Ford Pickups Celebrate 100th Year

Ford Pickups Celebrate 100th Year AG WORLD Henry Ford knew a good thing when he introduced the Model TT in July 1917 the company’s first pickup truck He kept the cab and engine of the Model T but loaded it onto a heavier frame that could handle a 1-ton payload The TT carried a base price of $600 from the factory and 290 were sold the first year By 1928 1 3 million TTs had been sold and Ford introduced the model AA with a 1 1/2-ton chassis It was available with length power train and axle options By 1933 the AA had been replaced by the BB Two years later Ford introduced the Model 50 equipped with the famous Ford Flathead V-8 More than 4 million Ford trucks had been sold by 1941 Building heavy-duty trucks for the military during WWII laid the groundwork for what would become the best-selling truck series ever the F series The new lineup was introduced in 1948 In 1953 the introduction of the Ford F-100 replaced the Flathead V-8 with an overhead valve V-8 The model offered armrests dome lights and sun visors as standard features It would continue in production for nearly 30 years Other innovations over the years included 4-WD in 1959 twin I-beam front suspension in 1965 crew cabs in 1966 and a continuous string of styling changes and technologies Today the F series is in its 13th generation having had major changes every 3 to 5 years It has been the best selling truck for 40 years with tens of millions on the road

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.