The redesigned 2021Ford F-150, America's best-selling pickup truckin history, made its public debut Thursday evening during an online prerecorded celebrationhosted by actor Denis Learyat the Willow Run plantand streamedon YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

"There's nothing more all-American than a truck that helps you get the job done," Leary said during opening remarks. "The best just got even better when America needs it most."

(Left) Todd Eckert, Ford Motor Co. truck group marketing manager, and Denis Leary, actor, philanthropist and F-150 reveal host, beside the all-new F-150 King Ranch in Antimatter Blue at the official reveal on June 25, 2020.(Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Consumers will see the popular vehiclein showroomslater this year. It is thefirst complete redesign of the F-150 since the 2015model year.

"We've been helping make America go for 117 years, and we're not going to stop now," said Jim Farley, Ford chief operating officer, who opened thepre-reveal message.

And CEO Jim Hackett added, "We're ready to help America tackle big challenges."

Ford engineers describe the new F-150as the toughest, most productive and most powerful pickup in its class designed with its millions of loyal consumers at the center.

"Ford took very few risks with this truck, changed very little. They tuned it,"said Eric Noble, one of the world's top automotive design consultants."They didn't need to take big risks."

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He compared theF-150 interior to aluxurious BentleyMulsanne that starts at $310,000.

When you're the top-selling pickup truck since the beginning of time, no one demands big change, said Noble, president of The CarLabin Orange County, California. And this latest redesign feels like polishing a diamond.

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The F-150 and its F-Series siblings make upabout one of every 16vehicles sitting in a work or home driveway in the U.S., according to aBoston Consulting Group analysis in 2020.

That's what happens when you sell an estimated 1 million each year.

The Ford F-150 is as significant to Ford and America today as the Model-T was in its time," said market analyst Jon Gabrielsen.

Ford knewF-150 owners counted on theirpickups forcamping and hauling boats and horses, not tomention construction and every other trade imaginable.

"It's really about customers who keep America moving," Jackie DiMarco, director of Ford truck strategy, told the Free Press. "The truck team really stepped back and got very deep with the customers. We really spent a lot of time learninghow they use their trucks, learning some of the pain points they have that they find work-arounds. We've been able to incorporate so many of those learnings into this truck."

Henry Ford next to a Model T in 1921.(Photo: The Henry Ford)

The latestchanges aren't just about new features but, really, why the features are in the truck now. It all tells a story about F-150 owners.

When a product is already a top-seller, it'stiny things that make a big difference.

"To me, this is a story of many different details," DiMarco said. "When you really know the customer, youre able to do something as simple as a running board. Theyre there to get in and out of the first and second row. But we noticedcustomers are often stepping up on the tire to grab something out of the (truck) bed. Its not the most natural or easy thing to do, to make that big step up. So we extended our running boards, so you can step up on the back of the running board and reach into the truck If youve got the key in your pocket, coming up to thetruck, the running boardautomatically comes down. If you don't have the key in a pocket, you have a kick switch."

Thisfeaturejust makes it easier for someone to grab a cooler, or a tool.

Not only did Ford collect 200 hours of video and more than 8,000 photographs documenting F-150 life and how to make everything just that much easier, the teams shadowed customers around the clock for months.

"A few of our team members went camping with a father and son," DiMarco said. "So they get up quite early to pack up and go, maybe 4 or 5 in the morning, and the team is really struck by how dark it is. You're trying to pack your truck and it's pitch black, so dark. That was the inspiration for us to come up with zone lighting."

Now the F-150 has a feature that allows drivers to use a phone application to light different parts of the vehicle.

Jackie DiMarco, Ford director of truck strategy, is a mechanical engineer who studied human behavior when designing the 2021 F-150. This photo was taken in 2017.(Photo: Ford Motor Co.)

Change is fine but dramatic change hadthe potential alienate die-hard supporters.

This helps explain the redesigned gear shifter, which folds down and allows the console to be used as a work surface for use witha laptop computer or for laying out designplans or even eating lunch. While the company could have installed buttons or knobs for shifting, it wasn'tthat simple.

"These arehard-working people. They use the truck as a sanctuary during the day," saidKumar Galhotra,Ford president of the Americas and International Markets Group.

"We noticed a lot of workers doing paperwork sitting in thefront seat but there wasnt a comfortable enough work surface. But there are conflicting demands there. Where you would put the work surface theres a shifter there. But you have to have a shifter because these customers really prefer a shifter. So theteam came up with a creative idea to have the shifterdisappear."

Ford engineers spent time on construction sites and observed workers with long workdays taking naps in their cabs, so the new Ford F-150 includes luxury reclining seats that create a bed-like opportunity. And there are lockable compartments under the seats for secret storage.

"All those things are driven by sharp observation of how these customers are using these vehicles," Galhotra said. "We go hang out with our customers."

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Intuitively understanding habits and needs is one thing, seeing the situations in real life is another completely, he said.

"Most construction siteshad generators there to power the tools. Those generators were noisy, those generators were smelly," Galhotra said. "The idea the team had, since we were doing a hybrid electric (F-150) anyway, what if we used that technology and put a generator on board? A lot of customers can simply use the generator on board to power their tools. Thats just one insight."

Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford North America, in the cafeteria at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn.(Photo: Romain Blanquart, Detroit Free Press)

This way, Ford F-150 customers don't need to haul that big heavy generator, which can also get stolen.

Having power for a table saw also means having power for tailgating parties, to run a TV or refrigerator or cooking equipment, said DiMarco, a mother of twin teenagerswho lives in Ann Arbor and understands the value of tailgate parties. "People are making their own solutions. Now they dont have to think throughthat and they can really plug right in."

The interior, which may feel like a cozy den to the casual observer, really can be a family space, she said. "I spent a lot of time in my truck with my kids. You have now essentiallya table to gather around and relax when youre not driving. If youre spending a lot of time in your vehicle, we really have spent time on the interior thinking about making that as comfortable as possible."

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This 1975 Ford F-150 is the first 150 built by Ford. The image came from the Ford archive on June 25, 2020.(Photo: Ford Motor Co.)

Pickup truck owners have had a long relationship with the Dearborn automaker.

TheF-150 debuted in 1974as a 1975model, confirmed Fordhistorian Ted Ryan, who providedthe original Aug. 30, 1974, news release.

It was offered in Viking Red, Parrot Orange, Bahama Blue, Baytree Green, Glen Green, Hatteras Green Metallic, Medium Green Glow (at extra cost) and Vineyard Gold.

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America has had a love affair ever since the beginning, based on historical sales data.

Richard Machado, president of Agrian Inc., anagricultural technology company based in Clovis, California, drives a 2020 F-150 Platinum his third F-150.

"When I attend ag meetings around the country, I see a majority of vehicles thatare F-Series," Machado told the Free Press Thursday. "My brother Fred drives an F-150 and his workers on the ranch drive F-150 work trucks they grow almonds, pistachios and grapes."

The unveilingof the latest F-150comes at a crucial time for Ford. It continues to be the market leader, but both Chevy Silverado and Ram Trucks have been aggressively working to eat away that advantage.

The F-150will be built at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant and the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri.

2003 Ford Employee Meeting Ford World Headquarters. Bill Ford speaking to employee group with F150 on stage. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Ford has said it is expecting to report a$5 billion loss for second quarter, so this high-profile product plays an essential role in the company's portfolio.

A price for the 2021 F-150 has not been released.Details related to horsepower and towing capacity will be made available at a later date, Ford said.

Currently, F-150 pricescan start at $28,745 and exceed $75,000. The average F-Series costis $51,585

Jessica Caldwell, executive director of Insights at Edmunds online auto research, said, "Ifall goes smoothly, the F-Series launch should give Ford the big moment of glory they've been craving since it is the most important vehicle for the company given its huge volume and profit margins."

During its first-ever online-only reveal, Ford decided to spotlight itsengineering, technology and marketing teamswho brought the latest F-150 to life. The 35-minute prerecorded program included only one Ford executive, Mark LaNeve,vice president of U.S. marking, sales and service.

"Anytime we launch a new F-150, we're excited," LaNevesaid during the debut. "Our customers are going to love it and our dealers can't wait to sell it."

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-222-6512or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.

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