And people wonder why The New York Times Chief Executive Officer said this week that print publications only have about 10 years to live. Maybe it’s because their heads are firmly lodged up their…anyway.
If the 2016 election was not strong enough of a data point, you’ve got to read the paper’s latest story around shifting automotive trends.
Here’s the thing though: They’re late. Big time.
While we’ve been telling you about this consumer trend for quite some time now, the pretentious Times is reporting it just this week. It didn’t require a PhD from MIT’s business school — Sloan — to notice that buyers were snapping up Ford F-150 Raptors, Cadillac Escalades and whatever else they could their hands on provided it had two things: Size and luxury accoutrements.
A quote that brought a smile to my face:
“Man, this truck is so slick,” Mr. Victorian said. “I stop at a light and people give me the thumbs up and take pictures of it. The truck is the celebrity.”
And another, discussing product mix:
And the priciest S.U.V.s and trucks are selling fastest. The high-end Lariat, King Ranch and Raptor models make up more than half of all F-150 sales, up from one-third a few years ago. Denali editions account for 29 percent of GMC’s sales, up from 21 percent.
It’s just another cycle in the automotive world, folks. A part of me wonders just how long it will last because the reality is that trends come and go.
Is it just correlated to fuel prices? Do buyers just want space and luxury at any cost? Will it fade out as even more sporting four-doors come into the picture a la the Mercedes-AMG GT four-door?
Time will tell. And we’ll be watching.
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