The $100,000 Pickup Truck is Real, and You Have Dealers and the Aftermarket to Thank For It

The time is ticking ever closer to the day an OEM slaps a $100,000 MSRP on a truck. It will happen, and it won’t be long before it does.

In 1997, $27,000 bought a lavishly equipped F-150 Lariat SuperCab with a 5.4-liter V8. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about $40,000 in today’s money. Adjusted for reality, that truck now carries a $45,000 MSRP. The $100,000 barrier will be crossed in perhaps a decade based on inflation alone, but inflation will not deliver the first $100,000 truck. Trim escalation and new equipment will cross the finish line first.

Regardless, OEMs won’t be the first to push MSRPs into the stratosphere. That distinction goes to the aftermarket, in conjunction with dealers. And, unsurprisingly, together they’ve already made a $100,000 pickup a reality.

Read more
  • Jalop1991 This is easy. The CX-5 is gawdawful uncomfortable.
  • Aaron This is literally my junkyard for my 2001 Chevy Tracker, 1998 Volvo S70, and 2002 Toyota Camry. Glad you could visit!
  • Lou_BC Let me see. Humans are fallible. They can be very greedy. Politicians sell to the highest bidder. What could go wrong?
  • SPPPP Vibrant color 9 times out of 10 for me. There may be a few shapes that look just right in metallic gray, for example. There are a few nices ones out there. And I like VW "White Silver". But I'd usually prefer a deep red or a vibrant metallic green. Or a bright blue.
  • 28-Cars-Later Say it ain't so, so reboot #6* isn't going to change anything?[list=1][*]V4-6-8 and High "Tech" 4100.[/*][*]Front wheel drive sooooo modern.[/*][*]NOrthSTARt.[/*][*]Catera wooooo.[/*][*]ATS all the things.[/*][*]We're *are* your daddy's Tesla. [/*][/list=1]