---
title: "Thousands of 2021 Ford F-150s Are Parked at Detroit Metro Airport, But Dealers Can’t Have Them Yet"
description: "Demand is astronomical for the new F-150, though Ford's not about to risk its money-maker."
date: "2020-12-18"
modified: "2020-12-18"
authors:
  - name: "Peter Holderith"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/peter-holderith"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/38273/thousands-of-2021-ford-f-150s-are-parked-at-detroit-metro-airport-but-dealers-cant-have-them-yet"
categories:
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "F-150"
  - "Ford"
  - "pickup"
---

# Thousands of 2021 Ford F-150s Are Parked at Detroit Metro Airport, But Dealers Can’t Have Them Yet

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/12/f150-in-lot-lead-image.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The [2021 F-150](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34328/heres-why-the-2021-ford-f-150-is-such-a-huge-deal>) has so far proved to be a sure bet for Ford. In essence, it's an evolutionary version of the best-selling vehicle in the United States, with more of what has always made the F-Series a fan favorite. Loaded with new powertrain tech and livability features, it's bound to be hot, but the pandemic is [causing issues for the car-buying public and dealerships alike.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/38047/2021-ford-f-150-is-now-on-dealer-lots-and-production-cant-keep-up-with-demand>) Demand slumped, deliveries slowed, and then everything came back to life with a jolt, leading many dealer inventories to stretch thin due to lack of supply.

It makes sense, then, that Ford is looking to build a huge stockpile of its most popular model before proper deliveries begin; however, that's not quite the whole story. Ford may have thousands of F-150s spread across lots outside of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, [as the *Detroit Free Press* reports](<https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2020/12/16/2021-ford-f-150-upgrades-detroit-metro-airport-stockpile/3901656001/>), but they're all pre- and early-production trucks. That means many need new parts, software updates, or other minor refinements before they receive their final checks and get sent off to dealerships.

![message-editor%2F1608307421805-f-1502.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1608307421805-f-1502.jpg>)
**Ford**

But why does Ford have *so many* pre-production trucks in the first place? Well, demand for [the 14th-generation F-150](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34381/2021-ford-f-150-revealed>) is higher than any other vehicle in the nation, so Ford had to start building while simultaneously testing prototypes—a gamble that hasn't quite paid off yet. A Ford spokesperson told the *Detroit Free Press* that all trucks coming off the production line now are going directly to dealers, so the trucks being stored are just stragglers.

According to one of *Freep's* sources, as many as 7,000 trucks are being stored in the lots, but Ford refused to give any specific numbers, saying that a "few thousand" were tucked away there.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1339608645428887555

Ford began building pre-production 2021 F-150 prototypes in September at its Dearborn Truck facility. Shortly afterward, in late October, the model entered series production at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri.

*The Drive* has reached out to Ford for more information about the stockpile and will update this article when we hear back.

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## Author
Peter Holderith is a former staff writer for The Drive. He enjoys covering the regular news cycle, writing reviews, and hunting down long features on obscure pieces of automotive history.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-h-5ba447192/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/_baldtires>)