A New Dimension Of Built Ford Tough: Ford And King Ranch
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King Ranch F-150

Photo: Ford

Ford Motor Company is considered a pioneer of the automotive industry. King Ranch is considered a pioneer of the American ranching industry. Given Ford's tough truck heritage and King Ranch's tough-work heritage, it shouldn't be surprising that the two have come together to develop the all-new 2001 King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew. 

"F-150 and King Ranch are both very strong trailblazers in their fields," said Gene Brown, Ford Division's F-150 marketing manager, "and it made sense for us to partner with them to build this truck as a reminder of the history that we share of getting the job done, no matter what challenges we face."  

Ford and King Ranch teamed up when Ford became interested in building a more upscale Western truck. Ford and King Ranch have similar customer bases and "image targets," and both companies have strong working histories. The relationship offers Ford the opportunity to create a limited edition upscale vehicle that will reach a unique group of customers, and it offers King Ranch the opportunity to nationally promote and strengthen the King Ranch name via an association with one of America's strongest brands and the number-one name in trucks, as well as obtain publicity through automotive press.  

"We looked at a number of brands in deciding upon a relationship that would make sense for both parties," said Brown. "We are very proud of the F-150 SuperCrew, and feel that King Ranch is the right association for our most upscale product offering." Jack Hunt, King Ranch President commented, "King Ranch is excited about the partnership with Ford on the F-150 SuperCrew. Like Ford trucks, King Ranch is known for quality, toughness and innovation. King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew The King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew the most upscale in the Ford F-150 lineup. It is based on the newly introduced F-150 SuperCrew, the industry's first under-8,500-pound GVW full-size pickup truck with four full-size doors and a full rear passenger compartment. The King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew is aimed at the more affluent truck buyer, one who needs the toughness of a "Built Ford Tough" truck but who has the means to enjoy luxury at the same time.  

Unique features of the King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew package include:  

• Front and rear King Ranch leather captains chairs & console with embossed King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew logo and two-way headrest King Ranch leather covered front console with King Ranch brand Rear center console & storage tray
• Unique 17x7.5 10-spoke painted aluminum wheels
• Unique color-keyed tape stripes
• King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew fender brand
• Color-Keyed box rail moldings
• Unique two-tone paint with raised cutline in colors of: Estate Green w/ Arizona Beige two tone; Chestnut w/ Arizona Beige two tone and
• Charcoal Blue w/ Arizona Beige two tone - all exclusive to the King Ranch F-150 SuperCrew

A unique evolution of the Ford F-150 pickup, the F-150 SuperCrew provides the comfort and interior package of a heavier-duty crew cab truck with the versatility, ride, handling and garageability of the lighter-duty SuperCab pickup. Major attributes of the new F-150 SuperCrew include a cab that is 12 inches longer than the F-150 SuperCab, providing best-in-class rear-seat roominess and four conventional doors for the easiest rear entry and egress of all full-size light pickups available in the U.S. 

Other significant F-150 SuperCrew features include an enclosed storage compartment that makes it possible to have an optional 6-disc CD player, a unique 5½-foot box design with steel inner and composite outer panels and the same overall length as the short wheelbase SuperCab model for better maneuverability and garageability than other crew cab models.  

Ford's F-Series truck lineup, launched in 1948, marked Ford's first all-new post-World War II line of vehicles. Advertised as "Bonus Built" and "Built Stronger to Last Longer," the new trucks were introduced five months before the redesigned 1949-model Ford cars. Farmers, manufacturers and small businesses purchased the majority of trucks in the late 1940s. Toughness and durability have always been mainstays of trucks, and "Bonus Built" was the popular slogan Ford used to tell operators that it added something extra to the redesigned trucks.  

Ford trucks became more like cars in styling and comfort during the 1950s, and more Americans moved toward recreational use of pickup trucks. The F-Series numbering system also changed in 1953 from single digits to hundreds, which continues today. The F-1 became the F-100, the F-2 and the F-3 merged to become the F-250, and so on.  

By the mid-1960s, nearly two-thirds of pickup owners were using their vehicles for recreational and personal use as well as for commercial purposes.  

The 1970s marked the introduction of the "New Generation" of Ford light trucks. Ford's popular F-150 model debuted in 1975. Available in Regular Cab and two SuperCab variations, the F-150 sold more than 225,000 units for calendar year 1976.  

In 1980, Ford launched its most extensive redesign of F-Series. Interiors were redesigned to be even more carlike, and the all-new cabs featured swept-back front ends with improved aerodynamics. The F-150 4x4 models also added twin traction beam independent front suspension with coil springs. A new F-150 4x4 SuperCab with a 138-inch wheelbase made its debut in 1988.  

In 1997, Ford completely redesigned its F-150 and F-250 models (under-8,500-pound GVW lineup). The all-new models raised the standard for pickup trucks to new levels of styling, performance, handling, payload capacity and safety, while continuing the proud "Built Ford Tough" tradition that is synonymous with ruggedness and durability. During the 1999 model year, Ford launched the F-150 four-door SuperCab.  

The F-150 SuperCrew is an all-new vehicle for the 2001 model year, one that extends "Built Ford Tough" leadership into an entirely new segment, the full-size light-duty crew cab pickup. Another Ford first, the F-150 SuperCrew remains the only vehicle in this segment.  

King Ranch History Founded in 1853 by steamboat Captain Richard King, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas with land which varies from fertile black farmland to low-lying coastal marshes to mesquite dotted pastures which mark the beginning of the great Texas brush country.  

Covering almost 1,300 square miles, the Ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island. Now into their seventh generation, Captain King's decendents continue to own and operate King Ranch. They play an active role in working with professional management to build on the King Ranch's tradition of integrity, toughness, quality, and innovation. King Ranch was founded after the Mexican war when Captain Richard King traveled north from the Rio Grande to attend the Lone Star Fair in Corpus Christi. King's route took him through the Wild Horse Desert where he encountered the Santa Gertrudis Creek, the first fresh water he had seen in 124 miles. The creek was an oasis shaded by large trees and offered protection from the sun as well as cool, sweet water to refresh the traveler. King decided to establish and operate a livestock operation with its headquarters on this creek. The first land purchased was the 15,000-acre grant known as the Rincon de Santa Gertrudis.  

King's first effort to set up a cow camp and tame the Wild Horse Desert was the beginning of a dream he, his family and loyal employees would pursue through seven generations. Then, as now, the people of King Ranch, the Kineños, worked hard to build a legacy on some of the harshest, most remote, yet most beautiful land in American. Much of what the world knows today about ranching in harsh climates is built on their work. In the years since King's death, King Ranch has been a bellwether of America's ranching industry - the founder of the first American breed of cattle (Santa Gertrudis), a producer of some of the top all time running horses, the leading breeder of quarter and cutting horses, and a source of innovation that has led to many significant advances in livestock production and wildlife management.  

Because of this vision, King Ranch is generally recognized as the birthplace of the American ranching industry. King Ranch continues as a major force in American agriculture maintaining its heritage of both toughness and innovation as it successfully operates its large livestock, wildlife, and farming operations in Texas and Florida.  

(October 01, 2000)