Category: pickup

Ford Builds 40 Millionth F-Series Truck – Sean Tucker @KelleyBlue Book

Ford Builds 40 Millionth F-Series Truck – Sean Tucker @KelleyBlue Book

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The first Ford F-series truck rolled off the assembly line late in 1947. The 40 millionth, yesterday.

The best-selling vehicle in America for more than 40 years, the F-Series has been through 14 generations. It’s just the second vehicle to cross the 40 million milestone, and it has a long way to go to catch the first. Toyota built its 50 millionth Corolla sometime last summer.

F-Series number 40,000,000 is a 2022 F-150 Tremor in Iconic Silver. It’s a Super Crew, short-bed model powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, making 400 horsepower – 305 more than the flathead 6-cylinder in that first F-Series.

You might expect Ford to keep it for sentimental reasons, but the company says, “It’s headed to a customer in Texas to get to work, because that’s what Ford trucks do.”

Ford F-Series Through the Years:

1948-1952

Ford spent the second World War building everything from bombers to tank engines but kept building the same cars it had designed before Pearl Harbor was bombed. In late 1947, it introduced its first new product since 1941 – the first true consumer pickup. Every prior pickup had been built on a car frame. The Ford F-1 Bonus Built used a chassis specifically designed for a consumer pickup, and America has never been the same. It introduced rare luxuries like a driver’s side sun visor. Buyers could opt for a newfangled windshield wiper for an added fee; the driver pumped a foot plunger to make it work.

1953-1956

In 1953, Ford introduced the three-digit number nomenclature it still uses today. The basic work truck was called the F-100. Heavy-duty models up to F-350 were offered. A straight 6-cylinder engine making 101 horsepower came in the base model, but buyers could spring for a small block V8 making an almost-modern 300 hp. The wide bench seat was adjustable, and by 1956, available with seat belts for an added fee

1957-1960

By 1957, Dodge and General Motors had built trucks on dedicated truck chassis, and Ford needed to up its game. The truck took on modern lines, with the fenders integrated into the hood. By 1959, you could order one from the factory in 4-wheel-drive for the first time (though many older F-Series trucks had been modified to turn all four wheels by post-war mechanics who had learned on Army Jeeps

1961–1966

Pickups started growing in this generation, as Ford significantly lengthened the truck for the first time. Ford also introduced a unibody design, with the bed and cab built as a single piece. It didn’t sell as well as expected. Ford wouldn’t build a unibody truck again until today’s 2022 Maverick.

1967-1972

Ford updated everything but the chassis for this generation, adding shoulder and headroom by increasing the dimensions of the greenhouse. After 25 years, the base model engine had only increased its output to 105 horsepower, and the most powerful option made less than earlier generations – it was a 205-horsepower V8.

1973-1979

Still riding on a chassis two generations old, the “dentside” model had a concave body line down the sides housing the turn signals. In 1974, Ford introduced a higher-payload version of the F-100, called the F-150. In 1977, it became the best-selling truck in the U.S. – a position it has never given up.

1980-1986

With competition heating up, Ford finally redesigned the entire truck, including the chassis. Post-oil-crisis, this one was wind tunnel tested for aerodynamics. Ford moved from an inline 6-cylinder to a V6 for the base engine, and by 1984, dropped the F-100, making the F-150 the base truck.

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A Discreetly Modified 1950 International L-110 Pickup That Has Staying Power – Mike McNessor @Hemmings

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More than three decades have passed since International Harvester was broken apart and sold, but the once-great American manufacturer refuses to fade away. The company’s black and red, “man on a tractor” IH logo and signature bright red Farmall paint live on today aboard Case IH agricultural equipment. International heavy trucks live on as well under parent company Navistar, and the company’s Integrated Coach school buses can trace their lineage back to International.

International light trucks have not fared quite as well, however. The pickups were phased out in 1975 as IH struggled to maintain its core businesses. The rugged Scout utility reached the end of the trail in 1980 as IH was in its death throes. Fortunately, scores of those vehicles are kept alive today by legions of International enthusiasts who recognize a classic design when they see one.

One of those people is Jim Martin, owner, rescuer, and proud caretaker of this feature truck, a 1950 International L-110. The truck was sitting idle in Redlands, California, back in 2006 when Jim’s stepson spotted it.

“He called me and asked if I would be interested in rebuilding a truck,” Jim says. “I had just finished my 1956 Chevrolet, but he kept telling me that I really needed to come and see this special truck

.”With his son along for the ride, Jim went to check out the old pickup that had so captivated his stepson. What he found was a complete vehicle that needed attention.

“The owner said it ran about five years earlier, but his dad had cut all the wires in it, and he hadn’t tried to start it since,” Jim says.

With a fresh six-volt battery and a few squirts of starting fluid, the International’s inline-six came to life and a deal was struck.

“I asked him the price and he replied, ‘I’ll sell it to you for $2,500, but you can’t part it out.’

“Jim agreed to the terms and promised he’d put the International back to good-as-new condition.”At this point, I had a new project!” Jim says.

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Which one of these four vintage pickups from the Sixties would you choose for your dream garage? – Matt Litwin @Hemmings

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If there is a vehicle that built the American economy, it is arguably the pickup. Consider its versatility in basic light-duty form: Farmers could bring their humble harvest to market in the same design that enabled store owners to deliver goods to households in both the cities and suburbs with efficient ease. Everything from animal feed, to building supplies, to small appliances could be transported, and it didn’t take long for adventurous outdoorsmen to convert their coveted workhorse into a weekend camper with a clever aftermarket add-on. Its evolution continues today, serving family needs in more powerful and luxurious ways than once envisioned. Meanwhile, the more vintage steeds have become a hot commodity among old vehicle enthusiasts, so in our latest edition of This or That, we bring you four half-tons from the Sixties to ponder for your dream garage – all of which are currently available in the Hemmings classifieds.

Up first is a pickup that regular readers of our Hemmings Classic Car magazine may recognize: this 1961 Studebaker Champ Deluxe, which appeared in the May 2019 issue, as well as our 2020 Hemmings Vintage Trucks calendar. Studebaker’s half-ton Champ was introduced to the truck market in 1960, and while it may have appeared as an all-new light-duty hauler at first blush, the company’s lack of engineering funds meant that the outgoing model – the Scotsman – was, on the surface, given a new name with a facelift, courtesy of the Lark sedan. Aside from the cab’s front end, save for a four-bar grille versus a mesh design, the Lark’s instrument panel was carried forward to the Champ, too. Two upgrades highlighted our featured ’61 model year: The use of a 110-hp, 170-cu.in. six-cylinder engine in base trim, and the “Spaceside” cargo box. The latter was made possible thanks to old tooling obtained from Dodge, which accounted for the mismatched cab/cargo box body transition. According to the seller of this Champ:

his 1961 Studebaker Champ Deluxe pickup is a nicely restored example. If you are a fan of the Hemmings Vintage Trucks Calendar, it was used for the July 2020 page. The red paint has the vibrant look of a modern quality respray, so the sunlight shows off the well-done bodywork as the Lark-inspired front end flows into a muscular bed design. And speaking of the bed, the finish applied over the oak wood on the bed floor and removable side stakes has a gloss that rivals the paint. This has upgraded chrome on the bumpers, grille, and side trim. The wheels have classic Studebaker hubcaps, and the whitewalls coordinate with the body’s white pinstripe. It’s believed Studebaker produced less than 7,700 consumer pickups across the entire line in 1961. The exterior red returns inside. It’s now joined by a tasteful black on the seat, carpeting, and dash. The experience inside this pickup is truly authentic, right down to the large dual-spoke steering wheel that gives a clear view to the correct classic gauges. The AM radio still cranks out tunes and the heater works. Plus, this one has the rare sliding rear window option. The engine bay has an authentic 170 cubic-inch straight-six backed by a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission.

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1946 Ford Pickup Is the Revived Grandfather of Today’s Mighty F-150 – Daniel Patrascu @Autoevolution

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Ford and pickup trucks have gone hand in hand since times immemorial. Starting with the first one the Blue Oval made way back in 1917 (the infamous Model TT) and ending with today’s segment leader that comes in the form of the F-150, trucks have pulled Ford through hell and high water

The modern-day love affair of the public with Ford pickup trucks did not start with the TT, though, but rather with the vehicles the company started making from 1941. We’re talking about the multi-role Ford machine that was offered until 1948 in a multitude of body styles, from 2-door coupe to station wagon. In between, of course, was the pickup truck.

Playing just like the modern-day F-150 in the half-ton segment, that age’s pickup had a number of things going for it, and that made it quite successful in its time. Some people found the trucks worthy enough to have them preserved to this day when they get another shot at life on the custom market.

The one we have here is currently for sale on Bring a Trailer as the perfect re-incarnation of the F-150’s ancestor. Sporting a red body over a gray cloth interior, it looks more alive today than it ever did, thanks to the addition of hardware like steel bumpers, dual side mirrors, and a step-side bed with a wood plank floor.

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The Strange Tale of the 1961-66 Ford Wrongbed Pickups – @Mac’s MotorCityGarage

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Between 1961 and 1966, Ford built some pickups that didn’t look quite right. Ford truck enthusiasts call these machines the Wrongbed pickups. 

The curious saga of the Ford Wrongbeds begins here, with the company’s new Styleside pickups introduced in 1961 (above). In a departure from conventional U.S. pickup truck construction, Ford body engineers combined the cab and bed in a single welded assembly, which the company—with great fanfare—called “Integrated.” Note there is no gap between the passenger cab and the pickup box. They’re one unit. This style of construction was intended to provide a more sleek and contemporary look, and it also reduced the number of body panels and welds required, reducing manufacturing cost. While some folks call these trucks “Unibody,” borrowing the Chrysler trade name, that is a bit of a misnomer. There was still a conventional ladder frame underneath and only the bodies were unitized, if you will.

Actually, this mode of pickup truck construction is not so unusual today. You can find integrated cargo beds (in both unitized and body-on-frame versions) on the 2004-on Honda Ridgeline, the 2001-2013 Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT, and Australia’s ubiquitous Ford Falcon and Holden Utes, among others. But when Ford attempted the design way back in ’61, a serious problem soon arose. Owners discovered that when the cargo box was loaded, the doors would no longer open. Or close. Body panels rippled and tore. The new body shell design was insufficiently rigid, twisting out of shape when loads were applied

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Reborn Checker production expected to begin in 2018 – Daniel Strohl, Hemmings

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The legendary Checker Motor Cars are set to go back into production in 2018, Checker produced vehicles between 1922 and 1982.

The range will consist of a pickup and a 12 passenger six door sedan

You can read more at Hemmings