PICKUP TRUCKS ARE BIG SELLERS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

The 1997 Dodge Ram SST 1500 V8 Magnum still sports the front-end hood style that Dodge introduced in 1994.

Ron Shrum, front left, and Chris Phelps, front right, talked trucks with their friends at the local gas station parking lot in Delta. Shrum's pickup is a 1971 Chevy full size, left, with more than 200,000 miles on it. Phelps' truck is a 1984 GMC Sierra Classic with about 140,000 miles on it.

Pickup trucks have long been associated with America's back roads.

But these days, pickup trucks are a common sight on America's main roads too.

In 1995, Americans bought 2.7 million new pickup trucks.

Cape Girardeau car dealers sell a huge number of pickup trucks.

"We sell more pickup trucks far and away than any other vehicle," said Bob Neff, owner of Ford Groves. "It is an incredible part of our business."

The same holds true at Auffenberg Chrysler Super Center where Dodge Rams are the big seller.

Pickup trucks always have been popular in this area, Neff said.

"Being a relatively agricultural community, there has always been a need for pickup trucks, much more so than an urban area," Neff said.

But today, there is a demand for such vehicles that isn't just work related.

"Pickup trucks used to be for people that needed them. Now they are for the people that want them," Neff said.

Pickup trucks historically have been a profoundly male experience. But that has changed.

"It is interesting to see how many women are buying pickup trucks," he said.

Pickup trucks once were boxy vehicles. They were practical on the farm, but they weren't comfortable.

"They rode like a concrete wagon," said Rex Probus, general manager of the Auffenberg Chrysler Super Center.

"Now I defy anyone to climb into one of our full-size trucks and say our ride isn't comfortable," he said.

Probus said the automakers have dramatically improved the ride and handling of pickups.

The club-cab pickups feature a back seat, making it easier to include the family. "It has become the family vehicle," said Probus.

Consumers can choose from a wide range of pickups on the market -- everything from compact pickups to large, one-ton models with a four-door cab and a diesel engine.

The half-ton pickup remains the most popular, Probus said.

A full-sized pickup can cost anywhere from under $15,000 to $35,000.

A typical pickup can cost $25,000. That compares with $20,000 for the average price of a new car, Neff said.

"There is no discounting the fact that $25,000 for a pickup is a whole lot of money," he said.

But the popularity of pickups also makes them a good investment, Neff and Probus said.

Probus said used pickup trucks can command a high price.

Neff said the widespread public interest in pickup trucks dates to the mid-1980s when the minivan came into existence.

"People got used to sitting up higher," he said.

It's still a good view today. The public demand for pickup trucks remains strong, Neff said.