Exactly 100 years ago, on July 27, 1917, Ford embarked on a new journey and changed the history of the global automotive industry. It all started with a truck model called “Model TT” – a product that inherited the success of Ford’s famous Model T. Over the past 100 years of development, the successors of Model TT have become the best-selling truck brand in the world.
Over the years, Ford trucks have become the favorite vehicle of all types of customers, from farmers, soldiers, construction workers, professional racers to even crocodile hunters. Looking back at the 100-year history, it is clear that the versatility, superior performance, and high reliability of Ford trucks have helped them maintain the highest sales record for decades.
However, success is not easy. These achievements are the result of strategic vision, technological innovation, and constant effort by Ford to continuously create trucks that meet the increasingly diverse and even surpass the expectations of consumers.
In 1917, nine years after the introduction of the Model T, consumers began to realize the need for a more sturdy and versatile vehicle than any other product available at that time. This prompted Ford to develop and commercialize the Model TT truck.
With the ability to carry up to one ton of cargo, the TT has changed the way the world works. The first TT model was introduced to the market without a cargo box, allowing customers to design or purchase the most suitable box for their needs. Ford delivered nearly 1.3 million TT trucks to customers over a span of over 10 years. In 1928, two new models, Model A and AA, were officially launched, replacing the previous Model T and TT. The Model AA pickup truck marked the beginning of Ford’s domination in the pickup truck segment.
A few years later, Ford’s Australian company received a letter from the wife of a farmer. In the letter, she expressed her desire to have a versatile vehicle that could take her and her husband to church every Sunday, but also help them transport livestock to the market for sale every Monday.
“These trucks are an inspiration for the development of many subsequent models, such as the F-Series and Ranger, which have achieved significant success in the global market,” Kreipke shared.
After World War II, Ford invested more in the design of truck products sold in the North American market. In 1948, the first Ford truck with a dedicated frame design was introduced. This was an important step and a prerequisite for Ford to greatly enhance the performance of its trucks.
The first versatile pickup trucks with this new design were introduced by Ford in various sizes, from the F-1 with a half-ton payload to the F-8 with a payload of up to 3 tons. Along with that was the birth of the Ford F-Series pickup truck – a continuously best-selling pickup truck in the United States since 1977, as well as the best-selling car in the United States for 35 consecutive years.
After the success of each generation of products, Ford continued to innovate and introduce new improvements based on customer needs. These innovations have contributed to Ford’s success today.
In 1976, the author of an advertisement for Ford trucks in a magazine wrote three simple words: “Built Ford Tough”. This was Ford’s commitment to creating pickup trucks with superior strength and safety. Over the years, this commitment has become what customers around the world desire for Ford’s products.
One of the products that embodies the “Built Ford Tough” spirit and has been commercially successful is the Ford Ranger – the first mid-size pickup truck introduced in the North American market in 1982.
Initially designed and manufactured in the United States, Ranger is known for being a powerful, intelligent, and versatile vehicle. It quickly gained attention and support in many different markets around the world. Currently, the Ranger is the best-selling pickup truck in the European, South African, New Zealand markets, and some countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
Over the years, Ford has continuously improved and pioneered in high-performance car segments, specialized trucks, and especially with the introduction of the Raptor name – with the F-150 SVT Raptor product in 2009, the truck segment was taken to new heights.
Inspired by the image of trucks on desert races, the Raptor is known for its high-performance off-road capabilities, along with fuel efficiency, advanced shock-absorption systems, and intelligent technology. The Raptor is not only the embodiment of the “Built Ford Tough” spirit, but also the way Ford has created influence, revolutionized and changed the way consumers view pickup trucks worldwide.
This can be seen in Ford’s launch of the “Built Ford Tough” pickup truck lineup in the Chinese market, starting with the introduction of the F-150 Raptor in early 2017. At the same time, Ford announced that the popular mid-size pickup truck – Ford Ranger – will be available in the world’s largest market starting from 2018.
With over 100 years of continuous improvement in design, power, and performance since the production of the first Ford Model TT truck, Ford has remained true to its mission of producing new trucks that can overcome the toughest challenges, meet every need, and even exceed the expectations of consumers.
You may not know:
1. The Model A and later the Model AA trucks were the first products to feature the oval Ford logo. They are commonly known as “utes” and were the first versatile pickup trucks designed by Lewis Bandt, the only car designer in Australia at the time.
2. In 1941, to serve World War II, Ford temporarily halted the production of civilian vehicles and started producing military vehicles, such as the GP model or the jeep, to support the Allies in World War II.
3. Since January 1977, Ford has sold 26 million F-Series pickup trucks in the United States. If these trucks were placed end-to-end, they would span over 90,000 miles, which is 3.5 times the circumference of the Earth.
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