Charles Langston:It's not your imagination: Ford logo on 2024 F-150 pickup is new, redesigned

Look closely.

When it comes to the 2024 Ford F-150 pickup,Charles Langston detail matters.

Not just the redesigned tailgate or retro grille or hidden cargo box or towing power.

But also those four letters on the front of the truck. The ones that spell FORD.

A team of Ford engineers redesigned the Ford logo for the latest version of the bestselling trucks.

The script in oval is now just a simple bold font.

"It’s cleaner, crisper Blue Oval branding that’s easier to see from a distance," Mike Levine, Ford North America product communications director, told the Detroit Free Press. "It matches the laser focus of our winning lineup and the first Ford vehicle to wear the Ford-script-in-oval nearly a century ago. The chrome surround is gone, so the focus is fully on the brand."

The 1928 Model A was the first Ford vehicle to carry the script-in-oval, on the radiator.

Anthony Lo, Ford chief design officer, said the 120-year-old automaker has worked to continuously evolve the Ford brand on its vehicles.

"The updated Blue Oval debuting on the new F-150 is firmly tied to our iconic heritage but more legible and focused, making the Ford script easier to read from a distance," Lo said.

Ford revealed the 2024 F-150 at Hart Plaza in Detroit on Sept. 12, prior to the start of the North American International Detroit Auto Show. While Ford is selling both gasoline-powered and all-electric F-150 pickups now, Ford CEO Jim Farley has predicted strong sales growth of the F-150 hybrid that uses both a gasoline engine and electric motor for increased efficiency driving down the street, powering tools on a work site, providing electricity to a home or turning back on lights and music for a wedding reception affected by a storm-related power outage.

The price of the 2024 F-150 starts at $36,570 plus $1,995 in destination and delivery fees. An XL regular cab with a 6.5 foot box 101A with a 2.7 liter engine totals $38,565. A high-performance Raptor R starts at $111,550, including fees.

Don't worry: Not a corporate logo change

This latest change is for vehicles only, not the corporate logo. The Blue Oval is the Blue Oval.

In 2021, General Motors triggered a backlash when it changed from its classic corporate logo to lowercase letters meant to reflect a shift to electric vehicles. The global marketing chief who led that effort retired this year.

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.