Henry Ford was born on the 30th of July, 1863 on a farm in Springwells Township, near Dearborn Michigan. His first job was with a company called The Michigan Car Company in Detroit and dealt in manufacturing railroad cars. In 1899 Ford, backed by some investment partners established the Detroit Automobile Company. Unfortunately the company failed in 1901 and was dissolved. But Henry Ford still had his dream and continued to carry on. He’d been experimenting with a home built internal combustion engine since 1893. In 1896 Ford drove his first car called the Quadricycle down the streets of Detroit. By 1903 Ford was ready to try again and the Ford Motor Company was formed and his dream began to take shape.
Durability and affordability have always been key ingredients at Ford from the beginning and it was no accident that the Ford Wreckers Perth became America’s favorite truck. From day one Ford Motor company’s use of marketing language has proven to be effective. “Built stronger to last longer came out as early as 1948. In 1957 it was simply “Ford trucks cost less”. What made Ford different from most others was innovation and wise management that has allowed the company to survive for more than 100 years.
The first of Ford’s trucks appeared in 1905, just two years after Ford’s first automobiles. It was fitted with a boxlike cargo body behind the driver’s seat. Though early attempts at building trucks met with limited success, it was recognized that they were a useful product just waiting for the market to see the light. While it was considered a useful mode of transport, the Delivery Car was pulled from the market after just one year due to slow sales. A similar vehicle was introduced in 1912 on the Model T chassis, but it didn’t so all that well either.
To most historians though, the history of Ford trucks begins with the Model TT of 1917. Though based on Model T mechanicals, the TT was a one-ton-rated truck. Features such as a heavy duty frame, solid rubber tires and a worm gear differential set it apart from others and was geared towards providing a higher payload capacity than the lighter duty Model T. At first the cargo bodies were supplied by outside companies and It came only as a chassis with cab. It wasn’t until 1924 when they came out with the Express Body which was basically a pick up bed. It proved to be a strong seller right from the start.
In 1917 the Fordson tractor was introduced. It was considered another “Ford workhorse”. Having grown up in a rural area Henry Ford wanted to do for them what the Model T had done for urban ones. It was remarkably successful and within months of going on sale it became the number one selling tractor in the country.
In 1928 Ford started producing heavier duty trucks. By the late 1940’s the rigs were rated up to three tons. Ford expanded its lineup to include trucks in the highest weight class, from light-duty through medium-duty to heavy-duty in the coming years.
During World War II Ford became a major contributor to the war effort using company resources to build war related materials. The company did not prosper during these years and was in near financial ruin when Henry Ford II, the founders grandson, took over the company.
It was then that they introduced the pick up that would go on to become a classic. Arriving in 1948 the F series truck became the one vehicle to help turn around the Ford Motor Company. In the beginning it was named F-1 in popular 1/2-ton form. The name was changed in 1953 by adding “00” to the end of the model name. So the F-1 became the F-100, and continues to this day.
While it’s probably the F series trucks for which Ford Is best known, the Ford Motor company has built many vehicles that fall under the category of ‘trucks” over the years. Besides the medium and heavy duty trucks Ford has produced panel and sedan delivery wagons, the car/pick up Rancho, the full size passenger and cargo vans, and the immensely popular minivans and SUV’s.
While Fords F series trucks have changed over the years Ford’s focus on building a better and better truck remains unchanged. Each new generation has proven to be of better quality and more capable than the previous generation. A dedication to improvement and quality is what Ford truck lovers have come to expect and Ford’s newest generation delivers both. I don’t think old Henry Ford would tolerate any less.
Take a ride in any of the new 2010 Ford F150 trucks and YOU be the judge. what do you think of the job Henry Ford and the Ford Motor company have done? The reports are coming in and it looks like they have another winner with the New Ford F150 Raptor. They’re selling faster than they can make them and people just can’t say enough about them. Ford’s new Raptor has all the qualities and features we’ve come to expect with the Ford name. From what I’ve learned the past few months and from what people say on my Facebook page from all around the world “Built Ford Tough” is understood world wide.
