what's america's favorite vehicle will give you a clue it's not a motor
car if you guessed the ford f-150 pickup
you are right according to auto week in the past three years
an average of 900 000 f-150 pickups have been sold
each year that's 2 486 pickups per day 103 every hour 24 hours a day
seven days a week now that's a lot of pick up
what makes the f-150 pickups the top-selling american vehicle since 1981.
it's nearly 40 years during this time a total of 40
million ford f-150 pickups have been sold just to give you an idea of how
many that is imagine parking them a bumper to
bumper in a long line the line could circle the globe not once
but multiple times there's a lot to be amazed about when it
comes to the ford f series firstly it was the first real
purpose-built pickup truck until then the pickups were just an
afterthought secondly today only 15 of these pickups actually do what
they're originally built for it started a new trend that has
continued to this day ford f1 pickup was built as a workhorse
but it soon became a popular personal vehicle loved by all americans
the f-150 was only officially released in 1972
but its story started much earlier than that
since 1947 world war ii was ended and car companies that were focused on
supplying vehicles for the troops now turn their
attention to getting ordinary americans moving again
say you're handyman that year you need a vehicle to do your job
so you take a look at your options there aren't many in fact
you only have two choices you can get a heavy duty truck but it's way too big
you don't have that much stuff you need to transport and you need to use the
vehicle for personal use too since you don't have enough money to buy
two vehicles how's your day gonna feel when you arrive to pick her up in a
monster truck there are smaller trucks but they are
really just lightly modified passenger cars don't have enough space for your
load and they aren't nearly tough enough for what you need
feel a bit like goldilocks even less options
should you choose the truck that's too big or the modified passenger car
it's too weak luckily for you ford has just released a third option which is
just right it's the f1 pickup truck a purpose
built half punt pickup built from the ground
up it's specifically designed for like truck use and doesn't look
anything like the afterthought of a passenger car maker while competitors
only offer inline six cylinder engines ford f1 has three options
one of which is a legendary 100 horsepower
v8 yeah back in the day 100 horsepower was a lot
it also has some passenger car comforts including a wide cab and curved
one-piece windshield not seen in any of its competitor there are
options for a passenger side sun visor and windshield wiper as well as a
c-clear windshield washer this is operated by
foot puncher and useful for people whose job takes them to dirty or muddy
environments and it comes with additional chrome prim
and two horns it is marketed as the 1948 f1 bonus
built pickup ford advertising claims the trucks are
the amazing result of time proved proc engineering principles they
call it the ford bonus built construction
which claims to make trucks stronger and last longer
ford's intent is to create something rugged but comfortable for commercial
operations but people soon start seeing the
advantages of having a vehicle that can handle
light hauling duties horse owners will need to carry a few bales of hay
now they can do this with a vehicle that is comfortable enough for everyday use
too soon driving a truck doesn't mean you're
a farmer or ranch hand the f1 appeals to a much larger market
people begin buying them for lifestyle reasons and using them as passenger cars
ford is quick to recognize the trend it started
so the next generation model is designed with this wider market in mind
let's take a trip to the evolution of the iconic f-150 to see what changed and
what stayed the same a massive redesign for the second
generation includes features to turn the f-100
from a work truck to a vehicle that anyone in the family can drive
burning radius is reduced automatic transmission
power steering seat belts and heating and ventilation systems are introduced
roomier interiors include options like radios
dome lights armrests and cigarette light is at this point that the series name
has changed from f1 to half ton f100 f2 and f3
merging to become the three quarter ton f-250
and f4 became the one-ton f-350 the third generation sees a modern new
body with integrated fenders and hood and a clamshell design
four-wheel drive models become available the fourth generation sees the series
become longer and lower a mid-cycle design introduces the
twin i-beam front suspension which allows the front
wheels to run independently this results in more
maneuverability and a smoother ride the ranger name makes its first
appearance as a pickup it's used to denote the high level
styling pack fifth generation 1967
to 1972 dimensions of the fifth generation
increase again and plusher trim levels become available
the grille design gets updated a camper special 1972
f-250 is introduced the sixth generation introduces a legendary
f-150 model in an effort to avoid emissions restrictions this becomes the
best-selling truck ever it sits between the f-100 and the
f-250 the four-wheel drive super cab is
released four seats now mean you can use it as a
family car even though the rear door is a little awkward
the seventh generation is the first ground-up design since 1965.
it has improved aerodynamics and fuel economy
the blue oval is added to the center of the grill
diesel power is added to the series as well as electronic fuel injection
power mirrors windows and door locks make their appearance as do tinted
windshields the f-100 is discontinued making the
f-150 the lightest pickup on the market body lines soften around the rear in the
eight generation models which also sport a new rounded front
clip to improve aerodynamics it's the first year the five-speed
manual overdrive transmission and some of the models get electronic fuel
injection the ford f-150 becomes the first pickup
truck that's sold on a non-carbureted engine
it's 1989. the f-150 is now america's best-selling vehicle
the hood line in the ninth generation gets lower to improve aerodynamics
it gets new fenders and grills and a high mount third brake light
an anniversary package striped model is released to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of the first ford produced truck it gets more high
tech with keel's entry alarm and a compact disc player
the trend towards a personal vehicle continues
more and more people are purchasing the f-150 for personal lifestyle rather than
work use in the tenth generation ford splits the
series in order to develop separate vehicles
for both types of buyers the f-150 becomes a contemporary vehicle
for personal use while the f-250 and f-350
are designed for work use the reimagined f-150 takes on a whole new shape
it has a radically streamlined body it loses the traditional twin i-beam and
gets full independent front suspension the
supercab becomes the first pickup in the class to have
four full-size doors it's also the 50th anniversary of the f-series
sales search to nearly a million in 2001.
more variants appear in the 11th generation including off-road models and
sportier versions all f-150s get four doors a navigation
system becomes available for the first time on some models
the f-150 wins numerous awards as the best pickup truck
the 12th generation includes a new model svt
raptor is a dedicated off-road pickup towing capacity is increased a v8
cylinder becomes standard on all f-150 models
with the six cylinder the 2011 f-150 offers the 3.5
direct injected twin turbo ecoboost v6 automatic transmission is the only
option electric power assisted steering becomes available
the 13th generation gets lighter by nearly 750 pounds
nearly every panel is switched to aluminum
but the bulk of the frame remains high strength steel
13 generations and 80 years later america's love for the f
series pickups continues it may have started primarily as a work tool with
few creature comforts but today less than 15 percent of owners
use their pickups for the purpose it was originally intended
in 2019 it was the best-selling vehicle in america
the f-series won in 31 states including most of the midwest and south
this is according to a report by edmonds which also says
that every state in america apart from california and florida
prefers either a pickup or an suv what can we say we just love our trucks
coming soon is the f-150 electric option will it live up to the tough ford name
ford releases a video demonstration of the prototype
throwing more than 1.25 million pounds of rail cars and trucks during the test
you judge for yourself the ford f-150 might have started as a humble workhorse
a basic transportation for farmers and trade people
but today it's become the personal transportation of millions of americans
both individuals and families the ford f-150 has been america's most favorite
vehicle for nearly 40 years that's certainly a tough fact for any
motor manufacturer to follow
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