After its debut in 1975, the F-150 from Ford has been America’s most popular truck. Whether you are driving in Colorado or Texas, you are sure to see more than one of these monsters on the road.
This less-than-forty-year-old model has been on the list of long-lasting names in the automotive industry. The F-150 model had to lose around seven hundred pounds to meet new emissions standards.
The Ford F-150 is well-known for numerous technical specs, especially its incredible hauling and towing capacity. However, the model also has many fun facts you should know about.
1. The Ford F-150’s Independent Front Suspension
Riding a truck was not the most comfortable up until 1965. After the invention of independent suspension, more people could use trucks daily.
Ford’s F-150 came out with Twin I-beam suspensions. Attached to the front, the suspensions were simple, and replaced the leaf springs with coil springs.
The Twin I-Beam rose the F-series truck to its continuous popularity. The winner is the ride and handling factors related to wheels that can move independently of one another.
The Twin I-Beam provided a useful self-governing front suspension that could withstand the wreck of a broken, harsh path.
Each heavy-duty spring can compress and expand independently of the other wheel. Two sturdily built, hardened steel axle beams move up and down completely independently of each other, separating irregular asphalt from the main cabin.
2. The Popularity of the Ford F-150
How popular is the most popular truck in the USA? You may have found your answer to this question.
To clarify, the F-150 has taken the market by storm ever since its inception. The forty-year-old truck has been the best-selling pickup truck for its entire existence. Moreover, it has been voted the best overall vehicle for the past thirty-four years.
A fun fact is that there are widely known pickup truck rides, such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, which the Ford-150 has constantly beaten in terms of sales.
The F-series is the Lebron James of pickup trucks. Their total production comes down to a massive thirty-two million trucks. In 2018, Ford made the record of selling an average of one car per 29.3 seconds, leading them to make a total sale of 1.075 million trucks that year.
3. The F-150 Had Its Bad Years!
Even the best of the performers have their downtime too. Through its popularity, the Ford F-150 had its ups and downs, as discussed here https://www.wvdot.com/best-and-worst-years-for-ford-f150/.
The line of trucks is built for regular, high-duty, and super-duty loads. Some trucks are suited for heavy-duty transportation, while others are perfect for commercial use.
The icon of American imagination had its best years from 1993 to 1998 then picked up again in 2001. It enjoyed continued success from 2009 to 2018, apart from a few down years in the middle.
The downfall happened in the years between 2004 to 2007 and then discontinued. After that, it started in 2010 and appeared in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016. These years were compiled, curated, and submitted by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.
The fact is that the success of the F-150 is partially dedicated to the fourteenth generation releases in the year 2021. Consumers could spend the same amount of money as on the earlier models and still receive additional parts and services.
4. The Great Grandfather of the F-150
F-1, with no relevance to Formula 1, was the great-grandfather of the Ford F-150 series. Debuting 27 years before the F-150, it was a favorite amongst its then citizens.
It was most popular amongst farmers and small business owners. The first generation of the Ford F-series trucks, also known as Ford Bonus-Built trucks, was spacious trucks with open backs. It could easily carry the essentials for a farmer while traveling for business.
The truck famously showed up in the movie Forest Gump and has sold a huge number of its toy versions as well.
The truck came to the market in 1948 and was the embodiment of the difference between Ford’s previous cars and current truck designs. The company developed a chassis specifically for trucks.
Aside from pickup trucks, the model range also included bare and hooded chassis and panel vans. It marked Ford’s access into the medium and heavy-duty truck segments.
5. The Most Expensive F-150
The name Hennessey Motorsports’ F-150 VelociRaptor 6×6, is not the only thing grand about it; the model is also the most expensive of its kind, if not one of the most expensive cars in general.
Coming in at a whopping $349,000 starting, the VelociRaptor 6×6 takes the golden crown for its price. To boost the efficiency of its dual-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, it provides better air induction, an elevated intercooler with a blow-off valve, and an improved engine-management framework.
The 2022 Ford Raptor quality improvements and revisions produce a massive 672 lb-ft of torque and 558 bhp. It has 20-inch rims with LED lights incorporated on both the front and back bumpers.
Improvements for the Ford Raptor involve up to 37-inch off-road tires and a suspension leveling kit. Clients can also select a huge six-piston Brembo front brake pedal to boost traction and stability. All work is backed by a three-year per 36,000-mile warranty.
6. Ford Made Special Models
Over the years, the F-series has introduced a lot of models for various purposes.
A Contractor’s Special, introduced in the year 1969, was intended for work. The wheels are made of steel and have narrow white caps and fine-white wall rubber. It included a behind-the-seat toolbox and a three-fourth-ton suspension.
The Farm and Ranch Special was introduced for use in the countryside. It has extra in-built toolboxes and heavy springs for the rough country roads.
The Camper special is every camper’s dream. It comes with heavy-duty cooling and camper pre-wiring. The special has a larger alternator that charges your engine’s battery and other electrical components in a car.
The Explorer Special has a special set trim and alternative package that contains a lot of the usual ranger trim pieces but at a reasonable price.
Heavy-Duty Special comes with extra hauling abilities to carry the heavy weight your car can pull both legally and safely.
7. F-150 Lightning is a Powerhouse
A very fitting name, F-150 Lightning, is a top-tier powerhouse.
Based on a full charge, the truck has a mileage of 240 miles. It can go 60 mph in a little over just four seconds. You can charge it at home with Ford Charge Station Pro and reach a hundred percent in just ten hours. The truck has a massive towing capacity of seven thousand and seven hundred pounds.
The main power company in northern and central California, Pacific Gas & Electric, is collaborating with Ford to determine how the truck can assist in restoring power to city grids during outages.
The F-150 is equipped with reversible charging, which allows it to return energy to its power source. It is believed that the EV will be capable of providing electricity during rush hours and then powering up once more during off-peak hours, thereby reducing the burden on the power grid.
This ability of the Ford F-150 is fascinating.
8. The F-150 Powered Down in 1998
The large towing ability of the F-series was the reason for its use in heavy-duty work. The fascinating fact is that this truck series has had jobs with the most demanding and tough stripes.
It could move bulky construction materials like cement and bricks to the sites. The weighty trucks could perform the tasks easily. Farmers would also take huge supplies of their products to other parts of the country to trade.
The F-series also aided in transferring dense and solid stones from quarries to other destinations with ease.
However, in 1998 Ford wanted to make a distinction between work trucks and consumer trucks for daily use. The Super Duty line of medium-duty trucks was introduced, allocating the F-150 for light-duty consumer use.
Trucks were increasingly being used for personal and family transportation rather than just for business. For trucks as supportive as the F-series, only the best car protectants should be used for its cleaning.
9. The 2022 F-150 Starts at Less Than $34,000
The Ford F-series has always been a winner in terms of popularity because of its high performance and affordable pricing. Americans have embraced the love for truck rides and can actually buy it without having to put a mortgage on their house.
The vehicles are heavy with huge towing abilities, power, and also reliable on the road. The 2022 model of the F-150 starts at only $ 33,315.
There are other models that will boost the price significantly because of special additions. The Raptor, with trim packages, will range in price from $62,350 to $72,350. The starting price for the 700-power Raptor is around $109,000.
Final Thoughts
For generations, the Ford F-series have helped farmers and construction workers in transport their business commodities. However, the F-150 revolutionized the use of consumer trucks in America.
The trucks have held the highest honor in popularity for almost their entire existence. They have constantly outsold its competition due to its great strength and affordable pricing.
Having reached almost all households in America, the Ford F-150 Lightning is now looking at changing and helping the power grids. The constant innovations and smart changes have led the trucks to move from their bad years to constant success.
About The Author
Ibrar Ayyub
I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.
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