The Kansas City Royals have only won the World Series twice: the first time was in 1985 and the second was in 2015. To mark both occasions, Ford has released special edition trucks. The Blue Oval commemorated the Royals’ first title in 1985 with the 1986 Ford Ranger MVP edition. To honor the team’s second championship (and an idea from a diehard Royals fan), it’s releasing a limited number of 2016 F-150 MVP edition trucks. Ford’s promoting this newest special edition with the help of two stars from the Royals’ 1985 and 2015 winning teams: Bret Saberhagen and Salvador Pérez, respectively.
Each pickup will start its life at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant as an F-150 XLT in either Oxford White or Blue Flame with the chrome package. Employees then add MVP badges, special polished stainless rocker panels, and a spray-in bedliner.
Only 300 2016 Ford F-150 MVP edition trucks will leave the Kansas City factory; they’re being sold at Ford dealerships in the KC area.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
