5 Awesome Facts About the Ford F-150

Chances are good you’ve either owned a Ford F-150 or known someone who has. The pickup truck has dominated sales for years, and has been a popular fixture in movies and television shows. However, even with its popularity, there are still a few interesting facts about the F-150 you might not know.

1. The F-150 Technically Debuted in 1975

While Ford introduced the F-Series line in 1948, the trucks were originally named F-1 through F-8. In 1953, the names we’re familiar with today were established. The F-1 became the F-100, the F-2 and F-3 combined to become the F-250, the F-4 became the F-350, and so on. Finally, in 1975, Ford introduced the F-150 to fill the gap between the F-100 and the F-250.

2. You Can Order it Already Set Up to Hold a Camper

In the mid-1960s, camper conversions were just beginning to increase in popularity as more people hit the road to explore the country. Ford strengthened the suspensions on the F-150 to handle the extra weight of a convertible camper, and was the first company to sell a truck already set up to hold a camper.

3. You Couldn’t Get Factory Four-Wheel Drive Until 1959

While most people can’t imagine not getting their truck in four-wheel drive, prior to 1959, all F-150 trucks were 4×2. In 1959, Ford began to produce four-wheel-drive pickups in-house and drivers could finally drive a 4×4 directly off the dealership lot. Until that point, if you wanted four-wheel drive, you had to take your truck to an outside installer and have it converted for an additional cost.

4. Ferrari Once Named a Sports Car F150

In 2011, Ferrari wanted to celebrate 50 years of involvement in Formula 1 racing and 150 years of Italian unification. That year they introduced the F1 racing car and named it the F150. However, Ford quickly pointed out the trademark issues with the new name, and sent a letter to Ferrari letting the company know they would sue if the name wasn’t changed. Ferrari understood and renamed the sports car to Ferrari 150° Italia. Unfortunately for Ferrari, the 150° Italia wound up being less than successful in competitions.

5. It Was Once Crossed With a Shelby GT500

In 2014, KISS rock star Gene Simmons worked with factory support from Ford to create a custom-built truck. Nicknamed Snakebit, the vehicle sits on the chassis of a 1956 F-100 that has a wheelbase stretched an extra five inches. However, under the hood the truck has a 5.4-liter, supercharged, 550-horsepower, V8 engine and a six-speed manual transmission that was taken from a Shelby GT500. The truck went up for auction at the 2014 Barrett-Jackson auction and sold for $450,000. Simmons’ wife spent part of her childhood in Saskatchewan, so all the proceeds went to The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.

With a history as long as the F-150, you know there are plenty of awesome facts about the iconic brand, and these are just a few of the interesting tidbits.