Where the 2011 Ford Raptor Hood Graphics Came From...

Ford is giving 2011 F-150 SVT Raptor owners a new way to customize their pickups, with vinyl hood graphics inspired by off-road race trucks from the 1970s.

"When I started looking at off-road racing history for inspiration, I noticed that a lot of Ford Broncos from the 1970s were running matte black hoods to reduce the glare," said Bruce Williams, F-150 SVT Raptor designer. "So it's a protective graphic that has a functional benefit and ties in with our racing heritage."

Perhaps no other truck embodies Ford's classic off-road racing exploits than Parnelli Jones' and Bill Stroppe's Bronco, "Big Oly" (originally called "Crazy Colt"). Jones drove Big Oly to victory in the 1971 and 1972 Baja 1000s. The fabricated racer was powered by a 350-400 horsepower version of Ford's 351 Windsor V-8 -- not much less than the Raptor's 411 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8.

Note the matte black finish on Big Oly's hood. Maybe Ford will make Big Oly's roof wing an option for the 2012 Raptor.

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Where Inspiration for the 2011 Ford F-150 Raptor's Hood Graphics Came From - PickupTrucks.com News

read that quite a while ago, interesting little fact

Pretty cool. Didn't even consider the glare factor.

6.2 said:

read that quite a while ago, interesting little fact

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thanks for posting it

im suprised someones even paying attention to my little project

6.2 said:

im suprised someones even paying attention to my little project

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i am :********:

Well that's fantastic, now I know it's not just for my entertainment

cool, being that I own a 77 Bronc, dont like the raptor graphic....

Bojangles said:

Pretty cool. Didn't even consider the glare factor.

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With the dust/mud/crap from the trails - I've never found glare to be much of a factor

I live up on a Colorado mountain, with a long, dirt driveway that connects to a dirt county road. I've owned five big Broncos over the last 27 years. All were white with a stick. The 1988 I ordered with a two-tone that made the hood a silver gray. That was MUCH better for glare. Ford stopped offering that option, so I had the body shop paint the hood (and the valence under the wipers) dark gray on my 1994 Bronco. The shop understood what I wanted and did not buff the paint before the clear coat, which makes it even better for glare. I still have and love that truck, but the washboard roads have taken their toll. The Raptor is about as close as I can come to a Bronco today.

I wish the Raptor was available with a stick. I've held off about as long as I can, so I'll be ordering mine soon. The crew cab adds a foot to the wheelbase, so I'll go with the SuperCab. The whole point of the Raptor is to be tossable, not more stable. That's one reason that I love the Bronco. The wheelbase is relatively short compared to the track width, so you can swap ends in an instant.

Anyway, I'm mulling over white with the hood graphics (not the digital mud) or the orange with the hood graphics (no digital mud). Just driving up my driveway will apply all the analog mud I need. Some days I wake up thinking I'd get tired of the orange and some days I just want it.