Ford Trucks
America's Best Selling Truck
Ford F-Series trucks are the gold standard of American pickups, outselling every other brand by large margins for decades. Innovative, tough, dependable, and easily recognized around the globe, they’ve always set the bar incredibly high while managing to improve upon every generation. From the workhorse F-1s developed after WWII, the ever-changing and always-stylish F-100s that spanned six generations, and the ‘Built Ford Tough’ F-150s that transformed pickups into personal vehicles and continue to innovate and push the envelope today – nothing compares to the Ford F-Series line. Baseball, apple pie, and Ford trucks, there’s no other make-and-model that exemplifies America better.
1948-1952
The F-1s - First-Generation
Henry Ford had been producing trucks for decades before WWII ever started, but Ford Motor Company read the post-war ‘tea leaves’ better than just about any other brand, correctly predicting the need for a truck line that would help build America into a super-power. Known as the ‘Ford Bonus-Built’ trucks, the original F-Series ranged from F-1 to F-8 and served private, commercial, and government clients in just about every job imaginable. The light-duty, ½-ton F-1s gained a wider audience as potential passenger vehicles, with an all-new purpose-built chassis, cab, and bed design debuting in ’48. The final two model years received a facelift, including a new grille, headlights, and a ‘Five-Star-Cab’ with a bigger rear window – updates that make them the most popular of the generation.
1953-1956
The First F-100s - Second-Generation
Continuing the styling of the ‘Five-Star-Cab’ trucks from the previous two years, 1953 kicks-off an official 2nd generation F-Series that ushers in a facelift, increased dimensions inside-and-out, improved engines, and an updated chassis. F-100 replaces the F-1 name for the ½-ton variant, F-2 and F-3 combine into the F-250, while the F-4 becomes the 1-ton F-350 – all monikers still used to this day. ’53-’55 models are largely similar, but the final-year ’56 model (also the most popular model today) undergoes a major revision with a wrap-around windshield, new cab doors, a redesigned dashboard, and an optional (and highly desirable) panoramic rear window. The venerable Y-Block V8 is also introduced, replacing the long-standing flathead engine.
1957-1960
The Forgotten F-100s - Third-Generation
All traces of the ‘Ford Bonus-Built’ and ‘Five-Star-Cab’ body styles are eliminated, making room for these completely redesigned 3rd generation trucks. ‘Stylesides’ are introduced, forever setting a trend for what a truck bed should be, and the forward-leaning, squared-off, wide-and-streamlined design of this short-lived generation would pave the way for the rugged truck styling to come in the next decades. The 1958 model introduces quad-headlights for the first time, the front grille and hood is aesthetically upgraded each year, while in 1959, Ford introduces its first in-house 4WD. Sluggish sales make this one of the rarely seen generations on the road today.
1961-1966
The Unibody and Twin I-Beam F-100s - Fourth-Generation
Dramatically restyled, these F-100s are much longer and lower that their predecessors, wider too, and they retain their squared-off styling with front grilles changing every year within this generation. During the course of Ford’s long competition with Chevy’s C/K line, this generation shared the most aesthetics with its rival’s direct counterpart. 1961-63 offered the so-called unibody trucks, which integrated the cab and body into one while eliminating the traditional gap in between, and the controversial design was eliminated in 1964-66 with the introduction of the Twin I-Beam front suspension and a completely new platform/chassis that would be used for decades. A four-door crew cab debuts, and the ‘Ranger’ name makes its first appearance as a trim-level for the 1965 model year.
1967-1972
The Bumpside F-100s - Fifth-Generation
Much like the Chevrolet C10 ‘Action-Line’ pickups made in these exact years, the ‘Bumpsides’ (called us such due to their protruding side trim) are widely considered to be the most popular and best-looking vintage trucks ever made. Significant styling and performance changes would begin to blur the line between pickup and passenger vehicle (a trend that would continue from here), and the ’67 redesign marks a 10-year run of aesthetically similar trucks that would drastically increase Ford’s global truck sales. ’67-‘69s are considered the ‘original’ grilles, whereas as ’70-’72s introduce egg crate grille inserts. Record sales in 1971-72 supplant Chevrolet as No. 1 in truck sales in America, surpassing the Bowtie brand by over 20K units each year. Today, these are the most commonly restored/collected/sold pickups of the entire vintage F-Series.
1973-1979
The Dentside F-100s/F-150s - Sixth-Generation
Largely a continuation of the previous generation, albeit with a few major changes. The ‘Dentsides’ derive their name from the profile indentation that the truck’s side molding mounts into, and this aesthetic change is joined by this generation’s larger cabins, significant modernization and refinements (like front disc brakes), and an increased use of sturdy, galvanized steel and double-wall bed construction. The F-150 nameplate debuts in 1975 alongside the F-100 (largely for emissions and DOT weight regulations), the FE V8s are discontinued in 1976 after 20 years and replaced with 335 & 385 series engines, and sales continue to soar with the F-Series dominating the market. ‘78-‘79s feature squared-off headlights and a redesigned single-piece grille, and the Full-Size Bronco is also restyled to match.
1980-1986
The Bullnose F-100s/F-150s - Seventh-Generation
An all-new chassis and body debuts for the first time in a decade, with aerodynamics playing a role for the first time in the F-Series’ history. A rounded front clip dubbed the ‘Bullnose’ joins with softer lines around the fenders and bed, and buyers now have a choice of five cab styles. Fuel efficiency dictates the line of engines (instead of power), although a wide-range of drivetrains is still offered; the 3-on-the-tree manual shifter is offered for the last time by Ford and the F-100 nameplate is dropped after 1985. The Ford Bronco continues to share a front clip with the truck, and this technologically-charged generation offers a the longest list of options and amenities ever installed.
1987-1991
The Bricknose F-150s - Eighth-Generation
Essentially a heavy facelift off the previous generation, these Eights feature Euro-style ‘brick’ headlights and modern horizontal-bar grilles, with a further emphasis on aerodynamics on a rounded-out body with soft design lines. Since this is only a restyling of the 7th generation, the model-run is comparatively short, although the interiors are more modern than ever before, the 4-speed manual and C6 auto transmissions are permanently discontinued (in favor of a 5-speed overdrive manual and E4OD 4-speed auto, respectively), and all-new tech like rear ABS is introduced. And in 1989, the F-Series establishes itself as the nation’s best-selling vehicle.
1992-1996
The Old Body Style ‘OBS’ F-150s - Ninth-Generation
Just like their GM counterparts, fans affectionately (and somewhat paradoxically) call these the ‘OBS’ trucks, even though they are ironically the most modern of the vintage F-Series. Once again, a new facelift debuts, where the entire truck rounds-out even further (especially the front clip) for the sake of better aerodynamics and modern styling. The Flareside is reintroduced for the first time since 1987, the cabins are by far the most comfortable and well-optioned, and with dual airbags debuting in 1994 these are the safest F-150s ever made. New high-tech features like remote keys, a power seat, and CD-player push these trucks into the 21st century, and by 1996 the F-Series overtakes Chevrolet and GMC with combined sales crossing over 800K.