Ten years is a long time, but here we are. It started with transforming the "Truck Trends" column in Motor Trend into a single special issue, focused on a topic we knew and loved: trucks.
In fact, the original idea came from John Pearley Huffman, the same gentleman who puts together "Max Payload," our expanded news coverage. Readers who've been with us from the beginning will remember the founding editor of Truck Trend was Mike Magda. For the first 15 issues, Magda fought a tough battle within these corporate walls keeping Truck Trend focused on its original mission. This was especially difficult since sales people were pressuring him to make it more like the other 4x4 and sport truck magazines. Many just didn't get why people would want to read about the world of trucks, and even his editorial leadership at Motor Trend felt his readers were second-class citizens at best.
I recall several conversations we had when I came on board. Magda knew the truck market was about to explode, but the core full-size-truck guy was going to remain a faithful reader. That's where the heartbeat of Truck Trend should stay, he said. Even today, there's debate as to whether we're staying close enough to that core ideal (see "Letters" in this issue).
Regardless, if you tell us you want more full-size American metal, we'll get it for you. If you want more head-to-head competitive ultimate throw-down road tests, we'll do that. And if you just want the latest background information on what's coming off the design boards at GM, Ford, and Dodge, we'll give you that, too. Hell, we give you everything we can.
You have many choices when it comes to getting your truck fix. We understand that. But you must also understand that just because our name is "Truck" Trend, we aren't restricted to writing about just vehicles with 6.5- or 8.0-foot beds. The world of trucks includes all things related to pickups, diesels, 4x4s, towing, cool parts and pieces, and, yes, SUVs. Motor Trend certainly isn't just about motors. Hot Rod isn't just about the hot rod. Car Craft isn't just about the crafting of cars.
Let's talk about the cool stuff in this issue. For instance, in "Now It Can Be Told," find out what happened when we tested the laws of gravity with a 2.5-ton Nissan Pathfinder Armada. The governor of California (then just a good B-movie actor) laughed in our faces when we told him what we wanted to do with a new Hummer H2. You can even discover how we managed to talk our way out of (almost) every encounter we've had with the law. Luckily for us, it turns out our men in blue also read our magazine. The point here is we have stories to tell so you can get a glimpse into our world, which really then becomes your world as well.
Truck Trend readership is becoming a force in the world of pickup and SUV development. I can't remember the last time I was on some early engineering drive or long-lead preview in Detroit, Japan, or Europe, and the chief engineer didn't ask me point blank: "So what would a Truck Trend reader think of this?" They need to know because they need to make the vehicle stand up to the real-world scrutiny of an intelligent truck guy or gal. And that's what they see when those engineers and executives read our magazine; they see the stories you like to read, they read the letters you send in, and they look at your vehicles when we publish photos of your trucks.
Like no other story we do, "Reader's Rides" gives every truckmaker on the planet a clear picture of what you like and what you do with your trucks. That information is priceless to designers and manufacturers. In fact, these same companies will pay focus-group data-collection agencies millions of dollars a year to get less focused information, limited opinions, and less intelligent thoughts about truck people. It's our hope this 10th Anniversary issue is a good example of what you want. But that doesn't mean there isn't more to give and more to discover.
The next two years are going to be pivotal for many truck- and SUV-makers. Chevy and Toyota are coming out with hugely important half-ton pickups in the same year, and Ford is pushing its own new F-150 ahead in the development process, with the possibility of showing us something by 2008. Some of the same clever details from the Super Duty will make it into the smaller half-ton, but don't expect the overall design to mirror the bigger brother. Also, expect a few new impressive motors from Ford as well (maybe even a Cummins V-6 and a new 5.0-liter). And don't think Dodge isn't up to something. Reports are it'll have an all-new Ram half-ton out before the Ford. Our Dodge contacts are tight-lipped, so we know something's up. Finally, Nissan is continuing to work on medium- and heavy-duty models (we assume that means 3/4- and one-ton models) and has a tentative release date set for 2009. So the whole thing starts over again with refreshed models, new engines, and tighter competition. And we'll be here to pass it along.
Plus, it's never boring. Staying true to our core is what we want to offer and if that means sticking around for another 10 years, so be it.