4 minute read • Mater Cars For Cancer, Car Lottery, Mater Lotteries, Car News, Cars For Cancer
Win a Tough Ford F-150 Lariat
Times are tough, but not as tough as this mean black Ford F-150 Lariat worth $154K.
The Ford F-150 has gone from America’s cheap and cheerful dust-belt darling to a hulking powerhouse of luxury and technology, and thanks to Mater Cars for Cancer, you can win one.
Australia’s relationship with the venerable Ford F-series has never been stronger than it is today, imported and converted en masse for the masses. Interestingly, it’s appeared in our market more than once, with the ‘Ford Motor Company of Australia’ beginning assembly of Canadian-sourced knock-down kits as far back as 1948.
The F-truck remained with us in various guises throughout the next three decades, with assembly moving from Geelong to Campbellfield and local content increasing gradually over the years. I distinctly recall one of my Cub Scout leaders had one in the late-1980s, and he was most surprised when I called out the Aussie Ford Falcon steering wheel. Raising an eyebrow to the nine-year-old kid who picked the subbed steering wheel from ten paces, he responded, “Falcon engine, too.”
But despite the longevity of the F-truck here, it never enjoyed the hero status it achieved in the USA. There was a combination of factors; US tariffs and taxes ensured full-sized F-trucks, and their GM and Chrysler rivals, were financially attractive to buy and own, while the sheer size of the States’ rural population meant they were a handy tool from Californ-i-a to Californ-i-zee.
For Australia, they were a niche instrument, bought mainly by those whose intended usages were of a heavier duty than the stalwart Holden Kingswood or Ford Falcon utes could abide, such as the St John Ambulance F-trucks that are so fondly remembered by those of a certain age. Our government didn’t exactly throw people into US trucks either, for better or worse, they were more expensive on the Aussie roads than in their home country, with little luxury to show for it.
Ford discontinued the Aussie-assembled F-truck in 1992, then reintroduced it as a full import in 2001, produced in right-hand-drive by their Brazilian arm. Around 10,000 were sold between 2001 and 2007 until the best-selling truck in America again became absent from our country. Those wanting one since then missed out, much like you might if you don’t buy a ticket!
Actually, that’s not true; in the years since, anyone hanging for big F-truck power had to arrange to import one and convert it to right-hand-drive; not a cheap exercise if a stand-alone proposition. But with the discontinuation of the Aussie Ford ute, and the rise in caravanning culture, Ford saw a need to get the F-truck back here, announcing its return late in 2022 with sales kicking off in December 2023.
What is it that attracts buyers to such big rigs? Surely, they’re too much truck for Australia. I don’t have the year-to-date sales handy, but fact that the F-150, which sold nearly 800 units from launch to April this year, clearly dispels that notion. At over two metres wide, that chrome countenance fronts an imposing beast, but once you’ve slipped into the driver’s seat, it’s a pussycat.
The drop in the front-door window line helps achieve a bright, airy cabin, and the safety features and tech allay any fears that this is a one-trick pony, only good for the outer reaches of the country. It’ll handle the city life, no worries, and while I wouldn’t want to thread the needle through the middle of Newtown, that goes for anything bigger than a scooter anyway. Winning the F-150 Lariat and accompanying caravan gives you the power to daily drive it in the city, yet explore well beyond the metropolitan area, so ensure you’ve got a chance by grabbing a ticket.
The Agate Black, dual cab Ford F-150 Lariat boasts a 298kw, 3.5 litre EcoBoost turbo V6 good for a stonking 678Nm of torque. With full time 4WD, alloy body, LED lighting, heated and vented leather accented seats and two 12” displays dominating the dashboard, it’s unlike any other F-truck to reach our shores. Better still, it’s part of Mater Cars for Cancer’s biggest lottery ever, meaning that the $154,415 price tag, out of reach of many, could be had for just the price of a ticket. You don’t have to do it tough to afford it, you’ve just got to buy a ticket and see how it goes. One thing’s for sure, you won’t win a Ford F-150 Lariat, Vacationer Rough Rider caravan and $70,000 worth of cashable gold bullion if you don’t, and whatever the case, you’re supporting the cause that helps many.
