Digestible Collectible: 2000 Ford SVT Lightning

Eleven years ago, I married a remarkably tolerant woman. She’s not particularly into cars, but she humors me when I prattle on about the merits of whatever awesome car caught my eye that day. Or when I decide I need to take an epic, one day, out-and-back trip to Maryland to buy a race car that’s never turned a wheel under it’s own power in the three years I’ve owned it. But she has her own automotive tastes, and for sake of marital harmony, I do my best to listen.

As a country girl, trucks weigh heavily in her list.

One peculiar truck that caught her eye about fifteen years ago was the Ford SVT Lightning. I think the bit-player role it took in the first “The Fast and the Furious” film (as Harry’s shop truck) may have done it for her. That, or she’s conflating her lust for Vin Diesel’s bulging biceps with the sweet melody of whistling supercharger and burbling V-8.

These seem to hold their value quite well, like other limited hi-po Fords. A clean, standard F-150 would probably bring around $5,000 or so. This 2000 Ford SVT Lightning is right in the middle of the market at $13,995.

I love the blacked-out factory rims against the silver finish — it’s likely reversible, but distinguishes the truck just a little bit. The Lightning looks well cared for, as it was likely rarely used for any sort of hauling duty.

Alas, a two seat pickup truck is a less than ideal family vehicle, and my wife’s dreams were dashed when child one came along. I did have trouble losing the baby weight, but I do have a full head of hair well into my thirties, so score one for the pasty Ohio boy.

Nowadays, you have to shop hard to buy a new truck without 350+ horses under the hood, so the performance of the limited-edition truck isn’t so alluring anymore.