page_title: Ford F-Series
section_title: SVT Lightning (1993-1995; 1999-2004)
hierarchical_section_title: Ford F-Series / Special models / SVT Lightning (1993-1995; 1999-2004)
caption_attribution_description: 1993 Ford Lightning. Photo taken by submitter, released into public domain
context_page_description: The Ford F-Series is a series of trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford. In production since 1948, the F-Series is a range of light trucks marketed as full-size pickup trucks, slotted above the compact Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range. Since 1999, the F-Series also includes the heavier-duty Super Duty series, which includes pickup trucks, chassis cab trucks, and medium-duty trucks. As of current production, the Ford F-Series includes the F-150 pickup, F-250 through F-450 Super Duty pickups, F-450/550 Super Duty chassis cabs, and F-650/750 Super Duty Class 6-8 trucks. The most popular version of the F-Series is the F-150, now in its fourteenth generation.
  The best-selling pickup truck in the United States since 1977; the F-Series is also the best-selling vehicle in Canada. As of the 2018 model year, the F-Series generated $41 billion in annual revenue for Ford. At various times, Ford has marketed the F-Series across all three of its divisions in North America. From 1948 to 1968, Mercury marketed the F-Series as the M-Series; during the 2000s, Lincoln sold the F-150 as the Blackwood and the later Mark LT.
context_section_description: Introduced as a 1993 model, the Ford SVT Lightning is a high-performance version of the F-150 that was produced by the Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT).  Intended as a competitor for the Chevrolet 454SS, the SVT Lightning was derived from the F-150; to improve its handling, extensive modifications were made to the front and rear suspension and frame.  Powered by a 240 hp version of the 5.8L V8, the Lightning used a heavy-duty 4-speed automatic transmission from the F-350 (normally paired with the 7.5L V8 or 7.3L diesel V8).  While slower in acceleration than the GMC Syclone, the Lightning retained nearly all of the towing and payload capacity of a standard Ford F-150.  Produced from 1993 to 1995, the first-generation SVT Lightning was withdrawn as Ford readied the 1997 Ford F-150 for sale.
  After a three-year hiatus, Ford released a second generation of the SVT Lightning for the 1999 model year.  In line with its 1993-1995 predecessor, the second-generation Lightning was based on the F-150 with a number of suspension modifications; in a design change, all examples were produced with a FlareSide bed.  In place of a model-specific engine, the second-generation was powered by a supercharged version of the 5.4L V8 from the F-150, producing 360 hp (increased to 380 hp in 2001).  As before, the higher-output engine was paired with a heavier-duty transmission from the F-350 pickup.
  For the 2004 redesign of the Ford F-150, the SVT Lightning was not included, leaving 2004 as the final year for the model line.  While of an entirely different design focus from the SVT Lightning, the SVT/Ford Raptor is the succeeding generation of high-performance Ford F-Series pickup trucks.
caption: 1993 Ford SVT Lightning
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