“The job was to build a tough truck,” Ford claims in this ad. But one that could also haul the family on the weekend.
This week’s “Throwback Thursday” video features the introductory TV commercial for the 1997 Ford F-150. This year was an important one for Ford, as it introduced the tenth-generation of the best-selling pickup with a new exterior design, and new features that separated it from the competition. This was a bold departure from the previous F-150 squared bodies up until 1996. All-around the 1997 F-150 looked nothing like it did the previous year.
As this commercial by Pat French points out, the 1997 F-150 was the only SuperCab pickup with a standard third door, the only one with a 60/40 split rear bench seat, standard dual airbags in its class, and the Motor Company added extra legroom to make it more comfortable for weekend family escapades. Ultimately, the company’s goal was to build an even tougher truck than they had before, but without overlooking convenience and comfort.
To drive home such accomplishments, this TV commercial shows the truck working hard on a job site while a work crew unloads materials through the rear door, and utilizes the split bench seat. However, since the F-150 is also a family vehicle, the commercial ends by showing a family climbing out of the truck and unloading fishing gear and a four-wheeler. This further emphasizes the F-150’s versatility.
Perhaps 1997 was the turning point when pickup trucks began to morph from work-only vehicles into everyday family rides. What do you think?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
