Amidst the many factory-issue trucks in the huge Ford display of the ongoing Chicago Auto Show is a trio of pickups offered up by the customizers at Tuscany. Included in this group of unique Ford pickups is a new Shelby F-150, a new F-150 FTX by Tuscany and the F-250 Black Ops Edition by Tuscany.
First up, we have the Black Ops Edition by Tuscany, which is built on the 2016 Ford F-250 Crew Cab Lariat 4×4 with the 6.7L PowerStroke diesel engine.
In addition to the custom painted Black Ops graphics, Tuscany has added Stealth Black 20 inch wheels a 6 inch suspension lift package, unique Black Ops exterior badging and the American flag embroidered on the headrests inside. Finally, this show truck sports come unique projection headlight assemblies and a bull bar with LED fog lights.
Next, we have the 2016 Ford F-150 FTX by Tuscany. This truck began its life as a 2016 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat 4×4 with the 5.0L V8.
Tuscany then created this unique package by adding a unique front bumper, a dual opening ram air hood, unique side cladding with the chrome FTX logo, a 6 inch suspension lift and 20-inch chrome Tuscany wheels. This truck is a little bit luxury, a little bit off-road beast.
Finally, we have the Shelby F-150, which begins as a 2016 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat 4×4 with the 5.0L V8. The Shelby F-150 package adds the dual ram air hood, chrome Shelby badging all over the outside, a Shelby-Borla performance exhaust system and a Shelby supercharger setup that lifts the output to 700 horsepower.
Last, but most certainly not least, the Shelby F-150 features suspension components from both Fox and BDS that give it a stance around 3.5 inches higher than your average F-150 4×4.
Our gallery below has images from each of these trucks from every angle at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
