Cool Concept: The Ford Powerforce Pickup Had Smokestacks And An Elevator

By Gary Gastelu |

Sep 27, 2024

The Ford F-Series Super Duty turned 25 this year, but its roots are a little older than that.

Ford unveiled the Powerforce concept at the 1997 Chicago Auto Show that served as a preview of the first Super Duty and many that would follow it.

The Powerforce had an eight-foot bed and a regular cab that Ford said was larger than any other pickup’s. Its doors had a drop in the belt line that exposes more of the window for better forward visibility and is a signature styling element on F-Series trucks today. High-intensity projector beam and LED lighting also also ahead of its time.

The grille’s twin-nostril design would appear on the 1999 truck, while integrated bull bars and a chrome bumper that flowed into a high-clearance splitter gave it an aggressive off-road look.

That was enhanced with 35-inch wheels and power steps that folded up to provide protection, something that wouldn’t be available on a production truck for years to come. There were also steps built into the rear bumper corners and grab handles on the outside of the bed rails.

Inside, the cargo box was finished in oak and diamond plate steel and had a metal cargo barrier along the cabin wall. It incorporated bars to protect the window and smokestack exhaust pipes running through the frame.

A rear sensor pack that “recognizes” objects and warns the driver with beeps was cutting edge technology at the time that’s now common, but another feature has yet to be offered on a factory F-Series Super Duty.

It’s a tailgate that doubles as an elevator-style lift. Controlled by a remote fob, it would lower to the ground to rest horizontally on rear bull bars and could lift heavy objects to the bed floor level. The 2024 F-Series Super Duty can be ordered with a power tailgate, but it just opens and closes.

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The Powerforce was equipped with Ford’s new 6.8-liter Triton V10 engine rated at 265 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, which was a lot at the time, but comes up short compared to the 6.8-liter V8 in today’s truck that is rated at 405 hp and 445 lb-ft.

1999 Ford F-Series Super Duty — **The 1999 F-Series Super Duty had a toned-down version of the Powerforce’s styling.**Credit: Ford

Of course, back then Ford could only dream about the torque generated by the 2024 F-Series Super Duty’s Power Stroke diesel 6.7-liter turbocharged V8, which is offered in a version that cranks out 1,200 lb-ft.

Unlike most concept vehicles, we can even put a price on this one. It was sold at a Christie’s auction in 2002 for $58,750 including commission, which is roughly what the average price of a new truck is today, so that’s one more thing it predicted.

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Cool Concept: The Ford Powerforce Pickup Had Smokestacks And An Elevator

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