The 1st generation of the F-150 SVT Lightning appeared in Ford showrooms in 1993, and in Ford’s own marketing words, they said that “For all intents, the F-150 Lightning is a Mustang GT with a cargo bed.” SVT managed to endow the Lightning with rugged good looks, and while its performance wasn’t in muscle car territory, it was still pretty impressive for a fairly heavy pickup. This Lightning is located in Pasadena, Texas, and is listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the Lightning has now reached $15,000, and at that price, the reserve has been met.

In 1994, the Lightning was available in a total of three exterior colors, and this one wears a color called Oxford White. The body looks to be in very nice condition, with no signs of any rust or major scrapes or dings. The distinctive front spoiler, which sits pretty low for a pickup, appears to have survived the past 25-years without any damage, while the original alloy wheels are free of curb strike. Apart from the obvious visual enhancements that came as part of the Lightning package, this vehicle is also fitted with the optional sliding rear windows. The 1994 model Lightning also featured some fairly minor styling changes over its predecessor, and you can pick up the two most obvious in these photos. The most obvious is the revised external mirrors, which had a more aerodynamic shape to them. The second was that 1994 marked the introduction of a high-mounted brake light.

The Lightning marked a number of “firsts” for the F-Series, and one of these was that it was the first such Ford vehicle to feature bucket seats. These extremely comfortable items featured power adjustment, which adds a luxurious touch to what really started life as a commercial vehicle interior. This Lightning looks to be quite nice inside. The owner does identify some damage to the driver’s door trim, but the rest of the trim looks really nice for a 25-year-old vehicle. There are some non-original items fitted to the interior, including an upgraded stereo, and new speakers. Creature comforts provided a step up for the Lightning when compared to a regular F-150. In addition to the power seats, a Lightning comes equipped with a driver’s airbag, power windows, power locks, cruise control, and air conditioning that is said to blow ice cold.

In addition to “show”, the Lightning does provide the owner with a bit of “go.” As previously stated, this isn’t a muscle car, but performance is still pretty reasonable. Under the hood is a fuel-injected 351ci Windsor V8, which is mated to an upgraded E40D 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine received some useful upgrades thanks to both SVT engineering and a visit to the Ford parts bin. The result is an engine that produces 240hp. That sort of output might sound puny by today’s standards, but it did allow the Lightning to accelerate from 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds, and cover the ¼ mile in 15.6 seconds. As I said previously, this isn’t muscle car territory, but we need to remember that we are talking about a vehicle that weighs in excess of 4,500lbs. This Lightning looks quite tidy under the hood. There is an aftermarket air cleaner fitted, but the original is included in the sale. The owner says that the vehicle starts, runs, and drives perfectly. He also holds a fair collection of receipts for work and maintenance that has been performed on the vehicle over the years.

In 1994, Ford was able to sell a total of 4,007 Lightnings, and of these, 1,460 were finished in Oxford White. Values have taken a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the past 3-years, but they have risen consistently over the past year or so. Having said that, values vary widely and are heavily dependent on condition. You can find examples for sale today for as little as $8,000, but these are usually pretty rough examples that have led a hard life. At the other end of the scale, a truly pristine example can sell for prices in excess of $30,000. This one occupies a nice middle ground and is nice enough to stand out in the crowd, but not so nice that you would be afraid to use it. That makes it a pretty practical classic.