A-list celebrities are known for owning some of the most head-turning cars in the world. From rare vintage models to custom-built luxury cruisers, one of the most prominent ways for Hollywood stars to show off their wealth and taste is through their car collections.
American singer-songwriter and actress Lady Gaga is reputable for her success in the music scene and starring in movies like “A Star is Born” and “House of Gucci.” However, not everyone knows about Gaga’s impressive car collection that features a couple of classic American Muscle cars, such as a gorgeous 1967 Ford Mustang.
Compared to many other celebrities, Gaga’s taste in cars stands out due to its uniqueness. With an estimated net worth of roughly $300,000,000, Gaga could easily afford generic celebrity haulers such as the Mercedes G-Wagon. Instead, most of the cars she was spotted driving were soulful vintage models. One of the most underrated vehicles in Lady Gaga’s garage is an original 1993 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning in red.
The 30-plus-year-old time capsule that Lady Gaga opted for is more than a red shiny truck. The ’93 F-150 SVT Lightning was Ford’s first attempt at delivering a performance-oriented truck to the market, way before the emergence of the Ford Raptor and Ram’s TRX variants.
A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)
These days, when we think of performance trucks, we often picture lifted monsters with metal skirts, heavy-duty tires, and an aggressive design language suited for extreme off-roading situations. However, Ford’s idea of a sports truck was vastly different back in the ’90s.
Instead of off-road trails, Ford made the F-150 SVT Lightning to dominate the tarmac with a lower ground clearance. The Special Vehicle Team (SVT) division of Ford based the Lightning on the ongoing ninth-gen F-Series pickup truck and launched it to the market in December 1992 as a 1993 model year.
While the SVT Lightning shared its basic platform structure with the regular F-150, various custom modifications set it apart as a personal-use full-size American truck that offered a comfortable ride and spirited acceleration.
A sporty hot rod design language wasn’t the only significance of the F-150 SVT Lightning. Ford packed the single-cab truck with a lot of punch: Under the hood, the F-150 SVT Lightning featured a 5.8L Windsor V8 that put out 240 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque.
Though it might not sound crazy by today’s standard, the 1993 F-150 Lightning’s output was impressive for a pickup truck of its time. Moreover, Ford paired the powertrain in the F-150 Lightning with an upgraded E40D automatic transmission that featured an aluminum driveshaft for better durability.
The modified suspension for the Lightning made the F-150 one inch lower from the front, and 2.5 inches from the rear. Besides the sportier look, the suspension made the truck stiffer and more responsive by lowering the center of gravity and, therefore, improving handling.
Inside the two-seater single cabin, the F-150 Lightning featured a 120-mph speedometer. As a package, owners could opt for bucket seats with lumbar support and electrically adjustable side bolsters. The ’93 Lightning was the first Ford F-Series pickup truck to feature bucket seats, 17″ wheels, and a true dual exhaust.
[Featured image by Late Model Restoration via Flickr | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]
In recent years, Ford has reused the “Lightning” badge for a different purpose. The new F-150 Lightning is an all-electric full-size pickup truck with more focus on utility and less emphasis on being a street-dominating hauler.
At launch, the initial price tag on a 1993 F-150 SVT Lightning was $21,655. Though it heavily depends on the mileage and condition, you can find a used model for around the $23,000 mark, but you should expect as much as $68,000 for a low-mileage, mint-condition Lightning, according to Hagerty.
The first generation of the SVT Lightning variant was produced for the 1993 to 1995 model years. Ford sold over 11,500 models in those years, with roughly 5,300 of them being the 93 model year. After a five-year hiatus, Ford revived the F-150 SVT Lightning for the second generation in 1999. The second-gen lasted until 2004. Five years later, in 2009, The SVT team unveiled its second vehicle derived from the F-150, the iconic Raptor.
[Featured image by Late Model Restoration via Flickr | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]
