Ford Vehicle

Appealing to the base. It #8217;s important in politics, and strong Ford Motor Co. /strong hopes it can use the same strategy to make good with its new F-150 pickup. /p p Ford had its worst sales month of the year in September as the auto industry struggled with the credit crunch, still-high gas prices and spreading economic malaise.

/p p Nevertheless, the automaker will launch its 2009 F-150 truck today at the Claycomo plant amid hopes that its appeal among those who need pickup trucks to make a living will stay strong, despite a shrinking market. /p p Joe Hinrichs, Ford vice president of global manufacturing and labor relations, is scheduled to attend the launch ceremony in Claycomo, one of two Ford plants building the new truck.

With the introduction of the model, Ford has reduced F-150 production to one shift at Claycomo, while a plant in Dearborn, Mich., has changed from three shifts to two. /p p Although the Michigan plant has been idle through most of the third quarter, the Claycomo facility has been producing the new pickups since mid-August.

That also was when Ford added a third shift to the facility #8217;s other product, the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner compact SUV, transferring workers from the F-150 shift that was eliminated. /p p Ford has about 4,200 hourly employees at the Claycomo plant. The SUV line is down this week because of slow sales. /p p Ford is launching the new F-150 in one of the auto industry #8217;s bleakest downturns.