The Ford F150.
It’s the best selling Vehicle in the US of all time.
I didn’t say best selling car, I didn’t say best selling truck.
I said best selling vehicle.
On average Ford sells two trucks every minute.
Americans love the F150, but how did that happen?
Why is America’s most popular car..a TRUCK?
Well you’re about to find out partner.
This is everything you need to know to get Up to Speed on the Ford F150.
Ford’s been building trucks for a Long. Ass. Time.
Their first truck debuted in 1917, when Ford offered a cargo-focused version of the Model T.
Ever heard of it? They called this the Model TT.
It was basically a Model T with a bed.
In 1926 Ford updated the design with their new Model AA; it had a sturdier frame, and
it’s wheels were made from steel, not wooden spokes like the Model T. Despite the fact
that the automobile was a relatively new invention, Americans warmly embraced the new-found utility
of the Pickup Truck.
Farmers used the Model TT and AA to haul their harvest into town, Business owners could easily
transport their merchandise, and emergency services could now react in a fraction of the time.
The truck legitimately changed the lives of millions of Americans, and Ford was largely responsible.
Ford continued to build their trucks until the second World War, when they focused all
production on the war effort by building tanks and bombers and sh*t like that.
The F-series trucks as we know them began in 1948 after the end of the war.
Ford introduced the “Bonus Built” line which encompassed the entire F-series; from
the half ton “F-1” pickup truck to the gigantic F-8 intended for industrial use.
The F-1 was especially successful in the Post-War market.
Americans were ready to build a new life, and what better to do that with than a pickup truck?
The F1 was super easy to work on, so in the unlikely event of breaking down in the pasture,
you could usually fix the problem with common tools.
The Second Gen F-series dropped in 1953, and along with some new engines and updated looks,
the Trucks were slowly starting to reflect America’s changing attitudes towards the pickup.
Trucks were becoming less of an appliance, and more of an extension of their driver’s spirit.
Ford gave the new trucks creature comforts like a radio, dome light and arm rests. For your arms...
These might seem like small additions but they were important, because these simple
features made the truck easier to live with on a day to day basis.
Ford also changed the name from F-1 to F-100.
In 1959 Ford gave the F-100 a feature that would help define the Pickup truck as we know it:
Four Wheel Drive.
Previously if you wanted Four Wheel Drive, you had to buy an aftermarket conversion kit.
But now you could four wheel it right off the lot, literally.
You didn’t need roads, you just drive over some curbs and through fields all the way home.
This versatility helped make the pickup a symbol of freedom for the American people.
In 1965 the F-100 introduced a new style of suspension that gave each front wheel it’s
own axle, called Twin I-Beam.
The Twin I-Beam design let each wheel react to bumps independently.
Ford was really proud of their design and showed it off in crazy commercials
featuring how much smoother the ride was with the new suspension.
Ford was killing the competition with the F-100.
The cabs were 3 inches roomier, the chassis was heavier, and it was easier to drive with
power steering and brakes.
The Ford pickup was the standard to what other trucks were measured.
Kinda like how Jessica is THE standard of how all other women in my life are judged.
Miss you.
But Ford didn’t rest on their laurels just like I'm not resting on mine, that’s not what Americans do!
In 1973 Ford gave us the Supercab.
Up until this point the F-100 had a single bench for three people.
But now, there were some seats in the back.
Not only could you use the bed for hauling hay, gravel or lumber, you could also use
the cab to haul your family to the market, to the movie theater, to the waterpark.
This marked an important point where the Pickup could be a family car...
Sort of.
In 1975 Ford introduced the F-150 and America’s truck as we know it had finally arrived.
So why add another truck?
Basically, the EPA said that any car that weighs a certain amount have to have
catalytic converter and unleaded gas.
It's boring.
The F150 had a stronger chassis than the F100 and could carry more weight in the bed thanks
to more leaf springs.
After 32 years of service, the F100 was discontinued in 1980.
In the 80s, Ford made the F150 even more comfortable and efficient in a bid to attract more buyers
who would use the truck as a family car.
The F150 now had power windows, power locks,fuel injection, and a sleeker interior.
But making the truck more comfortable didn’t make it any less capable.
Kinda like how I can seat in a recliner but still do advanced calculus.
Ford showed off the F150’s brawn with crazy ads dropping the truck from cranes and climbing
up giant rock piles...with a Chevy chillin’ in the bed and towing a dodge behind it.
It's like...F*** you.
In 1993, on the 45th anniversary of the F-Series, Ford gave America what it didn’t even know it wanted:
an F150 made for the racetrack.
Ford called it the Lightning, and it featured modified suspension, and a 5.8 liter engine,
and your choice of Red or Black paint.
The Lightning wasn’t just an appearance package good for straight line speed, it was
faster around the track than the Mustang GT AND it could tow up to 8400 pounds.
You didn’t need to tow your race car, because your truck WAS your race car.
The first Lightning was made for three years until 1996 when Ford gave the F150 a total redesign.
The Lightning returned in ‘99, and...
pretty badass.
The new model had a supercharged V8 making 360 horsepower and 440 foot pounds of torque.
With all that power and no weight over the rear wheels it was a burnout machine.
The next year SVT gave it 20 more horses, making it the fastest production truck in the world.
The Lightning weighed 4600 pounds and could do 0-60 in 6.2 seconds.
That's pretty fast for 2000.
2001 marked the first time the F150 was offered with 4 full size doors.
Not a big deal right?
WRONG.
This is when the pickup truck completed it’s 50 year transformation from Utilitarian farm tool,
to domesticated family wagon.
And no other truck encapsulated this transition more than the King Ranch edition F150.
The King Ranch was outfitted with saddle-grade Castano leather seats WITH HEATERS,
saddle bags to hold your stuff and a six CD changer.
What's a CD? On of 'em shiny records?
This truck was a Cadillac with Cow Sense, a Range Rover for the Ranch.
This was a truck for work AND going out on the town.
The King Ranch was named after the King Ranch, one of the biggest and oldest ranches in the
great state of Texas; and was meant as a tribute to the hardworking heritage of the Lone Star state.
You might expect a truck with a focus on luxury to be a flash in the pan, but you’d be wrong there buddy.
It’s been 17 years since the debut of the King Ranch and Ford is still making them.
And they're selling like frickin' hot cakes
Like the Gas Crisis before it, the Economic Crisis of 2008 f**** everything up.
But, it failed to kill the F150.
Ford was doing pretty well at the time and didn’t take a bailout from Uncle Sam, but
they did ask for a 6 billion dollar loan to retool their factories.
Why’d they want the loan?
So they could make more fuel efficient cars and truck like the Ecoboost F150.
This twin turbo V6 powered truck made 365 horsepower and 420 pounds of torque.
The Ecoboost the F150 could be both a capable hauler and economically minded vehicle, and
reflected Ford’s focus (no pun intended) on making more efficient cars.
In 2010 Ford gave us another Special F150, and this one WAS meant to get dirty.
It had nearly a foot of suspension travel, and was developed by Ford’s Special Vehicle
Team in Baja Baby. Mexico!
They also named it after my favorite animal.
The Raptor!
Undisputed king of factory off-road racers. The Raptor was originally going to be
a successor to the Lightning, but It turns out making a big truck like the F150 super
nimble is actually really hard.
So instead they decided to “amplify the Truck’s DNA”.
♫Dino DNA♫
Their words, not mine.
and make the Raptor a real off road racer.
They sent engineers out to off road races like the Baja 1000 to see what that lifestyle
was all about.
And when they came back, they knew what they needed: Custom suspension, redesigned bodywork
and most importantly: sweet graphics.
When the Raptor first debuted it was available with some naturally aspirated V8s, but the
new one is powered by the turbocharged V6 that makes even more power; 450 horses and 500 pounds of torque.
These SVT guys don’t know when to quit, do they?
Well neither do I.
America is made up of people from every background and lifestyle and there’s an F150 for all of them.
You can still get a bare bones two door truck for the worksite just like your granpa, or
you could get one with four doors and take your family to the fireworks on 4th of July.
The F150 is one of the unique autos that transcended its original purpose to fulfill a destiny
intertwined with the American way of life.
Do you NEED all that space in the bed?
Debatable.
Do you NEED to tow anything?
I mean, not right now,.
Will you ever go off road?Who Knows.
But having a pickup like the F150 gives you the freedom to do all of those whenever you want.
It’s the automotive embodiment of the American spirit, a true symbol for the individual,
and In my opinion, the ultimate car of the people.
Suck it Beetle.
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That's everything you need to know to get Up to Speed on the Ford F150.
Which gen is your favorite?
What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever put in your bed?
Mine? Is Jessica.
What’s your take on Truck Nuts?
I think they're cool. I think they’re weird but I get it.
Still trying to get that Lambo. Send me a dollar.
As always don't forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, Share. Thanks for watching Up to Speed.