Ford releases Chip Foose-designed, 450bhp F150 for fall of 2007

Ford F-150 leads huge customization industry

The Ford F-150 was named the “most accessory friendly pick-up” by SEMA, a trade group that keeps tabs on the aftermarket – an industry that has grown eight to 10 percent a year in the past 10 years. According to SEMA, F150 owners spend an average of nearly $1,700 each to customize it – more than double the rate in 2004 and more than any other competitive truck.

“The Ford F-150 lends itself to accenting because it’s so recognizable as America’s favorite pickup. It’s already widely accepted because it comes in the most varieties and customers spend more on it than any other truck to personalize it even further,” says Foose. “And it’s clean, too. That’s why I drive an F-150 – it’s great looking, powerful and yet very minimalist in its design.”

Ford’s overall customization business grew 50 percent in 2006, far outpacing all other automakers, and is expected to double by 2008. This growth has been driven by full factory-customized vehicles – such as the Harley-Davidson™ and FX2 Sport F-150 model – versus individual parts sales.

“This is really a fashion industry,” says SEMA’s Peter MacGillivray. “Consumers want to put their personal stamps on everything they buy – from personalized rings to build-a-teddy-bear – and everybody knows that ‘you are what you drive.’ The Foose Edition is a fantastic collaboration between Chip Foose and Ford."

The 2008 Ford F-150 Foose Edition will begin life as an FX2 Sport model from the Kansas City Assembly Plant. The unique Foose elements will be customized at a modification center before being shipped to Ford dealers. The truck will go on sale by early 2008.

Quick Specs

Powertrain: 5.4-liter Triton V-8, intercooled and supercharged - Iron block, aluminum cylinder heads - 450 hp @ 5,200 rpm, 500 lbs.-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm - Four-speed automatic transmission

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