Source: Ford Motor Company
2001 King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew
Ford Motor Company is considered a pioneer of the automotive industry. King
Ranch is considered a pioneer of the American ranching industry. Given Ford’s
tough truck heritage and King Ranch’s tough-work heritage, it shouldn’t be
surprising that the two have come together to develop the all-new 2001 King
Ranch F-150 SuperCrew.
“F-150 and King Ranch are both very strong trailblazers in their fields,” said
Gene Brown, Ford Division’s F-150 marketing manager, “and it made sense for us
to partner with them to build this truck as a reminder of the history that we
share of getting the job done, no matter what challenges we face.”
Ford and King Ranch teamed up when Ford became interested in building a more
upscale Western truck. Ford and King Ranch have similar customer bases and
“image targets,” and both companies have strong working histories. The
relationship offers Ford the opportunity to create a limited edition upscale
vehicle that will reach a unique group of customers, and it offers King Ranch
the opportunity to nationally promote and strengthen the King Ranch name via
an association with one of America’s strongest brands and the number-one name
in trucks, as well as obtain publicity through automotive press.
“We looked at a number of brands in deciding upon a relationship that would
make sense for both parties,” said Brown. “We are very proud of the F-150
SuperCrew, and feel that King Ranch is the right association for our most
upscale product offering.” Jack Hunt, King Ranch President commented, “King
Ranch is excited about the partnership with Ford on the F-150 SuperCrew. Like
Ford trucks, King Ranch is known for quality, toughness and innovation. King
Ranch F-150 SuperCrew The King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew the most upscale in the
Ford F-150 lineup. It is based on the newly introduced F-150 SuperCrew, the
industry’s first under-8,500-pound GVW full-size pickup truck with four
full-size doors and a full rear passenger compartment. The King Ranch F-150
SuperCrew is aimed at the more affluent truck buyer, one who needs the
toughness of a “Built Ford Tough” truck but who has the means to enjoy luxury
at the same time.
Unique features of the King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew package include:
- Front and rear King Ranch leather captains chairs & console with embossed
King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew logo and two-way headrest
- King Ranch
leather covered front console with King Ranch brand
- Rear center
console & storage tray
- Unique 17×7.5 10-spoke painted aluminum
wheels
- Unique color-keyed tape stripes
- King Ranch F-150
SuperCrew fender brand
- Color-Keyed box rail moldings
- Unique
two-tone paint with raised cutline in colors of: Estate Green w/ Arizona Beige
two tone; Chestnut w/ Arizona Beige two tone and Charcoal Blue w/ Arizona
Beige two tone – all exclusive to the King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew
A unique evolution of the Ford F-150 pickup, the F-150 SuperCrew provides the
comfort and interior package of a heavier-duty crew cab truck with the
versatility, ride, handling and garageability of the lighter-duty SuperCab
pickup. Major attributes of the new F-150 SuperCrew include a cab that is 12
inches longer than the F-150 SuperCab, providing best-in-class rear-seat
roominess and four conventional doors for the easiest rear entry and egress of
all full-size light pickups available in the U.S.
Other significant F-150 SuperCrew features include an enclosed storage
compartment that makes it possible to have an optional 6-disc CD player, a
unique 5«-foot box design with steel inner and composite outer panels and the
same overall length as the short wheelbase SuperCab model for better
maneuverability and garageability than other crew cab models.
An optional power moonroof – a pickup truck first in the under-8500-pound GVW
segment, is also available. The rear seating area features a power point,
reading lamps, cup holders and door map pockets to increase rear passenger
comfort and convenience. An optional audio-video entertainment system with
VHS VCR is available to expand entertainment possibilities for rear
passengers.
An optional Bed Extender allows more flexibility when transporting large items
such as lumber, cinder blocks or firewood. The tubular steel bed extender is
a curved cage unit, which attaches to the rear of the pickup bed. With the
tailgate lowered, the unit pivots from its stowed position within the box and
locks into place extending the load-floor to seven feet. With the tailgate
closed the stowed bed extender provides a convenient storage area, keeping
smaller items from sliding around the bed while the truck is in motion. The
Bed Extender can also be removed, allowing full, unobstructed use of the
51/2-foot box.
Ford History From humble beginnings in a small garage in Detroit, Ford Motor
Company was incorporated in 1903 and sold its first Model A.
In 1913, Ford developed the world’s first moving assembly line in Highland
Park, Mich., realizing Henry Ford’s dream of affordable personal
transportation. Mass production meant higher volume and lower prices.
Through the subsequent decades came two world wars, a crippling depression, a
tide of foreign competition, government regulations and the ever-changing
tastes of customers. But through it all, Ford Motor Company survived and
thrived, today remaining as one of the most recognized and respected companies
in the world.
Ford’s F-Series truck lineup, launched in 1948, marked Ford’s first all-new
post-World War II line of vehicles. Advertised as “Bonus Built” and “Built
Stronger to Last Longer,” the new trucks were introduced five months before
the redesigned 1949-model Ford cars. Farmers, manufacturers and small
businesses purchased the majority of trucks in the late 1940s. Toughness and
durability have always been mainstays of trucks, and “Bonus Built” was the
popular slogan Ford used to tell operators that it added something extra to
the redesigned trucks.
Ford trucks became more like cars in styling and comfort during the 1950s, and
more Americans moved toward recreational use of pickup trucks. The F-Series
numbering system also changed in 1953 from single digits to hundreds, which
continues today. The F-1 became the F-100, the F-2 and the F-3 merged to
become the F-250, and so on.
By the mid-1960s, nearly two-thirds of pickup owners were using their vehicles
for recreational and personal use as well as for commercial purposes.
The 1970s marked the introduction of the “New Generation” of Ford light
trucks. Ford’s popular F-150 model debuted in 1975. Available in Regular Cab
and two SuperCab variations, the F-150 sold more than 225,000 units for
calendar year 1976.
In 1980, Ford launched its most extensive redesign of F-Series. Interiors
were redesigned to be even more carlike, and the all-new cabs featured
swept-back front ends with improved aerodynamics. The F-150 4×4 models also
added twin traction beam independent front suspension with coil springs. A
new F-150 4×4 SuperCab with a 138-inch wheelbase made its debut in 1988.
In 1997, Ford completely redesigned its F-150 and F-250 models
(under-8,500-pound GVW lineup). The all-new models raised the standard for
pickup trucks to new levels of styling, performance, handling, payload
capacity and safety, while continuing the proud “Built Ford Tough” tradition
that is synonymous with ruggedness and durability. During the 1999 model
year, Ford launched the F-150 four-door SuperCab.
The F-150 SuperCrew is an all-new vehicle for the 2001 model year, one that
extends “Built Ford Tough” leadership into an entirely new segment, the
full-size light-duty crew cab pickup. Another Ford first, the F-150 SuperCrew
remains the only vehicle in this segment.
Ford Division is the largest automotive marketing sales division in the world
and has been the top-selling U.S. car and truck brand for the past 13 years.
Ford brand is a division of Ford Motor Company, the world’s second-largest
auto company, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., and selling vehicles in more
than 200 markets. Ford Motor Company employs nearly 330,000 people worldwide.
In calendar year 1999, Ford Division sold a record 3.4 million vehicles.
Ford Division is home to 13 product lines, including the Ford F-Series
pickup, the No. 1-selling vehicle in the world, and Ford Explorer, the
top-selling sport utility vehicle. One of the goals of Ford’s community
involvement is to lead in corporate citizenship in the communities in which it
does business.
King Ranch History Founded in 1853 by steamboat Captain Richard King, King
Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas with land which varies from
fertile black farmland to low-lying coastal marshes to mesquite dotted
pastures which mark the beginning of the great Texas brush country.
This is tough country, a land hard to tame and maintain. With tremendously
unpredictable rainfall it can literally vary from a sea of green grass in one
season to a hot, dry, dusty and windblown desert a few months later. The
battle to make the land produce, to control brush and mesquite, to battle
predators, pests, disease, floods, droughts, and hurricanes is the one
constant at King Ranch. Writers have described the “fabulous King Ranch”
world over, but only because the tough people of King Ranch, the Kine¤os
(King’s Men), have made it so.
Covering almost 1,300 square miles, the Ranch is larger than the state of
Rhode Island. Now into their seventh generation, Captain King’s decendents
continue to own and operate King Ranch. They play an active role in working
with professional management to build on the King Ranch’s tradition of
integrity, toughness, quality, and innovation. King Ranch was founded after
the Mexican war when Captain Richard King traveled north from the Rio Grande
to attend the Lone Star Fair in Corpus Christi. King’s route took him through
the Wild Horse Desert where he encountered the Santa Gertrudis Creek, the
first fresh water he had seen in 124 miles. The creek was an oasis shaded by
large trees and offered protection from the sun as well as cool, sweet water
to refresh the traveler. King decided to establish and operate a livestock
operation with its headquarters on this creek. The first land purchased was
the 15,000-acre grant known as the Rincon de Santa Gertrudis.
King’s first effort to set up a cow camp and tame the Wild Horse Desert was
the beginning of a dream he, his family and loyal employees would pursue
through seven generations. Then, as now, the people of King Ranch, the
Kine¤os, worked hard to build a legacy on some of the harshest, most remote,
yet most beautiful land in American. Much of what the world knows today about
ranching in harsh climates is built on their work. In the years since King’s
death, King Ranch has been a bellwether of America’s ranching industry – the
founder of the first American breed of cattle (Santa Gertrudis), a producer of
some of the top all time running horses, the leading breeder of quarter and
cutting horses, and a source of innovation that has led to many significant
advances in livestock production and wildlife management.
Because of this vision, King Ranch is generally recognized as the birthplace
of the American ranching industry. King Ranch continues as a major force in
American agriculture maintaining its heritage of both toughness and innovation
as it successfully operates its large livestock, wildlife, and farming
operations in Texas and Florida.
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