Ford Shocked With Success Of V6 Powered F-150 Sales

Five years ago, when Ford considered a push to put a pricey, premium V-6 in more F-150s, it seemed like a dangerous gamble with a macho, full-sized pickup known for toughness and capacity. To many dealers and company insiders, it seemed like a bad joke.

"I once said, "Bubba don't buy nothing but a V-8, and we've got a lot of Bubbas out here,'" recalls Martin Gubbels, owner of Big Sky Ford-Lincoln in Torrington, Wyo.