The robust and very sturdy Ford F-150 has been voted ‘North American Truck of the Year’ at the press preview of the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
Also on the same event, the Volkswagen Golf was adjudged as ‘Car of the Year.’
The awards were based on the votes of around 60 automotive and motoring journalists who are covering the 2015 North American International Auto Show. The voting was based on the list of finalists that were pre-selected before the press preview days earlier, details CBC News of Canada.
The other finalists in the truck category were the Lincoln MKC and the Chevrolet Colorado while the other contenders for ‘Car of the Year’ honors were the Ford Mustang and the Hyundai Genesis.
In order to become eligible and nominated for the prestigious citations for both the car and truck categories, a vehicle must be all new or significantly changed from previous designs or models.
Rich history
The F-150 is the most popular variant to the Ford F-Series of full-size pickup trucks. Ford Motor Company has been manufacturing and selling F-series pickup trucks since 1948.
The first model of F-150 first came out in 1971 and have since become the best-selling pickup truck for over 43 years. A little over 10 years later, it became the best-selling vehicle in the US, a title it has held onto for over 32 years already. It’s also the best-selling vehicle in Canada.
The Ford pickup trucks that are being seen on the road these days are the tenth to twelfth generation of F-150s dating back to model years 1996 up to 2015.
It was during the tenth generation of the pickup truck when the F-150 was redesigned from the ground up since 1980. Featuring a rounded styling that allowed for improved aerodynamics, a larger interior, and improved fuel economy, the F-150 comes with either a V6 or a V8 engine, which highlighted the kind of power it can exude.
The current generation of the F-150 is the twelfth generation which began with model year 2009 up to 2015. These trucks are distinguishable by their heavy duty-style grilles and head lamps.
Big in Canada
The Ford F-150 is also big in Canada, in terms of popularity and sales. In fact, the pickup truck’s engines are being built and manufactured at Ford’s plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
It was also a Canadian tech company called Brave Controls, based also in Windsor, Ontario, which developed the technology that enabled Ford to stamp the aluminum parts for its new, lighter, aluminum-bodied F-150 first displayed during the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
This year’s awarding ceremony was the 22nd time that the organizers held such citation and its prestige has only grown by leaps and bounds over the years.