Ford will begin selling its F-150 Raptor SuperCrew, a high performance off-road pickup truck, in China starting in 2017, the company said on Friday. ‘The F-series has been an iconic vehicle in the U.S. – it’s been the number one selling truck for 39 years,’ said Henry Ford III, global marketing manager for Ford Performance and the great-great grandson of the Ford Motor Company founder, Henry Ford, adding that the success of the Raptor in the U.S. led the company to believe there would be demand for the truck in China. Ford wouldn’t disclose how many vehicles it expects to sell. ‘We think it will do pretty well [in China],’ he said. ‘The Mustang, another iconic vehicle that we recently released in China was the number one bestselling sports coupe in the fourth quarter of last year.’ Ford’s push into China’s comes at an interesting time when its economy is undergoing a significant economic transition, which is bringing about lower growth. China’s economy, the world’s second largest, expanded by 6.7 percent during first quarter, compared to the 6.9 percent growth seen in 2015. But that doesn’t faze Ford. ‘Because these vehicles are such iconic vehicles, we think they are going to do well there,’ he said. ‘It’s the most capable Ford F-150 Raptor we’ve ever built. Customers love the vehicle here in the U.S. and we think they are going to love it in China as well.’ Ford said it’s difficult to say who the demographic for the truck will be in China. ‘If you look at the customer base of the Raptor here in the U.S, it’s really across the board,’ he said. ‘Our off-road enthusiasts love the vehicle, but a lot of folks use it just for a daily drive as well.’ Ford is no stranger to the Chinese auto market, having sold over 314,000 vehicles in the region during first quarter, a 14 percent year-over-year increase from last year. TheStreet’s Scott Gamm has details from Wall Street.
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