The Ford F-150 can be a luxury pickup in Platinum or Limited trim, an off-road fun factory in Raptor guise, or a truck whose tires lay down a thin blue line between the public and criminal perpetrators when configured as a Special Service Vehicle.
The package, available for government and fleet customers, including law enforcement and roadside assistance providers, removes the center section between the front seats to make room for customization such as the installation of police computer consoles. It also replaces the stock alternator with a high-output 240-amp unit designed to withstand extended idling. Easy-to-clean vinyl flooring takes the place of carpeting and Ford puts a vinyl bench seat in the back for fast cleanup. Buyers can order the Special Service Vehicle group of features on XL SuperCrew or SuperCab F-150s with either two- or four-wheel drive. Those trucks can be configured with either the 5.0-liter V8 or the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 under their hood.
Ford makes a Special Service Vehicle version of the Expedition, a Special Service Police version of the Taurus, and the Transit Prisoner Transport Vehicle as well as the Police Interceptor Sedan and harder-to-spot Police Interceptor Utility.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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