Rewind to past Ford trucks and fast-forward to today’s all-electric F-150 Lightning truck for sale and gain valuable automotive insight from Tom Masano Ford experts in Reading, PA.
Learn all about the F-Series history from the very start to our current day.
From our car experts to your family. Determine what truck for sale best suits your vehicle specifications and budget.
Believe it or not, back in the summertime of July 1917, Ford created the Model TT truck, built to help workers get work done! The price went for $600 a vehicle and there were around 2,019 TT trucks sold according to Ford.
From this foundational model, Ford moved on to greater innovations.
Utilizing a Ford flathead V8 engine, the Ford 50 pick-up truck for sale was built in 1935 and ran until 1941. Although this model turned out to be quite a succession, Ford then shifted into automotive production benefiting the war.
In the late 1940s, the war started to settle and Ford began rolling out the F-Series lineup in 1948.
At this point in time, Ford began building a lineup of trucks that varied in size, features and design. This era was the beginning of how the F-Series truck lineup came to be.
This second generation pickup truck has coined a classic vintage look in the F-Series lineup.
For instance, the original F-1 became the F-100, the F-2 & F3 were combined to be the F-250, and the F-4 became the F-350. Trucks that were tougher and could handle heavier loads were labeled in the commercial truck division.
In 1957, Ford changed the exterior design of the F-Series truck to appear wider and less square-like. And in 1959, the option to choose four-wheel drive came to fruition.
At this point, Ford managed to create a truck that drives like a car but operates like a truck. In 1961, the solid axle was built traditionally. Ford twin-I-beam suspension was implemented. Ford continued to modify the F-Series lineup for customer satisfaction.
1965 brought the first four door crew cab.
As for design features, the fifth generation F-150 added the ‘Ford’ Brand to the hood (spelled out), a grille, headlamps, more shoulder room for drivers & passengers and a better cab!
This generation looks similar to the older versions, although the grille is redesigned and the parking lamps are now placed above the headlamps.
In 1975, the F-150 first appeared and trended higher than the F-100. The F-100 was able to be ordered until 1983.
The purpose of the F-Series F-150 pick-up truck is to get work done in 1975 and this still stands today.
This is the year that Ford began strategizing aerodynamics and more comfort for drivers and passengers. Nearing the end of 1983, the F-150 truck for sale surpassed the F-100 in popularity.
1987 marks Ford’s 50th anniversary. The 1987 model was revamped with standard features which included: a fresh new flat grille, round wheel arches, power brakes, power steering, and rear-anti lock braking.
This six-cylinder with fuel injection was able to reach 145 in horsepower with a 265 lb. ft. torque.
1995 is the year that Ford beat out the Volkswagen Beetle as the world’s biggest selling vehicle with the Ford Nite Edition! This Ford generation appears less rugged and more aerodynamic than other versions.
In 1993, Ford revealed the F-150 SVT Lightning; some say it is a branch off of the Nite Edition. This new truck for sale came in single-cab and short box configurations which offered only two colors: black and red.
The specifications included:
The tenth generation was given an introduction at an auto show in Detroit in 1996.
This is the year the Ford F-150 redesign changed dramatically.
The Ford team began marketing the F-150 version to casual truck drivers rather than to workers and saved the F-250 and F-350’s for the commercial truck workers needing heavier duty trucks for sale.
This new and improved truck is now lighter and more aerodynamic.
The Ford designers eradicated the twin I-beam suspension and implemented the torsion-bar setup instead.
In 1999, the SVT Lightning came back; it wasn’t until 2001 that this vehicle hit the ground and started driving with no end in sight.
Starting at $32,460, this truck offers an ultra powerful horsepower of 380hp and and a 450 lb ft. torque; this truck means power!
Believe it or not, testing was conducted on this model by Car and Driver and it turns out that this F-150 Lightning generation and version exerts 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, making it one of the quickest trucks!
Drivers: think larger and more comfortable, the eleventh generation offered regular and Super cab configurations. With more storage and passenger space, Ford was certainly thinking about practicality and reliability.
Consumers certainly took notice of the F-Series Super Duty truck for sale modifications, which is why Ford sold so many units: 939, 511.
This is the year Ford decided to create a square type of design and veered away from the rounded look.
During this time, all F-Series engines were updated to a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Ecoboost V-6.
During this generation, the game changer was the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor which focused on the toughness under the hood.
This off-road truck for sale is ready for any climate thrown at it; providing long travel suspension:
The F-Series F-150 thirteenth generation offers a traditional steel frame with an aluminum body; lighter and rust resistant. This pick-up is the first truck for sale to earn a five-star safety rating from NHTSA.
The F-Series trucks continue to be top selling here in the U.S. In 2018, Ford decided to include a few cosmetic changes to the F-150; the 3.3-liter V6 replaced the weathered 3.5-liter V6 engine.
As time progressed, the F-150 provided a half-ton diesel option during this time period.
Of course, this best selling truck just keeps getting better! Welcome to newer features which correlate to the technological days that we live in.
Throughout all of the F-Series generations of the F-150, this truck for sale remains a solid pick-up truck choice. From fuel to electric.
The F-150 Lightning offers all-electric glory opposed to older versions. For drivers seeking sustainability and savings, electric trucks for sale are the way to go.
8 model options to choose from: