Ford releases Truckle belt buckle to celebrate F-150’s 50th anniversary
Ford celebrates the F-150’s 50th anniversary with a commemorative belt buckle.
- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Ford F-150 pickup.
- The $200 Truckle commemorates the anniversary and provides a place to store your key chain.
If you’re worried about leaving your key fob behind in your Ford F-150 pickup, you might be in luck.
The Dearborn automaker has partnered with a Utah company known for its trophy belt buckles to develop a new wearable piece called Truckle that includes a built-in spot for fob storage.
“With a fob stored in the buckle, the truck automatically unlocks when you approach and locks when you leave, providing true hands-free access,” Ford said.
This year happens to be the 50th anniversary of the F-150, and its first year, 1975, stands out in Truckle. Ford says it will be sold online for $200.
Designer Andy Andrews, whose company A Cut Above Buckles will produce the Truckle, said the Truckle is highly wearable and attractive. The fob is only visible from the back of the truck. It is held in place with the help of gravity and a small lip and “fixtures,” Andrews said.
“You can put the key fob in the buckle, and all remote control functions will work while it’s in the buckle,” he said. “Once you put it in there, you’ll never lose your keychain. You’ll never wonder where it is. It’s right there in the truckle.”
The trackle is made of German silver and jeweler’s bronze, which Andrews described as a nickel alloy. It’s handmade, apart from some molds made to make it more “three-dimensional.” The design includes a classic F-150 front with a blue Ford logo on the front license plate. The windshield wiper is also distinctive.
Andrews said it has a “great unisex feel” so anyone can wear it.
“I just tried it and I’m kind of blown away by how functional and comfortable it is,” he said.
Mr. Andrews, 71, has a connection to Ford trucks. He drives an F-250 King Ranch, but has driven other vehicles over the years. His first truck was a white 1969 F-100 with no air conditioning or radio.
He grew up farming and ranching in New Mexico and also learned to drive a Ford tractor. Andrews also knows a thing or two about rodeo, a sport where belt buckles are part of the uniform.
“I think I was seven or eight years old the first time I rode a calf,” he said.
Andrews eventually rose to the professional ranks and received the Legacy Award from the Bullfighting Hall of Fame in 2022.
He founded his belt buckle company in 1999 and now produces 300 to 500 buckles a week. We have a factory in Mexico and a small factory in Baldwin Park, California, where the truck finishing work is done. Andrews said his office is in a barn near the horses in Dameron Valley, Utah.
“As soon as this call is over, I’m going to load up the horse and get on the ropes for a while,” he told reporters before ending the interview.
Eric D. Lawrence is senior auto culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. If you have any tips or suggestions, please contact us at elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
