title: 2NE1

text: In November 2012, 2NE1 received the Prime Minister Commendation at Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, an honor bestowed in recognition of public service and/or excellence in a given field. The organization called them a leading figure of the Korean Wave, contributing to the development of popular culture with their powerful image and music. From 2009 to 2013, 16 of their songs placed within the top 100 on the annual Melon record charts—making them the act with the fourth-most digital hit songs in South Korean history, following SG Wannabe, Big Bang, and Davichi. "Star News" named "1st Mini Album" (2009), "To Anyone" (2010) and "2nd Mini Album" (2011) among the most successful digital albums in history, with the former two albums being the top digital albums of that year. Gaon Music Chart further named them the artist with the most hit songs in South Korea during 2011.


title: Hummer

text: Hummer (stylized as HUMMER) is a brand of pickups and SUVs that was first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. Although discontinued in 2010, Hummer returned as a sub-brand of GMC in 2020. In 1998, General Motors (GM) purchased the brand name from AM General and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the military Humvee, as well as the new H2 and H3 models that were based on smaller, civilian-market GM platforms.


title: Hummer

text: By 2008, Hummer's viability in the economic downturn was questioned. Rather than being transferred to the Motors Liquidation Company as part of the GM bankruptcy in 2009, the brand was retained by GM, to investigate its sale. No final deal was made, and in 2010, Hummer dealerships began shutting down.


title: Hummer

text: The nameplate returned to the marketplace for the 2022 model year not as a separate make brand, but as electric pickup truck and SUV models sold under the GMC brand as the "GMC Hummer EV". The pre-production versions of the EV began November 2021 after a $2.2 billion investment to build a variety of all-electric vehicles in GM's Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant.


title: Hummer

text: AM General had planned to sell a civilian version of its Humvee as far back as the late 1980s. Having the same structure and most mechanical components, the civilian Hummers were finished in automotive gloss paint, adding passenger car enhancements such as air conditioning, sound insulation, upgraded upholstery, stereo systems, wood trim, and convenience packages. The civilian model began in part because of the persistence of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who saw an Army convoy while filming "Kindergarten Cop" in Oregon and began to campaign and lobby for a civilian version to be available on the market.


title: Hummer

text: In 1992, AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee vehicle to the public under the brand name "Hummer". The first two Hummer H1s to be sold were purchased by Schwarzenegger.


title: Hummer

text: In December 1999, AM General sold the brand name to General Motors, but continued to manufacture the vehicles. GM was responsible for the marketing and distribution of all civilian Hummers produced by AM General. Shortly thereafter, GM introduced two of its own design models, the H2 and H3, and renamed the original vehicle H1. AM General continued to build the H1 until it was discontinued in 2006, and was contracted by GM to produce the H2. The H3 was built in Shreveport, LA alongside the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, with which it shared the GMT-355 platform (modified and designated GMT-345). Hummer dealership buildings featured an oversized half Quonset Hut style roof, themed to the Hummer brand's military origins.


title: Hummer

text: By 2006, the Hummer began to be exported and sold through importers and distributors in 33 countries. On October 10, 2006, GM began producing the Hummer H3 at its Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa for international markets. The Hummers built there at first were only left-hand drive, but right-hand drive versions were added and exported to Australia and other markets.


title: Hummer

text: The H2 was also assembled in Kaliningrad, Russia, by Avtotor, starting in 2006 and ending in 2009. The plant produced a few hundred vehicles annually, and its output was limited to local consumption with five dealers in Russia.


title: Hummer

text: On June 3, 2008, one day prior to GM's annual shareholder meeting, Rick Wagoner, GM's CEO at that time, said the brand was being reviewed, and had the possibility of either being sold, having the production line completely redesigned, or being discontinued. This was due to the decreasing demand for large SUVs as a result of higher oil prices. Almost immediately after the announcement, a pair of Indian automakers, including Mahindra & Mahindra, expressed interest in purchasing all or part of Hummer.


title: Hummer

text: In April 2009, GM President Fritz Henderson stated several interested parties had approached GM regarding the Hummer business.


title: Hummer

text: On June 1, 2009, as a part of the General Motors bankruptcy announcement, the company revealed that the Hummer brand would be discontinued. However, the following day GM announced that instead it had reached a deal to sell the brand to an undisclosed buyer. After GM announced that same day that the sale was to an undisclosed Chinese company, CNN and the New York Times identified the buyer of the Hummer truck unit as China-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd. Later that day, Sichuan Tengzhong itself announced the deal on their own website.


title: Hummer

text: On January 6, 2010, GM CEO Ed Whitacre said he hoped to close the deal with Tengzhong by the end of that month. On February 1, 2010, it was announced that Sichuan and General Motors had agreed to extend the deadline until the end of February as Sichuan tried to get approval by the Chinese government. It was also revealed that the price tag of the Hummer brand was $150 million.


title: Hummer

text: Later, on February 24, 2010, GM announced the Tengzhong deal had collapsed and the Hummer brand would soon shut down. There were reports that Sichuan Tengzhong might pursue the purchase of the Hummer brand from GM by purchasing it privately through the company's new J&A Tengzhong Fund SPC, a private equity investment fund owned by an offshore entity that was recruiting private investors to buy into its acquisition plan. The financial markets posed problems for established borrowers and even more for Tengzhong, a little-known company from western China, at the same time as the potential value of the Hummer brand continued to decline given high fuel prices and weak consumer demand.


title: Hummer

text: The company announced it was willing to consider offers for all or part of the assets. American company Raser Technologies along with several others expressed interest in buying the company. However, on April 7, 2010, this attempt failed as well, and General Motors officially said it was shutting down the Hummer SUV brand and offering rich rebates in a bid to move the remaining 2,200 vehicles.


title: Hummer

text: After filling a rental-car fleet order, the last Hummer H3 rolled off the line at Shreveport on May 24, 2010.


title: Hummer

text: In mid-2019, rumors began to circulate that General Motors was considering reviving the Hummer nameplate in 2021, as the market for off-road vehicles was reaching historic levels of sales. GM President Mark Ruess was asked about the possible return in the summer of 2019, and said, "I love Hummer. I don't know. We're looking at everything." Credibility to the earlier reporting began to solidify after the conclusion of the 2019 General Motors strike, as contract negotiations led to the commitment by GM of saving its Detroit-Hamtramck facility from closing by investing in and retooling it to build future electric trucks and SUVs; the products were to be built on GM's upcoming "BT1" electric truck platform. GM's own documentation listed three brands as receiving products from the BT1 architecture: Cadillac (presumably an electric Cadillac Escalade), Chevrolet (Silverado EV), and a third unknown brand referred to as the "M-Brand."


title: Hummer

text: Industry insiders claimed they had sources saying that the "M-Brand" was a Hummer because a revival of the brand with established name recognition would help reduce marketing costs. The Hummer revival on the BT1 platform was known internally as "Project O," potentially named after former Chief Camaro Engineer Al Oppenheiser (the man responsible for the return of the Camaro in 2010), who was moved from Camaro development to overseeing an EV program. Oppenheiser later confirmed this himself. By November 2019, media reports all but confirmed that Hummer would return with two electric models, a truck and an SUV, sometime in 2021. On November 21, 2019, General Motors CEO Mary Barra confirmed in that GM would be releasing an electric pickup truck in the fall of 2021, but did not name the brand under which it would be built.


title: Hummer

text: The new Hummer line is not a standalone brand, as it was before General Motors filed for bankruptcy, but a model within GM's GMC brand.


title: Hummer

text: On January 30, 2020, GM released a series of short videos revealing the return of Hummers in the form of electric SUV and truck models marketed under the GMC brand. A 30-second Super Bowl ad featured NBA superstar LeBron James. The vehicle was to be revealed on May 20, 2020, but the date was later pushed back to October 20, 2020.


title: Hummer

text: The Hummer EV SUT was officially revealed on October 20, 2020, during the 2020 World Series. The Hummer EV SUV was unveiled during the NCAA Tournament Final Four on April 3, 2021.


title: Hummer

text: The all-electric sub-brand of GMC will have several versions with initially only the most expensive "Edition 1" four-door pickup available followed other models and later as an SUV.


title: Hummer

text: The first vehicle in the Hummer range was the Hummer H1, based on the Humvee. Released for the civilian market in 1992, this vehicle was designed by American Motors' AM General subsidiary to meet U.S. Military specifications that were issued in 1979. By 1982, Renault (which was partially owned by the French government) took controlling interest in AMC, and the AM General division was sold in 1983 to Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) because US regulations barred ownership of defense contractors by foreign governments. American Motors itself was acquired by Chrysler in 1987. Production of H1 civilian versions continued throughout 2006.


title: Hummer

text: The Hummer H2 was the second vehicle in the Hummer range built in the AM General facility under contract from General Motors from 2002 to 2009. There were two variations: The H2 SUV and H2 SUT.


title: Hummer

text: The H3 and H3T truck were the smallest of the Hummer models and were based on the GMT355 platform shared with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks. The H3 line was produced from 2005 to 2010 by General Motors.


title: Hummer

text: The Hummer HX was developed in 2008 as an open-air, two-door off-road concept car, smaller than other Hummer models.


title: Hummer

text: Raser Technologies (formerly of Utah) was to use technology similar to that in the Chevrolet Volt. The company unveiled the prototype to the 2009 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. The E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) powertrain technology, was claimed to power the vehicle for up to on its battery, and then a small 4-cylinder internal combustion engine would start to generate more electricity.


title: Hummer

text: Team Hummer Racing was created in 1993. Led by off-road racer Rod Hall, Team Hummer competed in the stock classes of both BitD and SCORE, with specialized racing shock absorbers, tires, and other modifications, along with mandatory safety equipment. Team Hummer stock-class H3 was driven by Hall who finished first in class with the H3 in the 2005 Baja 1000. Team Hummer earned 11 production-class wins at the Baja 1000.


title: Hummer

text: A highly modified, two-wheel drive Hummer was raced by Robby Gordon in 2006 (did not finish), 2007 (8th place), 2009 (3rd place), 2010 (8th place), 2011 (did not finish), 2012 (disqualified), and 2013 (14th place) Dakar Rally.


title: Hummer

text: The Hummer H2 has been stretched by third-party companies into a variety of limousine versions. The Hummer H2 was cut behind the cab and the chassis extended to create a passenger section for 14, 16, or even 22 passengers.


title: Hummer

text: Criticism of Hummers mirrors the criticism of SUVs in general, but to a higher degree. Specific criticisms of Hummers include:


title: Hummer

text: GM is active in licensing the Hummer. Various companies have licensed the Hummer trademarks for use on colognes, flashlights, bicycles, shoes, coats, hats, laptops, toys, clothing, CD players, video games and other items. An electric quadricycle badged as a Hummer was produced in the UK.


title: Google Analytics

text: Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, currently as a platform inside the Google Marketing Platform brand. Google launched the service in November 2005 after acquiring Urchin.


title: Google Analytics

text: As of 2019, Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics service on the web. Google Analytics provides an SDK that allows gathering usage data from iOS and Android app, known as "Google Analytics for Mobile Apps". Google Analytics can be blocked by browsers, browser extensions, firewalls and other means.


title: Google Analytics

text: Google Analytics has undergone many updates since its inception and is currently on its 4th iteration — GA4. GA4 is the default Google Analytics installation, and is the renamed version for the (App + Web) Property that Google released in 2019 in a Beta form. GA4 has also replaced Universal Analytics (UA). One notable feature of GA4 is a natural integration with Google's BigQuery — a feature previously only available with the enterprise GA 360. This move indicates efforts by Google to integrate GA and its free users into their wider cloud offering.


title: Google Analytics

text: According to a statement made by Google (March 2022) Universal Analytics will stop collecting new data on July 1, 2023, with Google Analytics 4 set to replace it. Users will be able to use Universal Analytics up to the July 2023 deadline, no new data will be added to UA after it has been sunset according to Google.


title: Google Analytics

text: Google Analytics is used to track website activity such as session duration, pages per session and the bounce rate of individuals using the site, along with the information on the source of the traffic. It can be integrated with Google Ads, with which users can create and review online campaigns by tracking landing page quality and conversions (goals). Goals might include sales, lead generation, viewing a specific page, or downloading a particular file. Google Analytics' approach is to show high-level, dashboard-type data for the casual user, and more in-depth data further into the report set. Google Analytics analysis can identify poorly performing pages with techniques such as funnel visualization, where visitors came from (referrers), how long they stayed on the website and their geographical position. It also provides more advanced features, including custom visitor segmentation. Google Analytics e-commerce reporting can track sales activity and performance. The e-commerce reports show a site's transactions, revenue, and many other commerce-related metrics.


title: Google Analytics

text: On September 29, 2011, Google Analytics launched Real-Time analytics, enabling a user to have insights about visitors currently on the site. A user can have 100 site profiles. Each profile generally corresponds to one website. It is limited to sites that have online traffic of fewer than 5 million page views per month (roughly 2 page-views per second) unless the site is linked to a Google Ads campaign. Google Analytics includes Google Website Optimizer, re-branded as "Google Analytics Content Experiments". Google Analytics' Cohort analysis helps in understanding the behavior of component groups of users apart from your user population. It is beneficial to marketers and analysts for the successful implementation of a marketing strategy.


title: Google Analytics

text: The latest version of Google Analytics, commonly referred as GA4, encompasses additional features focusing on predictions, customizability, and privacy. Some of these features can be listed as:


title: Google Analytics

text: Google acquired Urchin Software Corp. in April 2005. Google's service was developed from Urchin on Demand. The system also brings ideas from Adaptive Path, whose product, Measure Map, was acquired and used in the redesign of Google Analytics in 2006. Google continued to sell the standalone, installable Urchin WebAnalytics Software through a network of value-added resellers until discontinuation on March 28, 2012. The Google-branded version was rolled out in November 2005 to anyone who wished to sign up. However, due to extremely high demand for the service, new sign-ups were suspended a week later. As capacity was added to the system, Google began using a lottery-type invitation-code model. Before August 2006, Google was sending out batches of invitation codes as server availability permitted; since mid-August 2006 the service has been fully available to all users – whether they use Google for advertising or not.


title: Google Analytics

text: The newer version of Google Analytics tracking code is known as the asynchronous tracking code, which Google claims is more sensitive and accurate, and is able to track very short activities on the website. The previous version delayed page loading, and so, for performance reasons, it was generally placed just before the codice_1 body close HTML tag. The new code can be placed between the codice_2 HTML head tags because, once triggered, it runs in parallel with page loading. In April 2011 Google announced the availability of a new version of Google Analytics featuring multiple dashboards, more custom report options, and a new interface design. This version was later updated with some other features such as real-time analytics and goal flow charts.


title: Google Analytics

text: In October 2012 another new version of Google Analytics was announced, called "Universal Analytics." The key differences from the previous versions were: cross-platform tracking, flexible tracking code to collect data from any device, and the introduction of custom dimensions and custom metrics.


title: Google Analytics

text: In March 2016, Google released "Google Analytics 360", which is a software suite that provides analytics on return on investment and other marketing indicators. Google Analytics 360 includes seven main products: Analytics, Tag Manager, Optimize, Data Studio, Surveys, Attribution, and Audience Center.


title: Google Analytics

text: In October 2017 a new methodology to collect data for Google Analytics was announced, called "Global Site Tag", or gTag.js. Its stated purpose was to unify the tagging system to simplify implementation. This new tag type is an alternative to the existing Analytics.js tag type or Google Tag Manager.


title: Google Analytics

text: In June 2018, Google introduced Google Marketing Platform, an online advertisement and analytics brand. It consists of two former brands of Google, DoubleClick Digital Marketing and Google Analytics 360.


title: Google Analytics

text: In March 2022, Google announced that on July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits. Users will need to upgrade to GA4.


title: Google Analytics

text: Google Analytics is implemented with "page tags", in this case, called the Google Analytics Tracking Code, which is a snippet of JavaScript code that the website owner adds to every page of the website. The tracking code runs in the client browser when the client browses the page (if JavaScript is enabled in the browser) and collects visitor data and sends it to a Google data collection server as part of a request for a web beacon.


title: Google Analytics

text: The tracking code loads a larger JavaScript file from the Google web server and then sets variables with the user's account number. The larger file (currently known as ga.js) was typically 40 kB as of May 2018.


title: Google Analytics

text: The file does not usually have to be loaded, however, due to browser caching. Assuming caching is enabled in the browser, it downloads ga.js only once at the start of the visit. Furthermore, as all websites that implement Google Analytics with the ga.js code use the same master file from Google, a browser that has previously visited any other website running Google Analytics will already have the file cached on their machine.


title: Google Analytics

text: In addition to transmitting information to a Google server, the tracking code sets a first party cookie (If cookies are enabled in the browser) on each visitor's computer. This cookie stores anonymous information called the ClientId. Before the launch of Universal Analytics, there were several cookies storing information such as whether the visitor had been to the site before (new or returning visitor), the timestamp of the current visit, and the referrer site or campaign that directed the visitor to the page (e.g., search engine, keywords, banner, or email).


title: Google Analytics

text: If the visitor arrived at the site by clicking on a link tagged with UTM parameters (Urchin Tracking Module) such as:


Google Analytics


title: Google Analytics

text: In addition, Google Analytics for Mobile Package allows Google Analytics to be applied to mobile websites. The Mobile Package contains server-side tracking codes that use PHP, JavaServer Pages, ASP.NET, or Perl for its server-side language. However, many ad filtering programs and extensions such as Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection, the browser extension NoScript and the mobile phone app Disconnect Mobile can block the Google Analytics Tracking Code. This prevents some traffic and users from being tracked and leads to holes in the collected data. Also, privacy networks like Tor will mask the user's actual location and present inaccurate geographical data. A small fraction of users don't have JavaScript-enabled/capable browsers or turn this feature off. These limitations, mainly ad filtering programs, can allow a significant number—sometimes the majority—of visitors to avoid the tracker.


title: Google Analytics

text: One potential impact on data accuracy comes from users deleting or blocking Google Analytics cookies. Without cookies being set, Google Analytics cannot collect data. Any individual web user can block or delete cookies resulting in the data loss of those visits for Google Analytics users. Website owners can encourage users not to disable cookies by, for example, making visitors more comfortable using the site through posting a privacy policy. As a user navigates between web pages, Google Analytics provides website owners JavaScript tags (libraries) to record information about the page a user has seen, for example the URL of the page. Google analytics JavaScript libraries uses HTTP cookies, with which it remembers what a user has done on previous pages and his interactions.


title: Google Analytics

text: Another limitation of Google Analytics for large websites is the use of sampling in the generation of many of its reports. To reduce the load on their servers and to provide users with a relatively quick response to their query, Google Analytics limits reports to 500,000 randomly sampled sessions at the profile level for its calculations. While margins of error are indicated for the visits metric, margins of error are not provided for any other metrics in the Google Analytics reports. For small segments of data, the margin of error can be very large.


title: Google Analytics

text: One of the biggest limitation of Google Analytics, is its inability to track and attribute offline conversions. Offline conversion tracking is required to measure the impact of online marketing campaigns in "offline" environments, such as Point of Sale, Call Centers, Affiliate Networks, or payment gateways. Since Google Analytics is a JavaScript tag set on a website, when the visitor switch from the website environment to a phone conversation, the tracking is lost, and the "call center" activity can't be directly linked to the initial visit or visitor. Third-party tools integrated with Google Analytics, are now capable of tracking customer journey from online to offline environments.


title: Google Analytics

text: There have been several online discussions about the impact of Google Analytics on site performance. However, Google introduced asynchronous JavaScript code in December 2009 to reduce the risk of slowing the loading of pages tagged with the ga.js script.


title: Google Analytics

text: Due to its ubiquity, Google Analytics raises some privacy concerns. Whenever someone visits a website that uses Google Analytics, Google tracks that visit via the users' IP address in order to determine the user's approximate geographic location. To meet German legal requirements, Google Analytics can anonymize the IP address. Google has also released a browser plug-in that turns off data about a page visit being sent to Google, however, this browser extension is not available for mobile browsers. Since this plug-in is produced and distributed by Google itself, it has met much discussion and criticism. Furthermore, the realization of Google scripts tracking user behavior has spawned the production of multiple, often open-source, browser plug-ins to reject tracking cookies. These plug-ins allow users to block Google Analytics and similar sites from tracking their activities. Many browsers allow users to reject third-party cookies and tracking scripts, in some cases this is the default option.


title: Google Analytics

text: It has been anecdotally reported that errors can occur behind proxy servers and multiple firewalls, changing timestamps and registering invalid searches. Webmasters who seek to mitigate Google Analytics' specific privacy issues can employ a number of alternatives having their backends hosted on their own machines. Until its discontinuation, an example of such a product was Urchin WebAnalytics Software from Google itself. On January 20, 2015, the Associated Press reported that HealthCare.gov was providing access to enrollees' personal data to private companies that specialized in advertising, mentioning Google Analytics specifically. Additionally, in 2022, countries such as Austria, France, and Italy have prohibited the service which lets webmaster tools track and analyse their site traffic. The government stated in its decisions that information are collected via cookies and transmitted to the United states could potentially be seen by third parties and the government which could breech GDPR as users aren't ensured due process for redness.


title: Google Analytics

text: The new version of Google Analytics, also known as GA4, is equipped with deeper anonymization of user data through which the GA4 anonymizes IP addresses of all users by default, meaning it's not possible to perform any changes for this setting.


title: Google Analytics

text: Google offers free Google Analytics IQ Lessons, Google Analytics certification test, free Help Center FAQ and Google Groups forum for official Google Analytics product support. New product features are announced on the Google Analytics Blog. Enterprise support is provided through Google Analytics Certified Partners or Google Academy for Ads.


title: Google Analytics

text: The Google Analytics API is used by third parties to build custom applications such as reporting tools. Many such applications exist. One was built to run on iOS (Apple) devices and is featured in Apple's app store. There are some third-party products that also provide Google Analytics-based tracking. The Management API, Core Reporting API, MCF Reporting API, and Real Time Reporting API are subject to limits and quotas.


title: Google Analytics

text: Google Analytics is the most widely used website statistics service. In May 2008, Pingdom released a survey stating that 161 of the 500 (32%) biggest sites globally according to their Alexa rank were using Google Analytics.


title: Google Analytics

text: A later piece of market share analysis claimed that Google Analytics was used by around 49.95% of the top 1,000,000 websites (as ranked in 2010 by Alexa Internet).


title: Google Analytics

text: In 2012, its use was around 55% of the 10,000 most popular websites. And as of April 2022, Google Analytics was used by 73.7% of the 10,000 most popular websites ordered by popularity, as reported by BuiltWith.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Ford Super Duty (short for F-Series Super Duty) is a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 1999 model year. Slotted above the consumer-oriented Ford F-150, the Super Duty trucks are an expansion of the Ford F-Series range, from the F-250 to the F-550. Rather than adapting lighter-duty trucks for heavier use, Super Duty trucks have been designed as a dedicated variant of the Ford F-Series, including pickup trucks and chassis-cab vehicles; the Ford F-450 is the largest pickup truck offered for sale in North America.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Currently in their fourth generation, Super Duty trucks use a separate chassis from the F-150, including heavier-duty frame and chassis components, which allows for heavier payloads and towing capabilities. With a GVWR over , Super Duty pickups are Class 2 and 3 trucks; chassis cab trucks are offered in Class 4 and 5 sizes. The model line also offers Ford PowerStroke V8 diesel engines as an option.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Alongside pickup trucks and chassis cabs, the Super Duty line includes medium-duty F-Series trucks (F-650 and F-750); the Super Duty pickup truck also served as the basis for the Ford Excursion full-sized SUV.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Ford F-250 to F-550 Super Duty trucks are assembled at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky, while medium-duty F-650 and F-750s are assembled at Ohio Assembly in Avon Lake, Ohio. Prior to 2016, medium-duty trucks were assembled in Mexico under the Blue Diamond Truck joint venture with Navistar International.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In 1958, Ford introduced the Super Duty engine family as large-block V8 engines for trucks, offered in 401, 477, and 534 cubic-inch displacements. The largest-block V8 engines ever built by Ford Motor Company, the Super Duty engines were the largest mass-produced gasoline V8 engines in the world (for road-going vehicles).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: To showcase the engine launch, the "Big Job" conventional truck variants of the F-Series were rebranded as Super Duty, a name added to other Ford trucks as well. Alongside the Ford C-Series and H-Series cabovers, the N-Series conventional adopted the Super Duty name. Though its poor fuel economy proved uncompetitive against the increasing popularity of diesel engines, the durability of the Super Duty V8 kept the engine in production until 1981.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In 1987, Ford revitalized the name as a Class 4 truck badged as "F-Super Duty". Manufactured solely as a chassis cab vehicle, these trucks were the heaviest F-Series trucks at the time, offered only with the 7.5L gasoline V8 or the 7.3L diesel V8.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In response to the changing demographics of pickup truck purchases during the 1980s and 1990s, as part of the redesign of the F-Series for the 1997 model year, the model family began a split into two model families, introducing the 1997 Ford F-150 as the first of two distinct F-Series lines. While still functioning as a full-size pickup, the F-150 adopted carlike aerodynamics and convenience features to expand its appeal among consumers. To appeal towards commercial and fleet buyers and owners who tow, the F-250 and F-350s were developed as a separate, dedicated heavy-duty truck platform (in place of using one chassis for all of its trucks). By expanding the model line into two separate but related platforms, the inevitable compromises inherent in offering a wide range of load-carrying capacities were avoided.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Prior to the release of the Ford Super Duty series, the previous-generation F-250HD and F-350 returned for sale for 1997 and 1998 (alongside a separate 1997/1998 F-250 light duty based upon the F-150).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Beginning production in early 1998 for the 1999 model (the 1998 model year was skipped), the Ford F-Series Super Duty consisted of the F-250 pickup truck, F-350 pickup truck and chassis cab, and introduced the F-450 and F-550 chassis cab trucks "(see below)". The Super Duty trucks were produced with three cab configurations - two-door standard cab, 2+2 door SuperCab, and four-door crew cab. The SuperCab configuration of the Super Duty marked the introduction of two standard rear-hinged doors on the extended cab, a feature also adopted by the F-150 and Ranger/Mazda B-Series for 1999. The standard-cab pickup was produced with an 8-foot bed; SuperCab and crew cabs were produced with a 6 3/4-foot bed, with an 8-foot bed optional. Chassis cab models came with more and different bed length and wheelbase options, but with the same cabs. Two-wheel drive was standard, with four-wheel drive as an option; on F-350 pickup trucks, a dual rear-wheel axle was optional with either drive configuration.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Styled by Andrew Jacobson (designer of the 1997 Ford F-150) and Moray Callum, aside from taillamp lenses and the tailgate, the Super Duty F-Series trucks share no visible exterior parts with the Ford F-150. Under the skin, only the base-equipment 5.4-liter V8 and 4R100 transmission are shared. While sharing the similar aerodynamic cab design of its smaller counterpart, the exteriors of the Super Duty trucks are much different forward of the windshield. While an influence often compared to the 1994–2002 Dodge Ram, the Super Duty also derives elements of styling from much larger Ford trucks, including the Ford LTL-9000 and Aeromax, with a raised hood line, large grille, and low fenders. A feature drawn from 1996 redesign of the Louisville/Aeromax was in the design of the side window openings; the front portion is lowered, allowing for increased side visibility (as well as larger sideview mirrors). To improve aerodynamics over metal-framed mirrors, manual-telescoping trailer-tow mirrors were available as an option. As an industry first, two large, complete, ring-style front tow hooks were included. A minor update occurred in the 2002 model year, which received a new instrument cluster with a digital odometer.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For the 2005 model year, the Ford Super Duty trucks were given exterior and interior updates. For the exterior, a new grille, front bumper, and headlights were introduced alongside the introduction of a locking tailgate for all pickup trucks. Under the skin (with thicker frame rails), updated Triton gasoline engines were introduced with higher engine output and larger alternators; in response to the increased power, all trucks were given four-wheel disc brakes (with two-piston calipers). To accommodate the larger brakes, 17-inch wheels became standard, with 18-inch wheels optional (on single rear-wheel trucks); forged Alcoa wheels were an option. The long-running Twin I-Beam front suspension continued on two-wheel drive trucks.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: To the interior, several changes were made to improve functionality for end users. Along with the addition of a driver-side glove compartment, the truck added the option of dashboard-mounted auxiliary switches (for owners who fit equipment such as snowplows, winches, and auxiliary lights); these are switches that were typically user designed. For users who tow, a new option was Ford TowCommand, a trailer brake controller built into the dashboard, allowing it to integrate with the ABS system and engine computer from the factory.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: During its production, the first-generation Ford F-Series Super Duty was sold with two gasoline and two diesel engine options.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Replacing the overhead-valve engines used in previous F-Series models, for the Super Duty, Ford transitioned to the Triton overhead-cam engine family (truck versions of the Ford Modular engines).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: At its launch, the standard engine in the Super Duty was a Triton V8. Producing and of torque, the SOHC 16-valve V8 was shared with the F-150 and Ford E-Series. During 1999, the engine was re-tuned to . In 2005, the cylinder heads were redesigned to three-valve design, converting it to a 24-valve V8 with variable camshaft timing (VCT); output was increased to and of torque.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: As a replacement for the long-running 7.5 L/460 V8, for the Super Duty, Ford introduced a Triton V10. A SOHC 20-valve engine, the V10 produced and of torque. In 2005, the V10 also received three-valve non-VCT cylinder heads, increasing its output to and of torque.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Both the V8 and V10 Triton engines are designed with a fail-safe cooling system to protect the engine in case of major coolant loss. If the engine overheats, the engine will continue to operate on half of its cylinders. Alternating back and forth between each set of four (or five) pistons, the set that is not receiving fuel and ignition is operating to pump air through the engine to lower its temperature. Although engine output is limited, dependent on upon vehicle load, outside temperature, and current road conditions, the system is designed to allow the vehicle to travel a short distance to receive service or to reach a repair facility.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Available in both F-250 and F-350 pickup trucks, as well as F-450 and F-550 chassis cabs, the F-Series was sold with optional PowerStroke V8 diesel engines produced under its joint venture with Navistar International.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: At its launch, the F-Series Super Duty was sold with the 7.3 L Power Stroke V8. Initially producing 235 hp/500 lb-ft of torque, the engine was retuned in 2001. Versions equipped with an automatic transmission produced 250 hp, while manual-transmission examples produced 275 hp; with either transmission, the engine produced 525 lb-ft of torque. As the 7.3 L V8 was no longer able to comply with noise regulations for diesel engines, it was discontinued midway through the 2003 model year.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: As a running change during the 2003 model year, the 6.0 L Power Stroke V8 was introduced as the replacement for the previous 7.3 L V8 in LHD markets supplied with the American-assembled trucks, while RHD ones supplied from Brazil kept the 7.3 L until 2005. As before, the engine continued to be produced by Navistar. A 32-valve pushrod engine, the 6.0 L V8 featured a single variable-vane turbocharger. While a smaller-displacement engine than its predecessor, its output is higher than the 7.3 L, providing and of torque (in 2005, the torque increased to ). Due to problems with the head bolts Navistar re-designed the engine with reinforced heads, more torque and power, releasing the new design in 2005–2006. As with its predecessor, the 6.0 L ended its production run due to tighter emissions requirements, replaced as part of the Super Duty redesign for the 2008 model year.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The 6.0 L Power Stroke was the target of a class-action lawsuit, alleging the engines were defective. Ford settled the lawsuit with owners and former owners of 6.0 L diesel-equipped Super Duty trucks and E-Series vans in 2013, by reimbursing them for the cost of repairs to the exhaust gas recirculation system, fuel injectors, and turbocharger, which were common failure points.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Four transmissions were available. Several configurations of the ZF5 five-speed manual transmission were offered: small block pattern, big block pattern, and diesel. Close-ratio and wide-ratio gearings were available, as well as 4WD and 2WD configurations with the exception of integrated driveshaft brake 2WD versions using the 4x4 style transmission. Earlier s5-42 versions were rated to 570 Nm (420 ft-lb) of torque, while later s5-47 versions were rated to 636 Nm (470 ft-lb). ZF six-speed manual for diesel engines. An optional 4R100 four-speed automatic was available for either the gasoline or diesel engines, later being replaced with the TorqShift five-speed automatic. The five-speed automatics are rated at exactly (1000 ft-lb), enabling higher towing capacity than trucks with the standard five- or six-speed manual transmission. The six-speed manual transmission used an integrated PTO.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Torqshift five-speed 5R110 automatic transmission replaced the four-speed in the 2003 model year diesel trucks to compete with the Allison 1000 series from General Motors; it was paired with the new 6.0 L diesel engine. The TorqShift design, in fact, has six forward ratios, but only five are advertised, with the 'hidden' gear only used in extreme cold weather. The TorqShift first to fifth gear ratios are 3.11, 2.22, 1.55, 1.00, and 0.71:1. It also uses an alternate fourth gear, overdrive on second gear of the three-speed automatic component (0.72 × 1.55), that is 1.10:1 that is used under cold start conditions to aid engine and transmission warm up. On the TorqShift; once the Tow/Haul mode is activated, it can help increase a driver's control when towing large loads up and down steep grades and automatically minimizes shifts and maximizes available torque. Upon descent, the Tow/Haul mode uses engine braking to help extend brake life and improve driver control. An adaptive shift function monitors the TorqShift's performance over its lifetime and adjusts shift pressures in real time to assure consistent shift feel and compensate for wear. For ease of maintenance, the TorqShift's oil filter is an easily serviced, cartridge design that was usually mounted on the passenger side behind the front bumper. Also, the TorqShift's larger fluid lines and a larger transmission oil cooler help to assure cooler operating temperatures, even under the most demanding conditions. This was Ford's first automatic transmission to feature a power take-off (PTO). The transmission can be equipped with an integrated PTO provision (which automatically locks the torque converter providing power to the PTO gear when the operator turns on the PTO switch).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: On 4WD models, a choice was available of either a manual, chain-driven transfer case floor shifter with manual front locking hubs or electronic shift-on-the-fly (a $185 option over the manual) dash knob with vacuum-activated automatic, and (in case of failure) manual override front hubs. The optional FX4 models are basically a standard 4WD with an Off-Road package that includes upgraded heavy-duty Rancho shocks, added skid plates for the fuel tank and transfer case, and two "FX4" decals on both back bed sides instead of the standard "4x4". For all 4WD models, the two-speed transfer case 4x4-LOW range has a gear reduction of 2.72:1. Brazilian and Venezuelan versions had only the ESOF transfer case.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For the first-generation Super Duty range, Ford used several different suspension configurations, depending on the model of truck. All pickup models have heavy-duty leaf springs and staggered shock absorbers. A standard stabilizer bar is included on dual rear-wheel models and an option on single rear-wheel versions. An optional slide-in camper certification package with heavier-duty springs was available on single rear-wheel models. All versions of the Super Duty trucks came equipped with four-wheel disc brakes.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: On 2WD F-250 and F-350 pickups, the Twin I-Beam independent front suspension with coil springs was used; their 4WD counterparts were equipped with solid front axle (Dana 50 and Dana 60) with leaf springs. In 2005, the front suspension was updated as 4WD trucks were converted to front coil springs; to reduce unsprung weight, the mounting of the front sway bar was changed to the frame instead of the front axle. The manual locking hubs on Super Duty trucks are made by Warn.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The F-250 and F-350 single-rear wheel versions were fitted with a Sterling 10.5 axle 35-spline axle with choices of conventional or limited-slip differentials; initially developed for previous-generation Ford trucks, it was strengthened for use in the Super Duty. In dual-rear wheel F-350s, the rear axle was a Dana 80.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: On F-450 and F-550 chassis cab trucks, the Dana 60 front axle was replaced with a Dana Super 60 in 2005; 2008-2010 and 2015-2018 F-450 pickups used Dana S 110 rear axles, while 2011-2014 F-450 pickups used Dana 80 axles. All F-450 chassis cabs used a Dana S 110, while F-550s used a Dana 135 from 1999 to 2004 and an S 110 from 2005 on.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Dana 50 axle featured on most F-250 Super Duty trucks differs greatly from the early models. The Dana 50 started out as a Twin Traction Beam axle (much like independent suspension) in 1980 and lasted to 1997 models. The Super Duty models then used a solid axle version of this axle. The ring, pinion, carrier, and U joints all remained the same, however. The Dana 50 was phased out of the trucks in 2004, in favor of the Dana 60, and was last used in the Ford Excursion.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Throughout its production run, the first-generation 1999-2007 Ford F-Series Super Duty was offered in three main trim levels:


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The base XL was the "work truck" trim level. Its standard features included a manual transmission, an AM/FM stereo with two front door-mounted speakers, a heater and blower, vinyl-trimmed seating surfaces with bench seats, steel wheels with black center hubs, black front and rear bumpers, a black "egg-crate" front grille, and manual windows and door locks. Optional features that were offered on this trim level included cloth-trimmed seating surfaces or vinyl- and cloth-trimmed seating surfaces, power windows and door locks, an AM/FM stereo with cassette player (later, a single-disc CD player instead of a cassette player) and four speakers, chrome front and rear bumpers as part of an XL Decor Group, an automatic transmission, and air conditioning.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The midrange XLT was the most popular trim level. It added these features to the base XL trim level: an AM/FM stereo with cassette player (later, a single-disc CD player instead of a cassette player) and four speakers, cloth-trimmed seating surfaces, bright center wheel hubs, chrome front and rear bumpers, a chrome "egg-crate" front grille with black inserts, power windows and door locks, and air conditioning. Optional features that were offered on this trim level included aluminum wheels, keyless entry (later, this option became standard equipment on this trim level), an AM/FM stereo with both a cassette player and a single-disc CD player (later, a six-disc, in-dash CD changer), an automatic transmission, and a power-adjustable front driver's bench seat.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The top-of-the-line Lariat was the most luxurious trim level. It added these features to the mid-range XLT trim level: an AM/FM stereo with both a cassette player and a single-disc CD player (later, a six-disc, in-dash CD changer), leather-trimmed seating surfaces, chrome-clad (later aluminum) wheels and center wheel hubs, keyless entry, a security system, electronic climate controls, a power front bench seat with fold-down center armrest, wood interior trim panels, and a chrome front grille with chrome inserts. Available options included two-tone exterior paint, color-keyed grille insert as well as front & rear bumpers, bucket seats replacing the bench seat, heated front seats, and an automatic transmission (which later became standard on this trim level).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2003, a special Centennial Edition Super Duty Crew Cab was offered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company. The truck could be ordered only as a Crew Cab, but a choice of bed lengths, dual or single rear ends and gasoline or diesel engines were available. The Centennial Edition offered as standard equipment: monochromatic black clearcoat exterior, premium Verona-grain Imola leather seating finished in two-tone parchment, Special Centennial Edition badging, and a commemorative keychain and wristwatch. The Centennial Edition also came with special leather-bound owner's manual with the embossed signatures of Henry Ford, Edsel Ford, Henry Ford II, and William Clay Ford Jr.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Ford offered a special Harley-Davidson Super Duty truck from 2004 to 2007. Available only on single rear wheel models, the Harley package could be had as either SuperCab or Crew Cab and customers could choose either V10 gas or 6.0 L PowerStroke turbodiesel power. Based upon the Lariat trim, Harleys had a unique black leather interior, with the Bar and Shield logo adorning the front and rear captain's chairs (SuperCab models had a rear bench). Heated seats, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, and power-adjustable heated mirrors round out the standard equipment. Unique spun-metal gauge faceplates embroidered carpeted floor mats, and a leather-wrapped console lid with individually serial numbered badging round out unique interior appointments. The 2004 Harleys could be had with three unique paint schemes, Competition Orange/Black Clearcoat two-tone, Dark Shadow Gray/Black Clearcoat two-tone, or a Black Clearcoat solid paint job. Unique pinstriping was found on all three of the color options.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In 2003, Ford began to offer its King Ranch trim package to the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks. This included rich Castaño leather seats, steering wheel audio and climate controls, front heated seats, 18-inch aluminum wheels (single) or 17-inch wheels (dual), and an improved instrument panel.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Changes to the Harley package in 2005 corresponded to the refresh of the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty models. No longer could one order a SuperCab Harley-Davidson, and the 5.4 L V8 was added as the base engine for the package. New unique, black-trimmed headlights, billet-style grille, and 20-inch wheels were made standard. Gone were the two-tone paint jobs, but optional was painted ghost flames; 2005 models could be had in two color options, Black or True Blue Metallic. The interior stayed largely the same, with luxurious black leather captain's chairs in the front and rear and Harley Bar and Shield badging galore, but the truck got the same interior updates as other '05 Super Dutys.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: To bridge the gap between the pickup line and the much larger medium-duty F-650/F-750, Ford introduced the F-450 and F-550 variants of the Super Duty; with an available GVWR from 17,950 to 19,500 lb, it pushes the Super Duty into the Class 5 truck market. Available only as a chassis cab, both versions were fitted with dual rear wheels.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: While largely aimed at fleet buyers, F-450 and F-550 models were configurable in XL, XLT, and Lariat trim levels available to Super Duty pickup buyers. The sole gasoline engine was the 6.8 L V10, while the 7.3 L Power Stroke was the diesel option; in 2003, this was replaced by the 6.0 L Power Stroke.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In 2005, the F-450 and F-550 received further updates to the exterior than the rest of the Super Duty line, with an extended front bumper and front fenders; the F-550 received a "wide-track" front axle to sharpen its turning radius.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Ford F-350 Super Duty first generation was also assembled in Venezuela as a commercial small truck from 1999 to 2010. For this market, the F-350 featured the 5.4 L V8 Triton engine, a five-speed manual transmission, and a choice of 4WD or 2WD.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Ford Super Duty trucks were built in Brazil, with different engines from their North American counterparts and fewer options, initially between 1999 and 2011, with a limited reintroduction of the F-350 in 2014. The dual-rear wheel variant of the F-350 is known locally as F-4000. They were widely exported to Australia (F-250 and F-350), South Africa (F-250), and Argentina (F-250, rebadged as F-100, and the F-350 DRW rebadged as F-4000), usually following the Brazilian specification (with an obvious change of the cockpit location in the versions targeted to Australia, South Africa, and other RHD markets), but Australia had a wider range of options in pair with its American counterparts, including automatic transmission and the V8 engines. The SuperCab was never officially available in Brazil and regional export markets (Uruguay and Argentina), but was made in RHD for export to Australia. South Africa had only the MWM engine and five-speed manual transmission, with the option of 2WD and 4WD for the single cab, while the crew cab had 4WD as standard.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The second-generation Super Duty was supposed to debut for model year 2007, but quality issues pushed it back to the 2008 model year. It features an all-new PowerStroke diesel V8 with piezo fuel injectors and sequential turbos to replace the 6.0 L PowerStroke single-turbo diesel V8. The new engine produces 350 hp (260 kW) and of torque. The vehicle had its first official showing at the Texas State Fair in 2006. Ford started taking orders in January 2007. The first 2008 F-450 pickup sold to the public, was delivered to Randy Whipple of Muskegon, Michigan, in February 2007.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Located near the same dash area as the last generation (but slightly to the right and more directly below the radio), this generation of Super Duty models has the same Ford TowCommand trailer brake controller and four AUX Upfitter switches as the last generation set-up.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: An optional concealed slide-out step and swing-up hand grab bar were added to the rear tailgate for easy access.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Ford introduced its all new optional "Rapid-Heat Supplemental Cab Heater", only available on Super Duty trucks with the diesel engine and TorqShift automatic transmission. In the winter, it quickly raises the cabin temperature to a comfortable level until the engine is warm enough to handle the job.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The interior of the Super Duty was completely redesigned, with a new instrument cluster (with an enhanced message center) with similar styling to that of the 11th generation F-150 (2004-2008), as well as new steering wheel, center dash bezel, interior door panels, and seat trim. Sirius Satellite Radio, a 3.5 mm auxiliary audio input jack (for all models equipped with a CD player or CD changer), a new "premium" audio system with an external amplifier and subwoofer, and a GPS navigation system radio with a touchscreen display were all new features. In 2009, the Ford SYNC entertainment system became available on select trim levels, adding Bluetooth hands-free calling and wireless stereo audio streaming via A2DP and a USB port for the first time on the Super Duty.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: This second generation of Super Duty trucks includes the F-250 (starting at $22,380), F-350 (starting at $24,025), and the all-new F-450 (starting at $39,205). The F-250 and F-350 basically had the same payload and towing specifications as the last generation.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The model lineup for the 2010 F-250 and F-350 consisted of the XL (starting at $25,300), XLT (starting at $28,845), Lariat (starting at $36,420), Cabela's (starting at $42,655), King Ranch (starting at $42,955), and Harley-Davidson (starting at $56,925).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The model lineup for the F-450 consisted of the XL (starting at $44,145), XLT (starting at $49,525), Lariat (starting at $52,965), King Ranch (starting at $56,955), and the Harley-Davidson (starting at $62,625).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The FX4 model, which was once just an optional off-road 4x4 package that could be added to any model in the lineup, is replaced by the 4x4 Off Road Package. The FX4 became a model of its own. It still had the same specs as the previous generation but with more of a sporty trim package. The FX4 model has been discontinued for the 2010 model year and has been reverted to an optional Off Road 4X4 package.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2008, Ford and Harley-Davidson once again joined forces to bring out a new special edition Super Duty. The Harley-Davidson package was available on both F-250 and F-350 Crew Cab SRW models. A gasoline engine was no longer offered with the package; instead, a 6.4 L Power Stroke turbo diesel was standard. Unique black and dusted copper two-tone leather captain's chairs with bar and shield logo, leather-trimmed center console, unique gauge cluster, and embroidered carpeted floor mats rounded out interior features. 20" wheels, billet-style grille, blacked out headlights, illuminated cab steps, power folding body-color Powerscope mirrors, rubber bed mat with Harley-Davidson logo and special badging were the exterior highlights. The truck could be ordered with two unique exterior themes, a black monochromatic look with bodyside graphics or a black and vintage copper two-tone with chrome dimensional box side "Harley-Davidson" lettering. An Audiophile premium 8-speaker stereo with subwoofer was standard, while a DVD-based navigation system was optional. Rear seat DVD entertainment system with 8" screen was also optional but could not be ordered with the power moonroof.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Also in 2008, a 60th anniversary package was available to celebrate 60 years of the F-Series brand, featuring two-tone paint, additional chrome trim, and special badging. 2,500 were to be built. It was only made in the XLT trim.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Harley-Davidson package returned for 2009 with some changes. For the first time, the Harley-Davidson package was offered on the F-450 DRW pickup. The interior was trimmed in all black leather, instead of the two-tone for 2008. New colors were offered, Black with flame tape stripes, Black with Vista Blue painted flames or Dark Blue Pearl with Vista Blue painted flames. Ford's "ToughBed" spray on bedliner and a rearview camera were made options.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2010, only minor changes were made. Dark Blue Pearl was deleted from the color options in favor of Black with Tuxedo Black painted flames and the rearview camera was made standard. 2010 was the final year Ford offered a Harley edition Super Duty.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2009 and 2010, a special Cabela's edition was available in the Crew Cab FX4 configuration. This version included a basic package and a luxury package. The basic package includes cloth captain's chairs, wood trim on center stack, all-weather floor mats, front and rear locking firearm storage, and an AM/FM radio. The luxury package includes everything in the basic package but includes leather seats and a navigation-based radio. In addition, both versions feature special badging and two-tone paint options.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The same two gas engines are carried over and rated exactly the same from the 2nd generation. The 3-valve V8 SOHC is standard. The 3-valve V10 SOHC was still a $699 option over the 5.4L V8. The 4-valve Navistar V8 OHV Power Stroke diesel engine was the diesel engine option and was a $6,895 option over the V8.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: There are some unique points to highlight of the 2008–2010 F-450 with a regular production pickup bed, which was only offered as a chassis cab before. It has 2 available axle ratios of 4.30 and 4.88:1. The F-450 with the optional "High Capacity Trailer Tow Package" increases the GCWR from 26,000 to . Maximum payload is . The maximum towing capacity is (4.88 axle ratio) or (4.30 axle ratio). It comes standard with Crew Cab, long bed, DRW (Dual Rear Wheels), Limited Slip rear axle, 10-lug Forged wheels made by Alcoa, Trailer Tow package, and the TowCommand TBC (Trailer Brake Controller). The only engine offered in the F-450 is the 6.4 L V8 Power Stroke sequential turbo diesel. The F-450 is equipped with a standard 6-speed manual or optional 5-speed TorqShift automatic transmission.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Super Duty line received a significant exterior upgrade that includes a new, bigger front fascia. Its engines were also upgraded to better compete with the new Silverado HD and Ram HD. Ford stated in the 2011 Chicago Auto Show that the 2011 trucks have the thickest gauge steel frame of any truck in its class; this was due to the frame being the same design that debuted in 1999. The 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty was awarded Truckin's "Topline Pulling Power" award for 2011. It also won Popular Mechanics best workhorse of 2011, and the best "Gear of the Year" in the trucks category.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The F-450 is able to tow and has a maximum payload of . The F-350 has a maximum of towing capacity and of payload depending on configuration. Each engine is mated to a 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission. The Ford F-250, F-350, and F-450 all come with trim levels including the XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The 3rd generation of the Ford Super Duty trucks were assembled at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, with additional production for other countries in Venezuela and Mexico. In Venezuela, the F-350 was offered as a commercial use small truck cutaway featuring a 6.2L V8 gas engine with a 5-speed manual TREMEC transmission TR-4050 with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4 wheel drive. Since 2012 due to government regulations, the Venezuelan F-350 Super Duty is factory equipped to use both natural gas and gasoline. The F-250 Super Duty was also recently re-introduced in this market after ten years. It is being marketed using the same engine as the Venezuelan F-350, but only with a 6-speed automatic transmission, 4x2 or 4x4 wheel drive option in both single and double cab configurations.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: A feature unique to the 2011 Super Duty is the addition of a locking differential. It is only available for the F-250 and SRW F-350 4x4 models with a rear Sterling 10.5 axle. It is a US$390 option. The diesel F-250 relies on vacuum-boost brakes, while the F-350 relies on Hydro-boost. Both gas versions of the F-250 and SRW F-350 use vacuum-boost. F-250 is a class 2 truck. While the F-350 SRW, F-350 DRW, & F-450 "pickup" are class 3. The F-250 and F-350 (SRW & DRW) have 13.66-inch front brakes and 13.39-inch inch rear brakes. The 2015-2016 F-250 and F-350 have 14.29-inch vented disc brakes on the front and rear axles as an improvement made for these model years. The F-450 "pickup" has 14.53-inch front brakes and 15.35-inch rear brakes. The F-450 has a wider track than the F-350. The F-450 remains available in class 4 as a chassis cab truck.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The trucks were once under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for steering failures, but the investigation revealed the failures were driver error and had nothing to do with design.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For the 2011 model year, the central bezel from the second-generation (2008-2010) Super Duty was kept, although features such as a full color LCD instrument panel display screen and a Sony premium amplified audio system with subwoofer were now available. An auxiliary audio input jack now came standard on all Super Duty models, regardless of radio choice.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In 2013, upper trim level Super Duties could be ordered with the new MyFord Touch infotainment system with Ford SYNC, which included an eight-inch touchscreen display, a rear backup camera system, and HD Radio. The center bezel in these trucks was slightly redesigned to accommodate the new infotainment system, which was also paired with the Sony premium amplified audio system with subwoofer.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The 2011 Ford Super Duty is available with either a gas or diesel engine. The gas option is an E85-capable 6.2 L 2-valve SOHC Ford Boss V8, which puts out and of torque under GVWR, and of torque over 10,000 GVWR. The diesel is the new 6.7 L Power Stroke V8, producing and of torque. The new engine is an entirely Ford product, unlike previous diesels, therefore reducing development costs and shipping delays. The 6.8-liter V10 was dropped from the regular Super Duty models, however it is still an option with the F-450 and F-550 chassis cabs, mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Shortly after the unveiling of the 6.7 L Power Stroke V8, GM unveiled the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500HD with Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8, making and of torque. Ford quickly responded by boosting the output of the Power Stroke just months after its initial release, to and of torque. For customers who purchased a Super Duty with the original Power Stroke V8, Ford offered a free upgrade at dealerships to the new level of output. Power and torque was increased to and of torque on 2015 models.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: No manual transmission is available in the United States, but in Mexico and Venezuela, the F-350 is available with a 5-speed manual. Automatic transmission features a manual mode. The diesel engine's transmission optionally features a PTO and is a "live-drive" unit. "Live-drive" meaning the PTO is directly connected to the engine's crankshaft, whereas the GM's Allison 1000 transmission and Ram's Aisin use a torque converter or clutch (depending on being an automatic or manual, respectively).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: A belt-driven pump mounted low on the driver side circulates the high-temperature coolant, while a separate belt-driven pump mounted higher on the passenger side circulates the low-temperature coolant.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The F-450 pickup is available only in a single configuration; a crew cab with a dual rear-wheel bed. The only powertrain combination is the 6.7 L Powerstroke turbodiesel V8 mated to the six-speed TorqShift automatic transmission (model year 2020 and greater trucks are mated with the ten-speed TorqShift automatic transmission). Trims include the XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Chassis cab models were also updated using the new 2011 body style. Ford chassis cabs were still rated up to the industry maximum 19,500-pound Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The Gross Combined weight was increased by to maximum, greater than the nearest competitor.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: On September 24, 2015, Ford unveiled the 2017 Ford Super Duty line at the 2015 State Fair of Texas. This marks the first all-new Super Duty line since their 1998 debut; the frame is made from 95% high strength steel and the body (like the contemporary F-150) is made from 6000 series aluminum alloy, advertised as a high-strength military grade aluminum alloy.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For the first time since 1999, both the Super Duty and F-150 lines are constructed using the same cab to better compete with GM, Ram and Nissan's HD trucks. In a major departure, the stand-alone front grille and stepped front fenders seen since 1998 were eliminated from the exterior. The 2-bar grille introduced in 2011 was widened, integrating the headlights into its design.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In a switch to an aluminum-intensive body similar to the F-150, Ford created a potential of weight savings; in spite of the addition of heavier-duty frame and driveline components, the 2017 Super Duty weighs in at up to less than comparable 2016 models. Ford strengthened the frame and drivetrain with fortified drive shafts, axles, brakes, towing hardware and the 4WD transfer case. F-250 and F-350 pickups are built on a fully boxed frame; chassis cab models are produced on a frame boxed up to the rear of the cab and of open-C-channel design rearward.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2017 production, the Super Duty line shares its powertrain lineup with its 2016 predecessor: a 6.2L gasoline V8, 6.8L V10 (F-450 and above), with a 6.7L diesel V8 available in all versions. The 6.2L gasoline V8 engine remains at but torque rises from . Additionally, the gasoline V8 produces its max torque at over 700 rpm less than the previous engine. The 6.7L diesel engine also remains at the same but torque increases from upwards to . The diesel engine now produces its peak torque at 1,800 rpm instead of the previous 1,600 rpm. The F-250 receives a TorqShift-G six-speed automatic while all other Super Duty trucks are paired with the 6R140 6-speed automatic. Crew Cab models will have a tank for the bed and fuel tank for the bed.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The interior design of the all-new Super Duty is similar to that of the 2015 Ford F-150, and shares many of the F-150's components.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Trim levels will continue to be XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum. The Limited trim would not debut for F-250 and F-350 until 2018. Cab configurations continue to be 2-Door Regular Cab, 4-Door Super Cab, and 4-Door Crew Cab (the F-450, in pickup truck configuration, is only available in this configuration until the 2019 model year with the addition of the regular cab), with Short Box (6' 9") and Long Box (8') bed lengths. The truck will be available in F-250, F-350, and F-450 pickup truck models, and F-350, F-450, and F-550 chassis cab models. All will be available in both 4X2 and 4X4 configurations. The F-350 will be the only model available in either Single Rear Wheel (SRW) or Dual Rear Wheel (DRW) configurations, the F-450 and F-550 will only be available in a Dual Rear Wheel (DRW) configuration, and the F-250 will only be available in a Single Rear Wheel configuration. Base prices in the U.S. range from $32,535 (F-250 XL) to $77,125 (F-450 Platinum). Full pricing is available on the manufacturer's website.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The 2018 F-450 was the first $100,000 pickup truck from the factory, with the addition of the new Limited trim, which first debuted on the 2013 Ford F-150.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: All engines will be paired with a "TorqShift" 6-speed automatic transmission, with the gasoline engines featuring 2 transmissions: 5-speed manual transmission (chassis cab F-350, Mexico-only), Ford's all-new "TorqShift-G" automatic transmission.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: On April 4, 2017, all Ford F-250 Super Duty trucks built between October 1, 2015, to April 1, 2017, were recalled due to the risk of improper and damaged rods in the parking brake and transmission allowing the truck to move while in park. This affected 52,000 trucks but no injuries or accidents were reported.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The 2020 Super Duty debuted at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show in February. It features a revised grille and tailgate design, new wheel options, and higher-quality interior materials for the Limited trim. A new 7.3-liter gasoline engine is available. Nicknamed "Godzilla", it makes 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. The 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine has been strengthened, bumping output to and of torque. Ford's 10-speed 10R140 TorqShift automatic transmission is now standard with the diesel and 7.3-liter gasoline engines on the F-250 and all engines on the F-350; the 6-speed is still available, but only in the F-250 with the 6.2-liter engine.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: A F-550 Super Duty hydrogen fuel cell electric truck is being prototyped in cooperation with Southern California Gas Co., as part of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) SuperTruck 3 program.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2020, Ford reintroduced the F-600, a name that was last used in the late 1990s on a medium-duty truck. Based on the F-550 Super Duty, the F-600 medium-duty features the body and cab of a traditional Super Duty chassis cab but upgrades the chassis over and above the F-550 and offers no cab configurations besides single cab. The cab-to-axle options are retained. The F-600 chassis upgrades include upsized U-joints, an alteration to the diesel exhaust system to accommodate dynamic clearances for the larger U-joint crosses, upgraded brakes, and wider wheels (19x6.75" instead of 19x6") to support wider tires (245mm instead of 225mm) for increased tire load capacity. The model is geared towards fleet buyers who require the GVWR capacity of the heavier F-650 medium-duty but prefer the size and maneuverability of the smaller F-550 Super Duty. Available with either the 7.3L Ford Godzilla engine gasoline V8 or the 6.7L Powerstroke Turbodiesel V8 engine and paired with the TorqShift 10-speed automatic transmission and two-wheel-drive (4X2) or four-wheel-drive (4X4), the F-600 Medium Duty went on sale in mid-2020.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For 2020, Ford reintroduced the Tremor name for the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickups. The nameplate was last used on the 2014 Ford F-150 as a sport appearance package. As an off-road oriented version of the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty, the Tremor models will compete directly with the Ram 2500 Power Wagon and feature a suspension lift and upgraded tires and wheels from the factory. The trucks also offer details not found on other Super Duty models, such as available blacked out accents on the front grille, wheels, side emblems, and side mirrors as well as 'Tremor' decals on the sides of the pickup box. Offered as a Crew Cab model with a 6-3/4-foot pickup box, and with four-wheel-drive (4X4), the Tremor comes with the new 7.3L "Godzilla" gasoline V8 engine as standard, while the 6.7L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel V8 engine will be optional (the Ram 2500 Power Wagon only offers a gasoline V8 engine).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: Off-road upgrades include 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac maximum-traction tires, a specially tuned rear stabilizer bar, custom 1.7-inch piston twin-tube dampers, a Dana limited-slip front differential, Electronic Locking Rear Differential, off-road running boards, large skid plates, and extended-axle vent tubes. The Super Duty Tremor Off-Road Package has a very high ground clearance of and a class-leading water fording of . Also, the Super Duty Tremor Off-Road Package has the highest approach angle (31.65 degrees) and departure angle (24.51 degrees) of any Super Duty model ever built.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The new 10-speed "TorqShift" automatic transmission features Selectable Drive Modes with settings for Deep Snow/Sand, Slippery, Eco, Tow/Haul, and Normal, as well as an exclusive Rock-Crawl mode. The Super Duty Tremor Off-Road Package also has a Trail Control feature, which is essentially cruise control for off-road driving. Crawl ratios are 53:1 for gasoline-equipped models, while the ratio for diesel-equipped models is 44:1. Another available feature for all Super Duty models (including the Tremor), is the Trailer Reverse Guidance System, which is similar to the Pro Trailer Backup Assist system in the Ford F-150 and allows for the driver to easily back their truck and trailer with little effort. The all-new 2020 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty Tremor models went on sale in the Fall of 2019.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The fifth generation Super Duty was revealed in September 2022. It is set to start production in early 2023


title: Ford Super Duty

text: As of 2016, the Ford Super Duty is sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela (F-250 and F-350), Suriname, Brazil (F-350/F-4000), Argentina (F-4000 only), Angola (F-250 and F-350), Cambodia, the Middle East, and Iceland (F-350 only) in left-hand drive (LHD) only.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In Suriname, though traffic is on the left side of the road, the import and registry of LHD vehicles is allowed.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In Australia, it was officially imported in right-hand drive from Brazil from 2001 to 2006, but as of 2007, Ford no longer offers the Super Duty in Australia.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: In 2000, Ford returned to the Class 6-7 truck market as it expanded the Super Duty line into the medium-duty segment. They developed a joint venture with Navistar International known as Blue Diamond Trucks, the F-650 and F-750 Super Duty were assembled in Mexico. While the chassis and other components would be common to both manufacturers, Ford and International would each source their own bodywork and powertrain; the cab for the Ford trucks would be common with other Super Duty models.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: For the 2016 model year, the medium-duty truck range was given a major upgrade, following the end of the joint venture and the shift of the production to the United States. In place of outsourced engines and transmissions, the 2016 F-650 and F-750 now use a 6.8L gasoline V10, a 6.7L PowerStroke diesel V8, and a 6-speed automatic transmission all supplied by Ford.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: From 2000 to 2005, the F-250 Super Duty served as a basis for the Ford Excursion sport-utility vehicle. Along with Chevrolet Suburban (and its Cadillac/GMC/Holden counterparts) and the International Harvester Travelall, the Ford Excursion was one of the longest non-limousine sport-utility vehicles ever sold.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: The Excursion was available in three trim packages, XLT, Limited, and top-of-the-line Eddie Bauer. It was offered in two or four wheel drive, and with three engine options: the 5.4L V8, the 6.8L V10, or the Powerstroke V8 Turbodiesel. The Excursion was only available with an automatic transmission.


title: Ford Super Duty

text: While the Excursion was sold mostly in North America and Mexico, a similar vehicle was sold in Brazil from 1998 to 2012 as a second-party conversion of the Ford F-250 crew-cab (similar to the Centurion F-Series/Bronco conversions).


title: Ford Super Duty

text: As a result of the heavy-duty frame and powertrain of its chassis, the Ford Super Duty has served as a donor platform for multiple types of armored vehicles, for civilian, law enforcement, and military use. Most versions are constructed using the Ford F-550 chassis cab. Examples include the STREIT/KrAZ Spartan, Didgori-2, Lenco BearCat, Plasan Sand Cat, GAV Gurkha, APC Novator, Conquest Knight XV, and TAD Turangga.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional struggles that occurred within the same period, and can be considered a revolutionary civil war.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Independence was not an inevitable outcome, but events in Spain directly impacted the outbreak of the armed insurgency in 1810 and its course until 1821. Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Spain in 1808 touched off a crisis of legitimacy of crown rule, since he had placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne after forcing the abdication of the Spanish monarch Charles IV. In Spain and many of its overseas possessions, the local response was to set up juntas ruling in the name of the Bourbon monarchy. Delegates in Spain and overseas territories met in Cádiz, Spain, still under Spanish control, as the Cortes of Cádiz, and drafted the Spanish Constitution of 1812. That constitution sought to create a new governing framework in the absence of the legitimate Spanish monarch. It tried to accommodate the aspirations of American-born Spaniards ("criollos") for more local control and equal standing with Peninsular-born Spaniards, known locally as peninsulares. This political process had far-reaching impacts in New Spain during the independence war and beyond. Pre-existing cultural, religious, and racial divides in Mexico played a major role in not only the development of the independence movement but also the development of the conflict as it progressed.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: In September 1808, peninsular-born Spaniards in New Spain overthrew Viceroy José de Iturrigaray (1803–08), who had been appointed before the French invasion. In 1810, American-born Spaniards in favor of independence began plotting an uprising against Spanish rule. It occurred when the parish priest of the village of Dolores, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, issued the Cry of Dolores on 16 September 1810. The Hidalgo revolt began the armed insurgency for independence, lasting until 1821. The colonial regime did not expect the size and duration of the insurgency, which spread from the Bajío region north of Mexico City to the Pacific and Gulf Coasts. After Napoleon's defeat, Ferdinand VII succeeded to the throne of the Spanish Empire in 1814 and promptly repudiated the constitution, and returned to absolutist rule. When Spanish liberals overthrew the autocratic rule of Ferdinand VII in 1820, conservatives in New Spain saw political independence as a way to maintain their position. Former royalists and old insurgents allied under the Plan of Iguala and forged the Army of the Three Guarantees. The momentum of independence saw the collapse of the royal government in Mexico and the Treaty of Córdoba ended the conflict.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: The mainland of New Spain was organized as the First Mexican Empire, led by Agustín de Iturbide. This ephemeral Catholic monarchy was overthrown and a federal republic was declared in 1823 and codified in the Constitution of 1824. After some Spanish reconquest attempts, including the expedition of Isidro Barradas in 1829, Spain under the rule of Isabella II recognized the independence of Mexico in 1836.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: There is evidence that from an early period in post-conquest Mexican history that some began articulating the idea of a separate Mexican identity, though this was reserved to elite Creole circles. Despite that, challenges to Spanish imperial power before the insurgency for independence were rare, though some are of note.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: One early challenge was by Spanish conquerors whose encomienda grants from the crown, rewards for conquest were to be ended following the deaths of the current grant holders. The encomenderos' conspiracy included Don Martín Cortés (son of Hernán Cortés). Martín Cortés was exiled, and other conspirators were executed. Another challenge occurred in 1624, when elites ousted the reformist viceroy who sought to break up rackets from which they profited and curtail opulent displays of clerical power. Viceroy Marqués de Gelves was removed, following an urban riot of Mexico City commoners in 1624 stirred up by those elites. The crowd was reported to have shouted, "Long live the King! Love live Christ! Death to bad government! Death to the heretic Lutheran [Viceroy Gelves]! Arrest the viceroy!" The attack was against Gelves, seen as a bad representative of the crown and not against the monarchy or colonial rule itself. In 1642, there was also a brief conspiracy in the mid-seventeenth century to unite American-born Spaniards, blacks, Indians and castas against the Spanish crown and proclaim Mexican independence. The man seeking to bring about independendence called himself Don Guillén Lampart y Guzmán, an Irishman born William Lamport. Lamport's conspiracy was discovered, and he was arrested by the Inquisition in 1642, and executed fifteen years later for sedition. There is a statue of Lamport in the mausoleum at the base of the Angel of Independence in Mexico City.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: At the end of the seventeenth century, there was a major riot in Mexico City, where a plebeian mob attempted to burn down the viceroy's palace and the archbishop's residence. A painting by Cristóbal de Villalpando shows the damage of the 1692 "tumulto". Unlike the earlier riot in 1624 in which elites were involved and the viceroy ousted, with no repercussions against the instigators, the 1692 riot was by plebeians alone and racially motivated. The rioters attacked key symbols of Spanish power and shouted political slogans. "Kill the [American-born] Spaniards and the "Gachupines" [Iberian-born Spaniards] who eat our corn! We go to war happily! God wants us to finish off the Spaniards! We do not care if we die without confession! Is this not our land?" The viceroy attempted to address the cause of the riot, a hike in maize prices that affected the urban poor. But the 1692 riot "represented class warfare that put Spanish authority at risk. Punishment was swift and brutal, and no further riots in the capital challenged the Pax Hispanica."


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Food shortages, due to a growing population and severe droughts led to two food riots, one in 1785 and one in 1808. The first riot was more severe than the second and both culminated in violence and anger at officials of the colonial regime. However, there is no direct link between these riots and the independence movement, although the 1808–1809 food shortage may have been a contributory factor for popular resentment at the current political regime.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: The various indigenous rebellions in the colonial era were often to throw off crown rule, but local rebellions to redress perceived wrongs not deal with by authorities. They were not a broad independence movement as such. However, during the war of independence, issues at the local level in rural areas constituted what some historians has called "the other rebellion."


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Before the events of 1808 upended the political situation in New Spain, there was an isolated and abortive 1799 Conspiracy of the Machetes by a small group in Mexico City seeking independence.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: The eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Age of Revolution was already underway when the 1808 Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula destabilized not only Spain but also Spain's overseas possessions. In 1776, the Anglo-American Thirteen Colonies and the American Revolution successfully gained their independence in 1783, with the help of both the Spanish Empire and Louis XVI's French monarchy. Louis XVI was toppled in the French Revolution of 1789, with the aristocrats and the king himself losing his head in revolutionary violence. The rise of military strongman Napoleon Bonaparte brought some order within France, but the turmoil there set the stage for the black slave revolt in the French sugar colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in 1791. The Haitian Revolution obliterated the slavocracy and gained independence for Haiti in 1804.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Tensions in New Spain were growing after the mid-eighteenth-century Bourbon reforms. With the reforms the crown sought to increase the power of the Spanish state, decrease the power of the Catholic church, rationalize and tighten control over the royal bureaucracy by placing peninsular-born officials rather than American-born, and increase revenues to the crown by a series of measures that undermined the economic position of American-born elites. The reforms were an attempt to revive the political and economic fortunes of the Spanish empire, but many historians see the reforms as accelerating the breakdown of its unity. This involved often removing large quantities of wealth that had been obtained in Mexico, before exporting to other parts of the empire to fund the many wars the Spanish were fighting. The crown removed privileges ("fuero eclesiástico") from ecclesiastics that had a disproportionate impact on American-born priests, who filled the ranks of the lower clergy in New Spain. A number of parish priests, most famously Miguel Hidalgo and José María Morelos, subsequently became involved in the insurgency for independence. When the crown expelled the Jesuits from Spain and the overseas empire in 1767, it had a major impact on elites in New Spain, whose Jesuit sons were sent into exile, and cultural institutions, especially universities and colleges where they taught were affected. In New Spain there were riots in protest of their expulsion.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Colonial rule was not based on outright coercion, until the early nineteenth century, since the crown did not have sufficient personnel and firepower to enforce its rule. Rather, the crown's hegemony and legitimacy to rule was accepted and ruled through institutions acting as mediators between competing groups, many organized as corporate entities. These were ecclesiastics, mining entrepreneurs, elite merchants, as well as indigenous communities. The crown's creation of a standing military in the 1780s began to shift the political calculus since the crown could now use an armed force to impose rule. To aid building a standing military, the crown created set of corporate privileges ("fuero") for the military. For the first time, mixed-race castas and blacks had access to corporate privileges, usually reserved for white elites. Silver entrepreneurs and large-scale merchants also had access to special privileges. Lucrative overseas trade was in the hands of family firms based in Spain with ties to New Spain. Silver mining was the motor of the economy of New Spain, but also fueled the economies of Spain and the entire Atlantic world. That industry was in the hands of peninsula-born mine owners and their elite merchant investors. The crown imposed new regulations to boost their revenues from their overseas territories, particularly the consolidation of loans held by the Catholic Church. The 1804 Act of Consolidation called for borrowers to immediately repay the entire principal of the loan rather than stretch payments over decades. Borrowers were criollo land owners who could in no way repay large loans on short notice. The impact threatened the financial stability of elite Americans. The crown's forced extraction of funds is considered by some a key factor in Creoles considering political independence.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Within the Spanish Empire there was an unofficial yet apparent racial hierarchy which affected the social mobility of those not at the top of society. White, Spanish-born Peninsulares were at the top where many occupied the highest levels of government. This was followed by Mexican-born pure Spanish descendents, who also occupied most government positions, and Creoles. Below this were indigenous groups, African-Mexicans and mixed race Mexicans. Many Creole elites deeply resented the lack of social mobility this brought as only Peninsular-born Spaniards could occupy the highest levels of government. This contributed to their reasoning behind backing the move for independence, to achieve power. They did not wish to overthrow the status quo entirely, as this would threaten their lucrative position in Mexican society. Instead, they wished to move up the social ladder, unable to under the unspoken racial hierarchy of the regime.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Religious tension is arguably one of the biggest contributions to tension before the French invasion of Spain in 1808. Many Creoles, Mexican Spaniards and the majority of indigenous, mixed and African groups in Mexico practised Mexican Catholicism while the ruling Peninsulares preferred Modern Catholicism. Mexican or traditional catholicism often worshipped through the use of relics, symbols and artifacts where they believe the Holy Spirit existed in the physical form of the artefact, and was a mix of traditional indigenous forms of worship and Catholicism. This contrasted with the view of modern Catholicism that many Peninsulares shared, where God was worshipped through divine artifacts and relics, but there was no religious presence within the physical artifact. Laws prohibiting Lay preachers, a major part of Mexican Catholicism, from preaching and restrictions on villagers to engage in processions around communal land to protect from unwanted spirits caused much outcry and prompted a multitude of legal battles between indigenous groups and the colonial regime through the separate indigenous courts. Not only this, but new laws essentially forcing indigenous groups to learn Spanish in schools and the taxation of Cofradias or Confraternities negatively affected the literacy and living standards in villages.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: The ruling white Spanish elite and the majority of the country had very different views not only in culture and religion but on the role of government and social relations, with many elites viewing the government as a tool for progressing their own power, while indigenous groups saw the government as a communal vessel.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: Leading up to the crisis in 1808 both Creole and Mexican-born Spaniards, and indigenous and mixed groups had come to dislike the colonial regime for different reasons.


title: Mexican War of Independence

text: The Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula destabilized not only Spain but also Spain's overseas possessions. The viceroy was the "king’s living image" in New Spain. In 1808 viceroy José de Iturrigaray (1803–1808) was in office when Napoleon's forces invaded Iberia and deposed the Spanish monarch Charles IV and Napoleon's brother Joseph was declared the monarch. This turn of events set off a crisis of legitimacy.  Viceroy Iturrigaray had been appointed by Charles IV, so his legitimacy to rule was not in doubt. In Mexico City, the city council ("ayuntamiento"), a stronghold of American-born Spaniards, began promoting ideas of autonomy for New Spain, and declaring New Spain to be on an equal basis to Spain. Their proposal would have created a legitimate, representative, and autonomous government in New Spain, but not necessarily breaking from the Spanish Empire. Opposition to that proposal came from conservative elements, including the peninsular-born judges of the High Court ("Audiencia"), who voiced peninsulars’ interests.  Iturrigaray attempted to find a compromise between the two factions, but failed.  Upon hearing the news of the Napoleonic invasion some elites suspected that Iturrigaray intended to declare the viceroyalty a sovereign state and perhaps establish himself as head of a new state. With the support of the archbishop, Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont, landowner Gabriel de Yermo, the merchant guild of Mexico City ("consulado"), and other members of elite society in the capital, Yermo led a coup d'état against the viceroy. They stormed the Viceregal Palace in Mexico City, the night of 15 September 1808, deposing the viceroy, and imprisoning him along with some American-born Spanish members of the city council.  The peninsular rebels installed Pedro de Garibay as viceroy. Since he was not a crown appointee, but rather the leader of a rebel faction, creoles viewed him as an illegitimate representative of the crown. The event radicalized both sides.  For creoles, it was clear that to gain power they needed to form conspiracies against peninsular rule, and later they took up arms to achieve their goals. Garibay was of advanced years and held office for just a year, replaced by Archbishop Lizana y Beaumont, also holding office for about a year. There was a precedent for the archbishop serving as viceroy, and given that Garibay came to power by coup, the archbishop had more legitimacy as ruler. Francisco Javier Venegas was appointed viceroy and landed in Veracruz in August, reaching Mexico City 14 September 1810. The next day, Hidalgo issued his call to arms in Dolores.Immediately after the Mexico City coup ousting Iturrigaray, juntas in Spain created the Supreme Central Junta of Spain and the Indies, on 25 September 1808 in Aranjuez. Its creation was a major step in the political development in the Spanish empire, once it became clear that there needed to be a central governing body rather than scattered juntas of particular regions. Joseph I of Spain had invited representatives from Spanish America to Bayonne, France for a constitutional convention to discuss their status in the new political order. It was a shrewd political move, but none accepted the invitation. However, it became clear to the Supreme Central Junta that keeping his overseas kingdoms loyal was imperative. Silver from New Spain was vital for funding the war against France. The body expanded to include membership from Spanish America, with the explicit recognition that they were kingdoms in their own right and not colonies of Spain. Elections were set to send delegates to Spain to participate in the Supreme Central Junta. Although in the Spanish Empire there was not an ongoing tradition of high level representative government, found in Britain and British North America, towns in Spain and New Spain had elected representative ruling bodies, the "cabildos" or "ayuntamientos", which came to play an important political role when the legitimate Spanish monarch was ousted in 1808. The successful 1809 elections in Mexico City for delegates to be sent to Spain had some precedents.