Pickup trucks (and SUVs) are the bread and butter of the Big 3 American car manufacturers, while they are only about 18% of all vehicles sold in the US, they make up more than two-thirds of their global pretax earnings. While Americans may be paying a premium for their gas-guzzling pickup trucks, they do form a quintessential part of the American way of life. America is world-famous for its impressive fleet of pickup trucks and boasts many of the world's largest, most versatile trucks.
Pickup trucks vary considerably by region, with North America being a particularly large market for these utility vehicles, while smaller passenger cars are the order of the day in Europe or East Asia. In fact, it would be next to impossible to find parking for many of the large American pickups in the more compact cities of Europe. Accordingly, the pickup trucks outside of North America tend to be mid-sized or small.
9 Ford F-Series
The Ford F-Series reigns supreme in the world of pickup trucks. Produced since 1948, the F-Series includes the F-150 through to the F-450 Super Duty pickups as well as the F-650/750 Super Duty Class 6-8 trucks.
These trucks have proven to be wildly successful having maintained their status as America's best-selling vehicle for 39 consecutive years and top selling pickup truck for 44 straight years.
8 Dodge Ram
The Ram and the Silverado are in even competition in the North American market with each jostling for the silver position of second best seller behind Ford's F-Series. Currently, the Ram has won the Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year eight times.
In fact, it won that title consecutively in 2019, 2020, and 2021 making it the first truck in history to three-peat the award. The Ram first made its appearance for the 1981 model year.
7 Chevrolet Silverado
Having sold around 12 million units since its introduction, the Silverado is one of the most loved and popular North American trucks. The Silverado was introduced for the 1999 model year as the successor to the long-running Chevrolet C/K model line.
Now in its fourth generation, the Silverado achieved sales of almost 600,000 vehicles in 2020 just edging out the Dodge Ram.
6 Toyota Hilux
The Toyota Hilux is perhaps the most popular pickup truck for sale outside North America. Being much smaller than its Ram, Silverado, or F-150 cousins, it is much better suited to a range of international markets from the Middle East to New Zealand.
One need only to think of watching the news from the Middle East or Africa and recall the many images of various militants driving around the desert with a large gun mounted in the back to realize how popular this vehicle is in those parts of the world.
5 Chevrolet C/K
First introduced in the 1960 model year, this full-size pickup was produced for many decades before being superseded by the Silverado. The final C/K vehicles to be produced were the heavy-duty chassis with the last of them rolling off the assembly lines for the 2002 model year.
Throughout its 40-year history, it was one of America's top pickup trucks. The "C" denoted two-wheel-drive while the "K" stood for four-wheel-drive.
4 Nissan Titan
The Titan is Nissan's full-size pickup truck and has been on the market since 2003. So one of the relative newbies on the block. The Titan is manufactured in Nissan's assembly plant in Canon, Mississippi, and is now only in its second generation.
While sales of the Titan pale in comparison to the Big Three American pickup trucks or the global sales of the Toyota Hilux, it offers an option for those unhappy with the selection of American pickups.
3 Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra was the first Japanese full-size pickup to be built inside of North America, and today it is the only full-size pickup truck to be manufactured in Texas. The Tundra claimed the title as Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year in both 2000 and 2003.
The Toyota Tundra has been in production since 1999 and is now in its second generation and sells in excess of 100,000 vehicles every year in the United States.
2 Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger encompasses a range of pickup trucks in North and South America by the Ford Motor Company. It was first introduced in 1982 and fills in the market for those looking for a smaller utility vehicle than its hugely popular F-Series.
The Ford Ranger has been the best-selling compact pickup from 1987 to 2004. After a seven-year production hiatus, Ford reintroduced the Ranger for the 2019 model year with its fourth-generation Ranger.
1 Toyota Tacoma
More popular than the Toyota Titan managing to sell more than 150 000 vehicles in the USA in 2020, this was initially classified as a compact pickup but since 2015 as a midsized pickup. Now in its third generation, the Tacoma is sold throughout much of North America.
The Tacoma was named as Motor Trend's Truck of the Year back in 2005.
In conclusion, the most successful pickup trucks are probably the Big Three's flagship pickup trucks currently in production, as well as Toyota's Hilux overseas.