. to secure the truck's place in history next to other road warriors such as the motorhome Charles Kuralt drove across the country to help tell fascinating American stories.

"Everywhere we went across North America, people gave us thumbs up and told us their Ford truck tales," says Bob Hunt of Michigan, one of the Bold Endures team members who drove the truck across the country. "I think we've proven with the Bold Endures test that the Ford Super Duty is more than ready for any challenge."

The Bold Endures effort is one of three unique, real-world consumer tests Ford conducted after the new Super Duty's 10-million-mile testing regimen was completed. Ford selected 'Team Tough,' a group of 12 truck customers, to test the new 2008 F-Series Super Duty because they hold down some of the toughest jobs around the country. Ford also partnered with a BP Alaskan oil crew in the "North Slope Tough" test to put the truck through extreme Arctic conditions in the middle of winter.

Consumers can learn more about each of these tests and the new truck at www.InsideSuperDuty.com. Ford will soon compile highlights of the Bold Endures trek into a webisode on the site.
Ford Trucks Ride PBR's Fast Rise

The Bold Endures team makes their first extended stop after completing the ambitious road test at the "toughest sport on dirt," the first Professional Bull Riders rodeo at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Ford trucks are the title sponsor of the Built Ford Tough series, the premier PBR series. Ford is leveraging the partnership to help launch the new 2008 F-Series Super Duty as part of a massive marketing campaign. Celebrating with Ford at San Antonio's first-ever PBR event are more than 8,000 military men and women from three major San Antonio-area military bases that received tickets from the South Texas Ford Dealers.

PBR is the fastest growing sport in terms of television audience and is expanding into major markets across North America, including new Built Ford Tough Series events in New York City and San Antonio in 2007.

The PBR Built Ford Tough Series showcases the 45 toughest bull riders and bulls in the world, helping it earn the title "the toughest sport on dirt." The growing audience includes more than 600,000 event fans and 19 million television viewers across the United States, Canada, Brazil and Australia. Ford research shows that about fifty percent of PBR event attendees own full-size pickup trucks.

Each PBR event also includes a variety of Ford Truck-sponsored activities, including the "Built Ford Tough?"Championship Round and the exclusive Ford Trucks "Toughest Seats on Dirt" seating area for fans who want to get as close to the action as possible. Fans at the San Antonio event will be able to check out the new 2008 F-Series Super Duty at various displays.

Fans can register for the 'Battle for the Bull Ultimate Fan Experience' sweepstakes, the second consecutive year of this successful promotion. The grand prize includes part stock contractor ownership rights to a bull named Super Duty. Fans can visit www.BattleForTheBull.com to register and can visit weekly to earn additional entries by playing a trivia game featuring questions about PBR and Ford Trucks.

Ford is in its fifth year as title sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series as well as the exclusive automotive sponsor of the PBR Challenger Tour Series.

Leading the Way

The new 2008 F-Series Super Duty features a series of pickup innovations. For example, the industry-first Tailgate Step folds out of the tailgate and splits the difference to the ground to provide a step up into the pickup box so customers can load items more easily. The new Super Duty features an available all-new, more powerful 6.4-liter Power Stroke ? dual-turbo diesel engine and numerous class-exclusive, innovative features such as PowerScope ? Mirrors.

Since its debut in 1948, Ford has sold more than 32 million F-Series trucks around the world. Today, there are more F-Series pickups on the road with 250,000 miles than any other brand. It has also been the best-selling truck in America for 30 consecutive years and the best-selling vehicle for 25 years running.

Press release via Ford

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