The F-series did fall out of its top spot for a few months early this summer, when financial speculation—oh, I'm sorry, Supply & Demand—suddenly sent gas prices to $4 a gallon and beyond. Once fuel prices started drifting back to earth, the F-series once again assumed its position at the top of the best-sellers list, where it has been camped out for more than a decade. The fact that this is "surprising" news to the mainstream media is yet another depressing indicator of how clueless they are with regard to the U.S. auto market. It's part of the whole notion that the American carmakers' precarious financial position is obviously due to their stubborn insistence on building big trucks that no one wants, when they should have been making economical small cars and hybrids (like the Prius!). Except the fact is that when gas is $3 a gallon or less, Americans want big trucks. Lots of them. Should U.S. carmakers build more economical models, better small cars, and more hybrids? Sure. But is it surprising that the Ford F-series is America's bestselling vehicle? Only to those who are completely ignorant of the U.S. car market.
