America's Favorite Truck: A History of the F-Series, Pt 1

April 4, 2023

America’s best selling vehicle for the last forty years has been the F-Series pick up truck from Ford. But the F-150 sitting in your neighbor’s driveway isn’t the same truck Ford put on the road forty years ago. We’re going to take a journey through the decades of innovation, advancement, and rebadging that have made the F-Series badge a household feature. Some of the model years will overlap to account for minor changes to existing models that precluded a generational overhaul, and Ford’s propensity for releasing model years during the closing of the calendar year.

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of Ford’s historical line of pickups, there was a whole experimental phase that precluded the arrival of the F-series. It is important to know this phase to get the full context of the vehicles that would eventually become the best selling truck in the USA for nearly half a century.

Pre F-Series Trucks

In the nearly five decades before Ford launched the original F-1, the company experimented with several models of van and delivery vehicle. The first was the Ford Delivery Car released in 1905. Based on the Model C, the Delivery car featured a large, covered in cargo area instead of the rear bench. The second attempt was in 1905 when the Ford Delivery Van was released and was built on the Model N chassis, which had been launched the previous year.

Ford released a Delivery Car version of their iconic Model T in 1912, and in 1917, released the Model TT chassis, which was rated to one ton and sold as an open chassis. In 1924, Henry Ford took note of the third party hardware being built for the frame and released the Model TT with the Express Body, which was essentially a pickup bed. By 1928 the Model T needed replacing, so Ford introduced the Model A and larger Model AA, which was rated to 1.5 tons.

As the economy began recovering from the devastation of the 1929 economic collapse, 1934 saw significant upgrades to the base models, including a closed cab and an improved engine that replaced the small four-cylinder, which had only received minor upgrades since the Model T. In 1938, theone and a half ton versions got a new, stronger chassis. These upgrades were indicators of the healing economy, and Ford saw slow, but increasing sales.

Canada joined Great Britain in the war against Germany in late 1939, and soon after that, the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd., started producing military specification vehicles for the war effort. The American arm of the company would follow in 1942, ending the production of a new truck model to focus on the war effort. With the end of the war in sight and demand for military equipment easing, in late 1944 the War Production Board authorized Ford to build a limited run of heavy-duty trucks for civilian use. These trucks were essentially beefier versions of the 1942 model that had been cut short.

First Generation (1948-1952)

In late 1947, Ford announced their first new model of truck since the war, and in early 1948, they released the Ford Bonus-Built, also known as the F-1. It featured a single piece windscreen, an optional four-wheel drive by Marmon-Herrington and was rated to a half ton. The F-Series line would expand to include full-sized trucks, cab-over-engine commercial vehicles, and even school buses. Heavy-duty models, labeled as F-7 and F-8, were conventional designs based on larger versions of the F-1.

Under the hood, the first F-series trucks came with either a 226 cubic inch inline six or a 239 flathead V-8. These engines had a few upgrades throughout the generation, but the option of six or eight cylinders remained.

The F-1 saw minor changes in its first few years, save for a taller cab and the shifter moved from the floor to the column. In 1951, the F-1 got a facelift: the built-in headlamps and horizontal bars of the grille were traded for a single bar supporting the lights with vertical supports in the center, the rear window grew to be a few inches, and Ford introduced the five-star cab, which had an overhauled dash. The bed of the box changed from steel to wood as well. This first restructuring of the truck was an early indication of the generational direction Ford would be taking their trucks in the coming years.

Second Generation (1952–1956)

For the 1953 model, Ford restructured the F-series of trucks into something closer to what we see today. The half-ton F-1 became the F-100, the F-2 and F-3 were condensed into the F-250, and the F-4 became the F-350. Conventional heavy-duty F-series trucks became the F500 through 900, and the cab-over design got its own C-series designation. Ford also introduced a Low Gross Vehicle Weight Restriction (Low GVWR) model for light duty needs.

The newly branded trucks received a new chassis, and an automatic transmission was added to the available features list. The front end got a major overhaul with a new bumper and grille styling. 1953 would also be the last year for the flathead engine, which was replaced by the overhead Y-block V-8 in 1954. The truck also saw power steering as an option for the first time.

The 1956 model year produced a one year only styling that would be replaced by the following model year’s overhaul. The angled windshield of the earlier years was replaced by vertical pillars and a wraparound windshield, which was a preview of the incoming changes.

Third Generation (1957–1960)

The third generation of F-Series trucks brought significant changes to the pickup. The fenders were integrated with the bodywork, as was the hood, which changed to a clamshell design. The cab used the vertical pillars hinted at in the 1956 model, and the styleside box maintained the smooth lines of the cab to the tailgate, though a flareside box was also available. The grille grew and became more prominent, and the interior received a makeover.

In 1958, the F-100 received quad headlights with a grille update, and factory installed four-wheel drive became an option in 1959. Before then, Ford had been outsourcing the conversion to Marmon-Herrington. This switch made Ford the first of the 'big three' to do so.

On the other end of the spectrum, Ford continued to sell Low GVWR models, which would be indicative of Ford’s light truck line that would come later. These models featured a smaller 3.7L inline six, instead of the beefier Y block V-8s that were available.

Fourth Generation (1960-1966)

For 1960, Ford changed up their design again and offered a unibody design alongside the traditional separate boxes. The plan saved in production time and material cost, since the vehicle required fewer stampings and the bedsides were welded directly to the door frames, making for a less complicated assembly. Rumors the doors would jam closed if the unibody box was overloaded were partly responsible for weak sales of the unibody option, and Ford scrapped the design midway through 1963. As a result of the mid-model shake-up, some ‘63 and ‘64 models received boxes from their ‘57 through ‘60 predecessors.

Ford introduced the ‘65 model with a new frame in late 1964, but the body was largely unchanged. The frame, however, would serve as the F-Series’s platform until 1979. With the new frame came Ford’s “Twin I-Beam” front suspension with coil springs on front-wheel-drive models, and a badge on the front fender. Ford also introduced a four-door model. The model also saw a change in the power plant with a 352 FE V-8 as an available option; this was the first Ford truck to surpass 200 horsepower.

Fifth Generation (1967-1972)

Launched in late 1966 for the ‘67 model year, the fifth generation of F-series trucks featured sharper lines and a larger cab. The truck was based on the same frame that Ford introduced during the fourth generation, and continued to use the Twin I-Beam suspension in two-wheel drive models.

In 1968, Ford introduced factory installed air conditioning, which was previously dealer installed. They also added new reflectors to meet changing safety standards, including a redesigned hood emblem in which to incorporate them seamlessly. The 352 V-8 was discontinued, leaving customers the option of the slightly more powerful 360 FE V-8 or one of the inline sixes on offer. 1969 saw the arrival of the 302 Windsor V-8 engine that churned out 205 horsepower, and with it a new grille design.

In 1970, as we saw with previous generations, Ford introduced a mid-cycle update that included a new grille, wraparound lights, some changes to the exterior, and a restructuring of the trim levels, including moving the Ranger XLT trim to the top of the list. Ford would continue with these changes until they introduced the next generation in late 1972.

Sixth Generation (1973-1979)

The sixth generation of Ford trucks held several milestones for the company. It was during this time the F-series would pick up one of its most iconic badges and begin its record run as the best selling truck in the US. The ‘73 model year makeover included changes to the grille and Ford badging across the hood. 1973 also saw the introduction of the heavy-duty F-350, which had a longer wheelbase than the F-100 and 250 models, and was built for contractors and camping enthusiasts. The Super Camper Special would lose the "Super" from its moniker in 1977, though the 'camper special' package would remain.

Ford introduced the extended cab in 1974 and dubbed the “SuperCab.” In 1975, Ford introduced the F-150 badge as a workaround for new emissions regulations and referred to the truck as a “heavy half-ton” since the F-100 was still in production as a “light half-ton” truck. The F-150 was designed to carrya heavierpayload than its smaller predecessor, which it would eventually replace as their flagship pickup.By the end of 1976, Ford would begin their run as the best selling truck line in America.

F-series from 1978 received either the familiar round headlights or square, depending on their trim level; Custom trim levels kept the round lights and bezels, while the Ranger trim levels got squares with the option of chrome headlight doors. Ford also removed the split grille and replaced it will a single piece insert, and moved the signals from inside the grille to under the headlamps, which were now built into the grill frame, instead of set into the sides of the grille itself. Like previous generations, Ford was hinting at the changes they were preparing to make with the next generation.

This sums up the first half of our History of the Ford F-Series. Stay tuned for more modern developments and innovations that have helped Ford stay at the top of the sales ladder.

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