By Jack Hough

Ford could be headed for a big pickup next year. The company began production this past week of its aluminized F-150, a high-stakes redesign of its lucrative truck—by far the nation’s top-selling vehicle. Judging by early opinions, investors can rule out a flop. “It is the best-handling full-size pickup I’ve ever driven,” wrote a Wards Auto reviewer last week. “Impressive all around,” declared Kelley Blue Book after a 1,300-mile test drive last month.