Ford F-100

Ford F-100 at a glance

Production timeline

The first F-100 (1953–1956)

For 1953 Ford replaced its one-digit truck numbers with three digits, a system it still uses. The half-ton F-1 became the F-100, the F-2 and F-3 became the F-250 and the F-4 the F-350. The new trucks were sold as the "Triple Economy" series. They had a wider cab, a larger windscreen and rear window, and a wheelbase cut from 114 to 110 inches, with the front axle set further back. A seat for three with fore-and-aft adjustment and power brakes were also new. The 1953 trucks wore a horn-button emblem marking Ford's 50th anniversary.

Ford-O-Matic, a three-speed automatic, became available in 1953, at first only with the 239 cu in flathead V8. The other options were a three-speed manual with overdrive and a four-speed manual with a low first gear. For 1954 the flathead gave way to the overhead-valve Y-block V8. The 1956 model has a vertical windscreen pillar and a wraparound windscreen, used for that year only, plus electric wipers and a 12-volt system.

These trucks are nicknamed "Effies". According to CJ Pony Parts, more than 100,000 F-100s were built in each model year of the generation. Wikipedia lists fourteen American assembly plants, and Ford Brazil built the line in São Paulo from 1957 to 1962.

Styleside and factory four-wheel drive (1957–1960)

The 1957 redesign merged the cab and front wings into one wide body and introduced a clamshell bonnet that stayed on the F-Series for two decades. Buyers could choose the traditional "Flareside" bed with separate rear wings or the new "Styleside", whose bed sides were flush with the cab. CJ Pony Parts puts the Styleside's extra cargo space at 8%. This was also the only F-Series generation with quad headlamps.

Ford began building four-wheel-drive F-Series trucks itself; before that, the conversion had been done by Marmon-Herrington, and Ford was the first of the "Big Three" to build its own. CJ Pony Parts dates the first factory 4x4 to 1959. Engines were the 223 cu in "Mileage Maker" six and Y-block V8s of 272 and then 292 cu in. Argentina built the F-100 from 1959 to 1961 and Brazil from 1962 to 1971.

Unibody experiment and Twin I-Beam (1961–1966)

The fourth generation, built from October 1960, offered a one-piece cab and bed as an option on two-wheel-drive F-100 and F-250 Stylesides. Buyers did not take to it, and there were reports of doors jamming shut, so Ford dropped it during the 1963 model year. In Canada the same trucks were sold as the Mercury M-Series.

For 1965 Ford introduced a new frame and Twin I-Beam independent front suspension, with coil springs on two-wheel-drive trucks; this layout stayed in use on the F-150 until 1996. New 240 and 300 cu in straight-sixes arrived, and the 352 cu in FE V8 with 155 kW (208 hp) took F-Series output above 149 kW (200 hp) for the first time. The Ranger name appeared in 1965 as a trim package with bucket seats, and a Camper Special package with heavier-duty parts was offered for slide-in campers.

The "Bumpside" years (1967–1972)

The fifth generation, which CJ Pony Parts calls the "Bumpside", had a cab three inches wider and a heavier frame, and it changed little from year to year:

• 1968: side marker reflectors, 360 and 390 FE V8s, factory air conditioning for the first time;
• 1969: new grille and the 302 Windsor V8;
• 1970: mid-cycle update, Sport Custom trim and Ranger XLT as the top level;
• 1971: AM/FM radio option;
• 1972: final North American year.

Lower-priced trims such as the Explorer Special packed Ranger-style trim pieces into a cheaper truck. The F-100 4x4 had a maximum gross vehicle weight rating of 5,600 lb (2,540 kg). Brazil continued to build this generation until 1992.

The F-150 arrives (1973–1979)

The sixth generation brought the SuperCab for 1974, announced on 21 September 1973: the first extended-cab F-Series, with room for six in a shorter body than the crew cab. For 1975 Ford added the F-150, a heavier-rated half-ton with a gross weight rating over 6,000 lb (2,722 kg). Wikipedia describes it as intended to circumvent emissions standards that applied to lighter trucks. The F-150 soon became the best-selling version.

In 1977 the F-Series passed the Chevrolet C/K to become America's best-selling truck line, and it has held that position since. The 1978 facelift replaced the split grille with a single wide grille and moved the headlamps into outboard housings; from 1979 every version had rectangular headlamps.

The last F-100 (1980–1983)

Production of the seventh generation began in September 1979. It was the first complete redesign of the F-Series since 1965. The bonnet was faired into the wings for better aerodynamics in place of the old clamshell, while the grille became flatter and the windscreen more steeply angled. The 1982 facelift moved the Blue Oval badge into the centre of the grille, replacing the FORD letters on the bonnet.

The F-100 now carried Ford's smallest truck engines: a 4.2-litre V8 with 86 kW (115 hp), offered only on the F-100 in 1981–1982. From 1982 a 3.8-litre V6 with 82 kW (110 hp) as standard. By then the F-150 and the new compact Ranger covered almost the same payload range. The 1983 model year was the last for the F-100.

Engines over three decades

Gross ratings, used until the early 1970s, are higher than the later net figures for the same engine, so the two cannot be compared directly. For 1956 Wikipedia gives two outputs for the 272 V8, which is why the table shows a range. Our power converter switches between kW and hp.

Collecting an F-100 today

CJ Pony Parts names the 1953–1956 trucks as the most collectable. They sold well but worked hard, so few survive in good condition. The rounded bonnet and large headlamps give them a look of their own, and the 1956 is the easiest year to recognise because of its one-year windscreen. Later Bumpside and sixth-generation trucks are more common, and the 1965–1966 trucks introduced the frame used until 1979 and the Twin I-Beam suspension.

What to look for depends on the use:

• For originality: a second-generation truck with documents that confirm its original engine and gearbox.
• For regular driving: a 1967–1979 truck; factory air conditioning arrived in 1968, and automatic gearboxes and power brakes were available.
• For four-wheel drive: a third-generation truck or later, built with Ford's own 4x4 system.

More classic trucks and cars by decade are collected in our 1950s classics guide; for the company behind the F-Series, read our history of Ford, and the full model list is in the Ford catalogue.