There are Ford truck guys, and there are GM truck guys. In fact, there are "truck guys" for just about any automaker who builds trucks. But Ford and GM are unquestionably the two biggest names in the truck world, and the nearly century-long competition between them will never end. With Ford only days away from unveiling its next-gen F-150 at Detroit, and GMC doing the same for its new Canyon, it's clear that both brands have different business strategies.

The F-150 is the king of full-size trucks, but Ford doesn't offer anything smaller anymore. GM has the excellent Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra along with the mid-size Colorado/Canyon twins. With the death of the Ranger, Ford is counting on the F-150 to win over Ranger owners. "Ford is subdividing the F-150 lineup to reach buyers and GM is using a multi-vehicle approach across the entire pickup segment," according to one industry analyst. But GM is also taking a gamble of its own by staying in the mid-size arena because smaller truck sales have slowed down. The big question is whether this new and significantly lighter F-150 will appeal to the faithful, or will they find a new home at GM?