A Century of Celebration for Ford Trucks
Recently, Ford celebrated a milestone with the production of their trucks marking 100 years of progress, metamorphosis, and brawn. See some of the trucks that really helped to shape the brand and what we know as the benchmark for the industry.
Humble yet strong beginnings
On July 27th, 1917, the very first Model TT truck rolled off the production line. The truck used the cab from the Model T and had a chassis that was capable of carrying a payload up to 1-ton. Henry Ford intended the truck for farmers to use as another tool such as the tractors that he produced for a rural style of life. That year, Ford sold 209 models of the truck for a whopping $600 bucks each.
>>Join the conversation about a Century of Ford Trucks right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
Forward thinking on the part of Ford
The Model TT revolutionized the agricultural world and led to massive increases in productivity for those that used it. Gone were the days of using horses and cattle to move crops and tools when now there was a vehicle to steamroll over the drudgery. Henry Ford was so creative in his thinking that the company sold a $59 kit that would take a wrecked Model T and convert it into a tractor should the owner desire it. By 1928 the sales of the Model TT had grown to 1.3 million in total with Ford finally replacing the TT with the beefier Model AA. The Model AA upgraded the chassis to 1.5 tons and had a more powerful Flathead V8 engine to make its debut to the American public.
>>Join the conversation about a Century of Ford Trucks right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
Was the F for fantastic?
Jumping ahead to 1942, Ford had sold over 4 million trucks and in 1948 the F-Series was born. It was introduced with streamlined styling and was a God send to the brand since it introduced all new vehicles that were developed following WWII. Included in that series were the F1 and F-100 who would remain in the lineup for decades to come. In 1961, Ford brought its fourth generation F-Series to the public, just 44 years after the debut of the Model TT.
>>Join the conversation about a Century of Ford Trucks right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
And so it begins....
It wasn't until 1975 that the F-150, America's favorite truck, would arrive on the scene. The F-150 replaced the F-100 and was made at the Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo. This plant has the historical significance of producing trucks since 1957 and continues to build F-150s to this day. Here's a fun fact of Ford trivia: An advertising copywriter came up with the "Built Ford Tough" slogan that was adopted by the brand and became the mantra for the entire truck lineup.
>>Join the conversation about a Century of Ford Trucks right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
The 90's were so rad
1992 brought more than just neon fanny packs and Zubaz pants to the world. It also brought the first SVT F-150 Lighting to market. The F-Series family got a little bit bigger when the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks for the 1999 model year. The Super Duties were meant to be tough workhorse trucks that would harken back to the original Model TT trucks but have come to be pretty sweet personal use vehicles for many people. Super Duties have become so popular that they account for a third of all F-Series profits.
>>Join the conversation about a Century of Ford Trucks right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
A 100 years of innovation and might
The F-150 Raptor shot right past the competition and came out in 2010 with the Ecoboost V6 unveiling the following year. The Raptor has the distinction of being the first off-road trophy truck that was produced by a major manufacturer. If you are curious of when the high-strength aluminum alloy body was introduced for the F-150, that would be the 2015 model year. To this day the F-Series is America's best selling truck and has sold 26 million models since it was introduced. Congratulations Ford, may you truck on for another fruitful 100.
>>Join the conversation about a Century of Ford Trucks right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
For help keeping your truck in great shape, check out the how to section of Ford-Trucks.com