The latest-generation Ford F-150 arrived for the 2021 model year, and Ford will expand its portfolio with a new variant called the Rattler. Ford CEO Jim Farley took to Twitter to tease the new truck, revealing the nameplate and not much else. We won’t have to wait long for all the details as Ford will unveil the pickup tomorrow.
Ford filed a trademark for the Rattler name last summer, though the filing lacked concrete information about how Ford would use it. At the time, we thought it might indicate a future Maverick variant, but it looks like we were wrong. Farley added truck, snake, and mountain emojis to his tweet, but your guess is as good as ours as to their meaning. He also wrote that the truck will be “A rattler you’ll be excited to see on the trail.”
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Ford already offers the F-150 in a variety of trims, including the off-road Raptor and the beastly Tremor. The Tremor sits below the Raptor in the F-150’s lineup, so it’ll be interesting to see where the Rattler falls in the hierarchy. Ford could add upgraded goodies over the standard pickup, including suspension parts, extra off-road protection, or other parts regardless of where it falls. However, Ford could take a more straightforward route with something subtler, similar to the FX4 trim.
Look out for this tomorrow. A rattler you'll be excited to see on the trail. #FordF150 Rattler 🛻🐍🌄 pic.twitter.com/l5fkOlEU4m
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) March 28, 2022
This isn’t Ford’s first foray into snake-named products. Ford used to have an aerospace division that built components for the sidewinder mussel. Ford was the predominant manufacturer of the missile’s guidance and control section. Development began in 1951 when the US Navy awarded the contract to Ford.
The new Rattler won’t find a practical use with the US Navy anytime soon, but it is an interesting connection for the Blue Oval as it expands its product portfolio. Ford will reveal the new F-150 Rattler tomorrow, and we’ll deliver all the details. While a new truck offering is always exciting to see, we doubt it’ll be as performance-oriented as the Raptor.
F-150 Rattler news coming tomorrow morning. Won’t be the first member of the rattlesnake family that Ford has made with a lot of bite 🐍💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/fL0bj4Eb89
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) March 28, 2022
