This week’s Throwback video offers a chance to enjoy the first commercial for the 1997 Ford F-150. Back then, the F Series pickup had been the bestselling truck in the world for 19 straight years.
To show off just how impressive 19 straight years of being the bestselling truck really is, Ford Motor Company put together a commercial stunt where the 1997 F-150 jumped 19 of the previous Ford pickups all lined up.
This 1997 Ford F-150 commercial doesn’t talk about what it does better than the competition, nor does it talk about any of the features that make it the bestselling truck in the world, but we do get to see the then-new F-150 racing through the desert before coming up on a conveniently located dirt jump. On the other side of this jump is lined up 19 F-150 pickups door to door and the 97 F-150 easily soars over them all and lands without a problem.
Being the bestselling truck in America for 19 straight years (that number is now 38 straight years, FYI) is impressive, but watching an F-150 jump 19 other F-150s is even more impressive. Enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
