The Ford F-150 burst onto the scene in 1975. Although the F-150 has been around for over 30 years, it and its F-series members combine to be a leader in the market in sales. This article will briefly highlight the history of the F-150 and focus on the engine that powers this powerful vehicle.

The F-150 was born in what was the sixth generation of the F-series. The F-150 was initially introduced to help Ford deal with upcoming emission standards and fill the void between the F-100 and F-250. In its early years, the F-150 was responsible for one-third of the F-series’ sales. During the time that the F-150 was introduced, there were various engines used. The 240 CID straight-six engine was considered the basic engine of the line and it was 3.9 liters and produced 150 horsepower. Later the 300 CID inline-six engine was added. It was 4.9 liters and it produced 170 horsepower. In 1978, this engine became the standard base engine. Also its horsepower production was changed to 114 horsepower, and this was due to Ford switching to net power ratings.

Around 1973, the 360 CID FE V8 engine was another option used. It was 5.9 liters and produced 145 horsepower. In 1977, there were new engine options made available with the introduction of the 351 CID 351M V8 engine and 400 CID 400M V8 engine. The 351 CID was 5.8 liters and produced 163 horsepower, while the 400 CID was 6.6 liters and produced 169 horsepower.

During the seventh generation of the F-series, the F-150 became the base model of the F-series as the F-100 was dropped. Some of the engine changes during this time were that the 351M was replaced by the 351 Windsor and the 400M was no longer used. The 351 Windsor was the same size as the 351M but only produced 150 horsepower. During the eighth generation, engines began being identified by their liter size. In this generation, the 4.9 liter engine and 5.8 liter engine both were given fuel injection. The horsepower for the 4.9 liter engine was 150 horsepower, 185 horsepower for the 5.0 liter V8 engine, and the horsepower for the 5.8 liter V8 engine was 210 horsepower. The only major changes in the ninth generation were that the F-150 Flareside model was no longer sold and the F-150 Lightning model saw its existence come to an end.

The tenth generation saw the F-150 re-emerge with a new appearance. In 1997, the F-150 received its first major change regarding appearance since 1980. This was a huge risk for Ford, as the F-150 was not only the best selling truck but also the bestselling vehicle in the United States for the past thirteen years. Edmunds described the new look as a “smooth jellybean-like” style. There were also three new engines introduced to power the F-150. First, there was the 4.2 liter OHC V6 and this replaced the 4.9 liter OHV I6; the 4.2 liter V6 had 202 horsepower. Then, there was the 4.6 liter SOHC V8 with 231 horsepower introduced, as well as the 5.4 liter SOHC V8 with 260 horsepower.

In the eleventh generation, Ford made more physical changes to the F-150, but under the hood there were more changes as well. Ford introduced a F-150 Foose Edition that carried a 5.4 liter V8 with 450 horsepower. In this current generation, the twelfth generation, there are three engines changes as well. The 5.4 liter 3-valve Triton V8 now has an output of 320 horsepower, there is a 4.6 liter 3-valve V8 with 292 horsepower, and there is a 4.6 liter 2-valve V8 with 248 horsepower, while the 4.2 liter OHV V6 engine has been dropped.

The Ford F-150 has been a stable figure in America for over 30 years. Despite winning numerous “Truck of the Year” awards, being the best selling vehicle in the United States for years, and being named “the most reliable American pickup truck ever produced in history” by Consumer Reports, the F-150 has continued to improve throughout the years. With changes in style and improvements in its engines, Ford has shown that it wants to keep the F-150 at the top of the selling list, and Ford F-150 engines continue to have amazing quality.

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