Ford Celebrates 100 Years of Truck History
On July 27, 2017, Ford celebrated the exact 100th anniversary of its first purpose built truck that debuted back in July of 1917, called the Ford Model TT. Now, 100 years later, the Ford brand continues to be synonymous with everything truck. It has enjoyed 51 consecutive years as Canada’s best-selling pickup and now marks seven years as the best-selling vehicle. The Model TT came to be nine years after the first Model T was made after Ford customers asked for a vehicle that could carry heavier loads. The Model TT retained the Model T cab and engine but came with a heavier duty frame that was capable of carrying one ton of payload and sold for $600. By 1928, Ford had sold 1.3 million Model TTs before replacing it with the more capable Model AA with a 1.5-ton chassis. 1948 saw the debut of what would be come to be known as F-Series Bonus-built trucks with Classes 2 through 7 capacities covered. 1953 saw the debut of the second-generation F-Series with increased engine power and capacity along with a re-branding of the current names. The fourth generation debuted in 1961 and with it came Ford’s revolutionary twin I-beam front suspension. The sixth-generation F-Series is where the F-150 came to be as Ford dropped the popular F-100 in order to produce the F-150 that had a higher-capacity than its predecessor. Ford reset the benchmark again in 1998 with the introduction of the F-Series Super Duty which is designed for fleet and heavy-duty use. Today, the F-Series continues to enjoy success and evolve in order to fit the current market, emphasized by the debut of the EcoBoost V6 engine in 2011 that provides better fuel consumption without sacrificing power. It’s safe to say that Ford has enjoyed a successful 100 years building trucks and has shown no signs of slowing down.
