As Americans celebrate the 4th of July, resurfaced footage from over ten years ago shows a patriotic display from a handful of Ford Motor Company vehicles. Ford Performance, the company’s racing division, shared the footage on YouTube in 2014, showcasing several of its cars performing the “Ford 400 Flag Pull at Homestead” at the Miami Speedway.
The video begins with a trio of red, white, and blue Ford F-Series pickup trucks, the best-selling cars in America. The trucks lead the pack as another white truck pulls an enormous American flag over the racetrack. This is accompanied by a duo of red and blue Ford Mustangs that drive underneath the flag as it flows in the wind.
All the while, a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is being shredded on the electric guitar, perfectly embodying the spirit of the video. As the fleet of Ford vehicles approaches the finish line, the Mustangs shoot ahead of the pack, burning rubber and creating a thick cloud of white smoke as they fly past the audience watching in the grandstands.
The YouTube comments section underneath the video was filled with praise for the overtly patriotic display. One person wrote, “That’s the most American thing I’ve ever seen.” Another person added, “GOD BLESS FORD.” One user applauded the video, “Best video on YouTube a like doesn’t do it justice.” However, some users couldn’t get past other issues they had with Ford.
“I’m surprised they didn’t receive Recalls during the making of the video. We have a Ford F150 and I have never had a vehicle that receives as many recalls as it does. Oh wait….I also own a Bronco and it receives constant recalls as well. NO more Fords after these 2 vehicles,” one person wrote, complaining about the quality control of their vehicles. Another chimed in, “Now if Ford would bring back cars and start making them in America again, I’d be impressed.”
Ford Motor Company has certainly changed over the past decade since this video was posted where, like nearly ever other automaker on the planet, the Detroit-based car manufacturer has become obsessed with the electric vehicle trend. However, recent reports indicate that Ford’s EV strategy is enduring substantial challenges.
For example, Ford has attempted to roll out an electric version of the best-selling F150 in the “Lightning” trim. As The American Tribune reported earlier this year, the company is having to significantly scale back production of the EV pickup as consumers are not nearly as interested as Ford originally anticipated. Furthermore, Ford is hemorrhaging money on every EV it is selling.
“Ford is reducing production of F-150 Lightning, the top-selling electric pickup in the U.S., to achieve the optimal balance of production, sales growth and profitability. Ford expects continued growth in global EV sales in 2024, though less than anticipated, and is preparing to launch next-generation EVs,” according to an official statement from Ford. Watch the patriotic video from 2014 below:
Ford President and CEO Jim Farley added, “We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling EV pickup.”
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
"*" indicates required fields