Cars Seen at NHRA Drag Racing at Raceway Park

 1948 Tucker 48 "Gyronaut X-1" tow car by Rod Ida: Although rusting, this Tucker was a nice blast from the past. The tri-headlight design is futuristic, while the streamlined shape creates a unique silhouette.

Jaguar E-Type: In a serene shade of blue, the slinky E-Type stands out with its long hood and powerful haunches.

Porsche 1600 Speedster: The 1600 sports the classic Porsche shape and clean, flowing character lines.

The 1937 Chevy "Black Opal" custom car by Rod Ida: This is a beautiful vehicle, with the bulbous wheel covers, vertical chrome grille, and hammered stance.

 1948 Tucker 48 "Lower 48" custom car by Rob Ida: Yet another of the rare Tuckers, albeit in much better condition. This example also had eight exhaust pipes protruding from the rear bumper.

Plymouth Barracuda: The 'Cuda has one of my favorite automotive logos, along with beefy muscle car styling.

Triumph motorcycle:With an athletic stance and the legendary blue and orange Gulf colors, this is one cool two-wheeler.

Ford F-100: The predecessor to what is now the most popular vehicle in the United States, the green Ford pickup is very simple aesthetically, but still gives off a bold, tough personality.

Ford F-150

F-150 Platinum at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Detroit

     When Ford pulled the wraps off the Atlas Concept at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, all media attention was diverted in the Blue Oval's direction. The bold concept previewing the next F-150 easily outshone Chevy's new Silverado and all the other world debuts. So the next year when Ford unveiled the production F-150 in the Motor City expectations were exceedingly high. Ford delivered and more. The truck featured many of the Atlas' aggressive design cues that had generated such hype as Ford converted the outlandish styling of the massive Atlas into production-friendly design. I almost feel like I am promoting Ford but the praise is deserved: the F-150 is the best looking full-sized pick-up truck in the game.

Lariat at NYIAS

     Starting at the front, it is immediately obvious that this truck means business. The sideways U-shaped headlights look robotic, almost reminiscent of Iron Man, and the LEDs on the Platinum model add a modern touch while also being more efficient and brighter than normal headlamps. While the other model pictured, the Lariat, doesn't have LEDs, the sharp-edged headlights still appear intimidating. Both models feature huge chrome grilles: the Platinum features three thick bars with skinny rectangular cutouts within these bars; the Lariat's grille is composed of slightly more pedestrian chrome bars without the chrome filling. Nonetheless, these opulent grilles show off the F-150 as a luxury vehicle, a growing trend among full-size trucks. Each truck's lower front fascia also has a healthy dose of chrome, as well as tough, square fog lights.
      Powerful hood creases lead back to massive sideview mirrors, the Platinum, of course, is dripping with chrome. The mirrors feature the extremely useful Spotlights, which illuminate the area surrounding the truck for easy night working. The F-150's only design flaw appears along the side, where the front window dips down, the soft curve in contrast with the hard-edged styling of the rest of the pickup. Out back on the Platinum, a thick, silver bar connects LED taillights. This combined with the model name being stenciled into the bar further strengthens its dynamic image. The Lariat, a cheaper trim level, is a bit too plain, although it still retains the stylish taillights.

Lariat at NYIAS

     The Spotlights mentioned above are just one of many cool features on the F-150 that make work more convenient. There is also LED lighting in the bed and near the trailer hitch, as well as power-deployable running boards, box side steps and a tailgate step. All of these accessories make the cabin and bed easier to get to and load or unload, make sure that while the truck aspires to be a luxury vehicle it retains its place as the premier workhorse on the market. 

Grade

Box Side Steps on Platinum at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Detroit

Front: A
Back: A-
Overall: A