Quite a milestone Ford is celebrating as of late. Its 1917 Model TT hit the open road about 100 years ago, and the company is reminiscing about its successful century-long truck history. And what a story it is …
Hard to believe, but that very first Ford truck cost only $600 back in those days. Once 1938 hit, the company had 1.3 million TTs sold, and moved on with its Model AA, donning a 1.5-ton chassis. As Ford historian, Bob Kreipke recently stated, the AAs had particular class to them, drivers used them on the farm, yet still drove them out on Sundays to church.
The Model 50 pickup debuted in 1935 and with it came the well-known Flathead V-8 engine. When 1941 rolled around, the company had sold over four million trucks. The first-generation F-Series was launched after WW2, with a F-8 cab cab over engine (COE) truck.
In 1953, Ford would re-invent the F-Series and F-1 trucks turned into F-100; as F-2 and F-3s transitioned into the F-250 series. Now, drivers would be seen in Ford trucks with two-tone paint, automatic transmissions, cooler radios, and more efficient heaters. Armrests, sun visors, and dome lights would now become standard on the F-100s; ushering a new era within the interior of the F-100s. The 50s would go out with a bang for Ford, with the Falcon Ranchero’s debut in 1957; a truck that offered car amenities within a light-duty frame.
MSN reported that as the 60’s approached, Ford would debut its fourth-gem F-Series in 1961, while a Ranger package, with power brakes and steering, would hit the market in 1967.
Ford truck enthusiasts would revel in a SuperCab feature, come 1974 and then in 1975, with the F-Series sixth-generation debuting; now being dubbed the F-150.
As car trends evolved, so did the Ranger, a more compact model, which hit the market in 1982 – yet was discontinued come 2011, but the good news is, it’s expecting a return in 2019. The first-ever SVT F-150 Lightning would roll out in 1992, a high-performance pickup and the F-150 Raptor would come along in 2010. In 2011, and EcoBoost V-6 Ford engine technology would come about and a Ford truck with the body gracing aluminum-alloy came along in 2015.
Lots of history for the F-Series Ford, which also happens to be the highest-selling truck for over four decades in a row.
Happy 100th, Ford truck!
