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Coronavirus shakes up America's truck market: GM outselling Ford and Ram

FCA, Ford and General Motors joined the rest of the U.S. auto industry in taking heavy volume hits due to coronavirus-related shortages of both cars and customers. The saying goes that a rising tide lifts all boats; it stands to reason, then, that a falling one would have the opposite effect.  However, as we learned Thursday, the automotive market can behave in unpredictable ways. While the F-Series remained the best-selling nameplate in Q1, GM's full-size trucks are now outselling Ford's again for the first time in years, and with this upward thrust from the General, FCA's Ram was unceremoniously booted out of a hard-earned second place.  While late-March sales declines hit just about every major automaker in one way or another, the model-by-model results weren't nearly so uniform. And because the market tends to be a zero-sum game, for every winner, there generally has to be a loser.  In this case, that winner was GM, and its rise had to come at the expense of another automaker, in this case, Ford. F-Series sales dropped 13.1 percent in the first quarter of 2020, while sales of GM's full-sized Silverado and Sierra surged nearly 28% in the same period. FCA's Ram lineup managed a steady-as-she-goes 7% increase. All-in, GM finished the quarter with 197,743 full-size trucks sold to Ford's 186,562. Here's the full breakdown: Ford F-Series: 186,562  Chevrolet Silverado*: 144,734 Ram P/U: 128,805 GMC Sierra: 53,009 *includes 1,036 Medium Duty sales Things are a but murkier in the midsize segment, where the Chevy Colorado slipped 36% to just 21,430 units sold — just a few hundred better than the slow-selling Ford Ranger's Q1 numbers. The GMC Canyon experienced an almost identical slide, finishing the quarter with just 4,483 units sold. For perspective, Jeep sold more than 15,000 Gladiators and Toyota's midsize Tacoma slipped less than 8%, finishing the quarter with nearly 54,000 sales.  We suspect this discrepancy in full- and mid-size truck sales comes from shifting incentives. Ford, GM and FCA would like to keep selling bigger trucks because there's far more profit margin built into their list prices. Even with tens of thousands of dollars in manufacturer money on the hood, big trucks still make money.  Since these automakers report quarterly, we won't get another good look at these numbers until July, but if you thought that 2019 represented the new normal for U.S. auto sales, well, think again.

Saleen previews new 302 Mustang

The introduction of a new generation of a model like the Ford Mustang may be exciting enough in its own right for enthusiasts, but that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, because you know that Ford itself as well as numerous aftermarket tuners will soon follow up with even more desirable versions. And few Mustang tuners carry quite the same clout of Saleen.
Recently reunited after its previous split, Saleen is back on the map and hard at work on new aftermarket modifications for a wide array of muscle cars. We knew it would only be a matter of time before it would release a new 302 Mustang, and now it's sent out the first image to show us what to expect.
Details are scarce, but House that Steve Built says the 2015 Saleen 302 Mustang "is perfectly positioned as the next American exotic." And it should know, considering that it's the same outfit that produced the Saleen S7 that really was a true American exotic. From the teaser image above we can see that Saleen has given its Mustang a new front air dam, a very wide air scoop on the hood and of course Saleen's trademark slat grille.

Now you can 3D print your favorite new Ford

Ford is letting people build their own cars, offering digital files so people can print 3D versions of their favorite models. This is way cooler than any old Matchbox or Hot Wheels toy. Ford this week started offering printable files for the F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST. Folks can order the 3D models in 1:32 scale in plastic (that'd make the mighty large pickup truck about eight inches long) but the digital files let users tweak the scale to the their liking. Once people have the digital files, they can print out their own miniature versions of the cars, made out of soft plastics, sandstone, and even some metals. Ford says it expects demand for such files to grow as sales numbers for desktop 3D printers surges to 1 million units in 2018. That's up from about 44,000 last year. Ford already offers digital files for its company logo, the 1.0-liter engine block, and two older Mustang models. But these new models take this to a totally different scale. Check out Ford's press release below. PRINT YOUR FAVORITE FORD VEHICLE AT HOME: FORD FIRST AUTOMAKER TO OPEN ONE-STOP 3D SHOP ONLINE - Consumers can now download digital images and 3D-printable files of Ford vehicles at the first-ever automaker-licensed, one-stop 3D shop online - The Ford 3D Store offers printable files of F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST; more models will become available later - Online store is powered by TurboSquid.com, the leader in providing automotive digital imaging and 3D-printable files Want to 3D-print a Shelby GT350R at home? Or would you prefer to simply purchase an F-150 Raptor 3D digital image for a presentation? How about both? Ford fans can now download digital images for Ford vehicles at the first-ever, automaker-authorized one-stop online store for 3D-printable vehicle files. The Ford 3D Store, 3d.ford.com, allows customers to use advanced technology to make their own models of Ford vehicles of the size and material they desire, or simply opt to purchase a 3D digital file from a growing library of more than 1,000 Ford images. "3D printing at home is a growing trend, and it makes sense for us to offer our customers a chance to make their own 3D Ford models," said Mark Bentley, licensing manager, Ford Global Brand Licensing.