Perhaps no other automobile manufacturer in the world is as synonymous with the pickup truck as Ford. Interestingly, it was the public that first pushed Ford into the truck market. By the time Ford introduced its first pickup in 1925, people had been self-modifying the Model T into a pickup truck. Due to the Model T’s high ground clearance and wide wheelbase, this was a very natural conversion. Thousands of Model T’s had been converted into trucks since its introduction in 1908, so Ford just slid into the curve and offered its own truck, featuring a cargo bed and working tailgate. This would be the first of what would come to define the American pickup truck, but it would not be the last of the Ford trucks for sale.
While this truck looks comically ancient compared to today’s models, it was perfectly utile for both rural and urban areas in 1925. Today’s pickup truck driver, however, expects a lot more than just utility. Ford has had decades of delivering utility, technological innovation and comfort in its pickup trucks. Currently, Ford offers several trucks between its F-series, Ranger, Raptor and Sport Trac lines. Take a short look at these trucks and see how they have helped shape the landscape of the American pickup truck market.
Ford F-150
Not only has the Ford F-150 been the best-selling truck in the United States for more than 40 years, it has been the best-selling vehicle, period, since 1986. The 2019 Ford F-150 features a best in class 22 miles per gallon fuel economy and tons of available safety features. Some of these include a back up camera, for use when this rather sizeable truck is in reverse; stability control, for the occasion that the truck starts to get out of the driver’s control; and the all new Dynamic Hitch assist, which allows you to line up your trailer to the hitch using the back up camera and makes trailering easier than ever before. That can be a major selling point for some buyers, as the Ford F-150 also has best in class towing of up to 8,000 pounds. Of course, these are only a scant few of the many available features of the 2019 Ford F-150.
Ford Super Duty Trucks
The ford F-Series Super Duty trucks began in the late 1990s and were Ford’s first foray into the heavy-duty truck market. This line includes trucks known as the Ford F-250, F-350, F-450 and the F-550. These trucks are larger in body size than the F-150 and have higher payload and towing capacities. While the Ford F-150 is perfectly suitable for most people who use their truck to haul or tow for work related purposes, there are some who need more muscle. That’s the target demographic for these vehicles. They also come in many of the same trim levels, door options, bed lengths and other variable configurations as the F-150. However, last year’s Ford F-250 Limited (which is the highest trim level, if one considers the Raptor its own line) was the first truck ever with a $100,000 price tag. So, this line certainly is not for all drivers.
Ford Ranger
In 2019, the Ford Ranger will be making its first appearance since being discontinued in 2011. It was introduced in 1983 and was the best-selling compact truck from 1987 to 2004. Compact trucks were starting to lose favor to mid-sized trucks around the mid-2000s, so the Ranger actually held on for some time in a waning market. Even though pickup trucks used as everyday vehicles in the United States is extremely common, more pickup drivers prefer the utility and size of the mid- or full-sized lines.
As such, the Ranger will come back in 2019 and leave the compact truck world behind. The 2019 Ford Ranger is re-designed as a mid-sized truck, complete with steel body (minus the hood and tailgate, which will be aluminum) and a turbocharged 2.3 liter, inline four cylinder engine. For now, that will be the only available engine in the all new Ranger. This new Ranger is built more for off-roading and features the same Terrain Management System that made the Ford raptor such a popular recreational truck.
Ford Raptor
Even though the Ford Raptor is technically a trim level of the F-150, the Raptor has taken on a life of its own in a very short span of time. It was originally branded as the Ford Lightning until 2008, when it was introduced as the Ford Raptor. It came about because many F-150 buyers were altering the F-150 to make it more off-road worthy. Ford figured that if people were using aftermarket parts to make the already rugged F-150 even more so, why not offer a specialized recreational truck?
So they did just that. The most recent Raptor features a 3.5 liter V6 engine that gets a massive 450 horsepower. The engine also shares dimensions and layout with the Ford GT, the supercar in Ford’s lineup. That should tell you something about just how powerful a truck the Ford Raptor really is.
Ford Sport Trac
The Ford Explorer Sport Trac was a truck built onto the chassis of a Ford Explorer. Although it was discontinued in 2010, used and pre-owned Ford Sport Tracs are still out there.
It was the first mid-sized pickup truck offered by Ford, in the attempt to compete with trucks like the Dodge Dakota, Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. The most recent generation had decent power under the engine, offering V6 and V8 options. However, this vehicle was considered a project of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team, who would eventually turn more attention to the Ford Raptor. The upcoming 2019 Ford Ranger will replace the Sport Trac in the mid-sized truck market, hopefully with better results.
Ford Trucks for Sale
If you are looking for Ford trucks for sale, you have a daunting task ahead of you. Ford has tons of trucks available and more on the way. Each truck has different body styles, bed lengths, trim levels, packages, etc. You literally have thousands of choices to make regarding your next truck.
The good news is that you get to make thousands of choices and can fully customize your next Ford truck to suit your individual driving needs. If you work in construction or at another work site, and you need a heavy duty truck that can haul or tow thousands of pounds on a daily basis, Ford has that truck. If you just like the available utility of a truck and just want one for daily commute and the occasional “help a friend move day”, Ford has that truck, too.
And the Ford truck line doesn’t just offer power under the hood. Modern cars, trucks and SUVs are increasingly becoming homes away from home, complete with all the creature comforts you leave at home, such as Wi-Fi and audio/video entertainment. Ford is well aware of this and offers plenty of infotainment packages to keep you and your family entertained while away from your home.
Foremost, however, is that Ford is acutely aware of the dangers of the road. They have dozens of safety features to keep you and yours as safe as possible when driving. Some are optional, but many are standard.
Ford trucks have consistently been regarded as some o f the best pickup trucks to ever hit the road. There is a very good reason for that, and Ford shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
