NorCal-09

Over the past month or so, I have offered with several posts, that I had a 'feeling' that the order and production start dates for the 2013 MY F-150 would be a lot earlier this year, than compared to the late in the year offering for the current '12 MY....in other words, an abbreviated production run....about six months.

I have just observed on an industry website, posted just this evening, that the order books for the 2013 F-150 will open in about seven weeks, on 05/14/12 and production will begin on 08/27/12.

I based my previous thoughts on the fact that there were those spy photos out very soon after the 12's had made their debut, much earlier than other model years previous, also I got wind of the fact (from a confidential source) that dealers already, as of the first of the year, had most of the ordering/resource data in hand for the 2013 models, which I have been told, will have some modest exterior changes, including headlights on Lariat and above model, possibly a new grill, as well as some interior updates. I have heard that there may also be one or more new exterior colors for '13.

This past weekend, I suddenly had the feeling the dates would soon be released; when, as I dropped by my large regional Ford dealer, to check out the latest batch of new 12's, and I was struck by the fact that the supply of 12's on the lot was about 50% of normal for this dealer at this time of the year, and nearly all were XLT's, the models which get the biggest discount and are the easiest to move and clear out at the end of the MY!

Again, I just put all these little pieces of the larger puzzle together over the past three months, and came to the conclusion I did. This is why I have held off/stalled getting a new truck by now, to replace my '09.

This will no doubt be considered a 'bridge' vehicle until the complete make-over, in either MY '14, or most likely now in MY '15. In this regard, I am going to do a 24 to 36 month lease on an EB '13 FX4 or Lariat, with the upgraded headlight system, as soon as the books open.


BTW: 2012 Order cutoff date is listed as 06/29/12.


https://www.wheels.com/fleet/reference/ordering2008/2008StartupDates_USA.asp#FordTrucks

BlueOval5.0

Great info, thanks!

Is it normal to have the order banks for the '13 open before the banks close for the '12? If I read that right, you could order either model year at that point?

Eric

NorCal-09

I guess it just depends on how they feel?

I notice it is the same for the Expediton production dates, but not that way for say, the new Edge.

I am not sure who would want to order on 6/29, and then watch your '12 being unloaded off a trailer truck loaded with new 13's!

smokeywren

Those dates are certainly not early. Normally the order bank opens in early May or even late April. The last date to order the old MY is mid-May for retail customers and late May/early June for fleet customers. And production of the new model begins about mid-July.

BlueOval5.0

When would you expect an order guide to be available? I'd love to see the Expy get one or two of the new engines that the F150 has.

BlueOval5.0

So if I wanted to order a 2012, the last day a retail customer would be able to do so is May 11?

smokeywren

No. Normally, when the order bank opens for one MY, the order bank closes for the previous MY.

smokeywren

Normally about two to three weeks before the order bank opens.

Notice I keep saying "normally". That's because Ford has done some abnormal things lately. Such as the late beginning of the 2012 F-150 model year for no apprent reason.

NorCal-09

Well, grumpy, as I clearly stated in my first post, I was making the comparison to the previous/current MY transition....which was a long time coming.

But, even at my advanced age, obviously I am not as knowledgable/informed as you.

papa tiger

Yo!