How a Ford Became the First Monster Truck

The pickup truck is perhaps the classic American automobile. Many people associate trucks with rural areas and manual labor, but the one thing that really sticks out in a truck is power. A truck represents power, and no other type of truck represents more power than the monster truck. Monster trucks are also an American tradition, and it is only fitting that the first monster truck was a Ford. 

The Ford F150 is indeed an all-American truck found across the country from Utah to the East Coast. It makes sense that the very first monster truck was a Ford. The history of monster trucks dates back to the 1970’s, with the first monster truck being affectionately named Bigfoot. Since then, Bigfoot has gained quite a following, and any information about this truck can be found on its own website, bigfoot4x4.com. The madness all began with a man named Bob Chandler. 

Chandler began modifying his Ford F250 in the 1970’s, naming it Bigfoot. Soon after Bigfoot’s first public appearance, the truck began to make even more frequent appearances at events like tractor pulls. Much like a Ford F150, Bigfoot began to epitomize the idea of power from Utah to the Atlantic. A pivotal moment for Bigfoot came in 1981, when Bigfoot first crushed cars, something that is standard in modern monster truck rallies. 

The creation of Bigfoot led to several other Bigfoot monster trucks. One could say that the first Bigfoot was the granddaddy of all the other Bigfoot models. Since the days of the first Bigfoot, monster trucks have grown into an American tradition as recognizable as baseball and apple pie. Much like Bigfoot, the Ford F150 has also gained a status as an American icon. In Utah and all the other 49 states, the F150 consistently ranks as the best-selling truck. Power is what people expect in a truck, and both Ford and Bigfoot deliver the goods when it comes to power and performance. 

Whether or not one has attended a monster truck rally, vibrant images can be conjured whenever such an event is mentioned. The same goes for the Ford F150. Whether or not someone has any experience with Ford, people across the country from Utah to the Northeast think of specific images whenever the brand is mentioned. Power and reliability are the names of the game whenever it comes to trucks, and Ford delivers the best every single time. 

Hayden Ratliff is an automative writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Henry Day Ford. Follow on Twitter.