The Numbers
Assuming that the average weight of an F-Series pickup is 4,000 pounds, the total weight of all the trucks put together would be around 140 billion pounds. That is equivalent to the weight of six hundred and eighty Nimitz Class aircraft carriers or one hundred and ninety two Empire State Buildings.
Wow! Imagine all that road these pick-up trucks could take up if they were all on the same high way at the same time!?
Options
The 2016 F-150 is the 68th version of this pickup truck. The latest version comes with brand new features including a trailer backup assist which is a first for the segment. There is a wide range of turbocharged V6/V8 engines to choose from as well as limited edition models like the Platinum, King Ranch, and F-150 Lariat.
Ford calls any car above the F-150 SuperDuty. The first one is the F-250 and if you want some serious handling power then you could go for the F-350 and can pull a 5th wheel with ease, a large trailer, a massive boat, and so on.
Commercial buyers can go for the F-650/700 which serves as the base for a number of utilitarian vehicles including flatbeds, dump trucks, ambulances, and tow trucks.
For those in a hurry, there is the SVT Raptor with 500 hp. It was based on the F-150 but is now designed by the Ford Performance Division. If that isn't enough then you can bolt a supercharger on it and get the VelociRaptor 650 with 650 hp. That is around the same as the Ferrari 488 GTB.
History
This all began with the ever so humble F1. Since it was introduced by Ford in 1948, they have produced more than 35 million F-Series trucks. In the twenty first century, they have sold a pickup every minute in the day. In 2015, the number was close to 1.5 trucks per minute. And remember Ford never needed a bailout like “Government Motors” did.
The new line caught on quite quickly. The simplicity of these trucks (the 1956 F-100 for example) made them essential for farmers everywhere. The car designs from the 50's carried on to the pickups as well and made them utilitarian art pieces.
In 1978, all the Ford Broncos had been based on the chassis of the F-Series. The trucks at the top of the range just kept getting larger. The Ford F-350 XL SuperCrew Dualie is the perfect example of this.
Even as recently as 1989, the F-150 remained a common sight on the farm. Owners have managed to keep their trucks on the road for all these years. Some date back to 1961 as well as 1973 which is the 1st year of the 6th generation F-series.
They designed the SVT Lightning in 99 to try and show that pickups can have sporty handling and high performance too.
2015
In 2015, Ford chose to go with aluminum for most of the body of the truck. This required a huge retooling investment but it made their trucks far more economical and lighter. It was a bold move, but was followed by a lot of controversy. But Ford moved ahead of all the controversy and advertised how their F-150 SuperCrew was an important part of the construction of the new practice complex for the Dallas Cowboys. It is amazing what the human mind can do without facing big government forces like what socialism promotes. This is why Americans fight against big government since big government stifles innovation and creativity.
Clients have modified these trucks in a number of ways over the years and trying to count them will be impossible. There have been fire trucks, snow plows, tow trucks, and ambulances. And to think it all began with a humble old F1. Go Ford!
