From Steel to Aluminum

Aluminum was not the first choice for Henry Ford, designing his first car in 1896. Several years later his Model T, affectionately referred to as Tin Lizzy, was fashioned from vanadium alloy steel, offering superior strength. This first Ford vehicle was self-starting, much like its inventor. Ford’s first truck followed in 1917, based off the Model T and named the Ford Model TT. The truck had a cargo capacity of one ton, which was no small feat for that era.

Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right. – Henry Ford

The Ford F Series trucks were introduced in 1948, and the company reveled in its success for many years. Today’s Ford F-150 allows for as much as 3,270 pounds of maximum payload with the Heavy-Duty Payload Package. As an innovative company, Ford debuted the aluminum body F-150 to a skeptical public, inviting claims from rival manufacturers that it was no longer a serious contender in the pickup market, as real trucks have steel beds.