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The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company sold for over 5 decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150. It has been the best-selling vehicle in the world for 23 years and the best-selling truck in the United States (and possibly the world) for 28 years.
1948
The first F-series truck from Ford was introduced in 1948, replacing the company's previous car-based pickup line. It was a modern-looking truck with a one-piece windshield and integrated headlights. The F-series was available as three models:
- F-1 - half-ton
- F-2 - three-quarter-ton
- F-3 - Heavy Duty
Engines:
1953
The F-series was redesigned for 1953 with a more integrated look. The pickups also acquired their familiar names: F-100, F-250, and the heavy-duty F-350. Interior amenities were new, including a dome light, lighter, arm rests, and sun visors.
Engines:
1957
The truck was restyled again in 1957 with the hood now merging with the fenders. In the back, the traditional separate-fender body was now called flareside, while a new smooth-sided look was styleside. Four wheel drive, now a common feature, was a new addition to the truck in 1959.
Engines:
1961
The truck was completely redesigned for 1961 with a wider look, and styleside trucks got an integrated cab and box. Power was over 200 hp with the 1965 refresh of the powertrain.
Engines:
1967
Another refresh came in 1967 along with a now-familiar name: the upscale Ranger trim line. The front leaf springs were replaced by coil springs in F-100s in 1968 along with a powertrain refresh. A 4-door crew cab version was introduced in 1969, still a popular option. The top trim for 1970 was named Ranger XLT.
Engines:
1973
The truck was redesigned in 1973 with an automatic transmission option. Other changes included the introduction of the Twin I-Beam suspension, a name that is still used, and the 1974 introduction of the extended super cab version. A luxury Lariat trim was introduced for 1978. That same year, the F-series became the best-selling vehicle in America, a position it has continued to hold since.
Engines:
1980
The next major redesign came in 1980. The new truck had a squarer look, with sharp lines and flat panels. The Ranger trim line was dropped in 1982, since that name was to be applied to the new Ford Ranger compact pickup. Trim options were now XL, XLT, and XLT Lariat. The big-block V8 was dropped for 1980, but added again in 1983 along with a Diesel option. The base model was renamed to the now-familiar F-150 for 1984.
Engines:
1987
The 1987 refresh was evolutionary. The design was more streamlined, and maintenance items were made simpler. Rear antilock brakes were now standard, the first truck to boast this. The manual transmission was revised with five speeds in 1988, and the flareside box was dropped.
Four wheel drive improvements included the addition of automatic locking hubs for the F-150 in 1989, and for the rest in 1991. The 5.0 L truck also had an optional "Touch Drive" electronic transfer case.
Engines:
1992
The 1992 truck was much more rounded and aerodynamic-looking, and the flareside returned until 1996. The Lightning appeared in 1993. A CD player option was new for 1994, as was a driver's-side airbag and "CHMSL" third brake light. Following the lead of the Explorer, an Eddie Bauer trim line was added for 1995.
Engines:
- 1992-1996 - 4.9 L straight-6, FI, 150 hp
- 1992-1996 - 7.5 L 385 V8, FI, 230 hp
- 1992-1996 - 7.3 L Diesel V8, 180 hp
- 1992-1996 - 5.0 L Windsor V8, FI, 185 hp
- 1992-1996 - 5.8 L Windsor V8, FI, 210 hp
- 1993-1995 - 5.8 L Windsor V8, FI, 240 hp Lightning
- 1995-1996 - 7.3 L PowerStroke turbo-Diesel V8, 210 hp/425 ft.lbf
1997
Ford took the aero styling to its conclusion for 1997 with an extremely round nose on the new F-series. A wide variety of body options were available: regular, SuperCab, and SuperCrew cabs, standard or flareside boxes, and short and long beds. A new Lightning was introduced in 1999, and Harley-Davidson and King Ranch versions were also created.
The heavy-duty F-250 and F-350 were retained on the old chassis until 1999.
Engines:
- 1997-2003 - 4.2 L Essex V6, 202 hp/252 ft.lbf
- 1997-2003 - 4.6 L Triton V8, 231 hp/293 ft.lbf
- 1997-2003 - 5.4 L Triton V8, 260 hp/350 ft.lbf
- 1999-2004 - 5.4 L supercharged Triton V8, 340 hp (Lightning, 2002 Harley-Davidson)
- 1999-2003 - 6.8 L Triton V10, 275 hp/410 ft.lbf
- 1999-2003 - 7.3 L PowerStroke turbo-Diesel V8, 235 hp/500 ft.lbf
2004
In 2004, Ford redesigned the F-Series using the new P2 platform. Initially, only Ford's 4.6 L Triton and new 3-valve 5.4 L 3V Triton V8 engines and automatic transmissions were offered on the new luxurious trucks. Work-oriented versions with an available 4.2 L Triton V6 and manual transmission will debut for 2005.
The previous F-150 was continued in production until the summer of 2004 as the Heritage model.
The new F-150 won the North American Truck of the Year award for 2004. It also beat the three-time winning Chevrolet Silverado for Car and Driver magazine's Best Pickup Truck for 2004. Additionally, over 912,000 F-150s were sold in 2004, giving it a single-year sales record.
Lightning
The high-performance F-150 Lightning debuted in 1993. It used a 240 hp version of Ford's 5.8 L V8. Sales were not great, so the Lightning was dropped in 1995.
A new Lightning debuted in 1999 on the new F-150 platform. It used a supercharged 5.4 L Ford Modular engine that produced 360 hp, a figure later raised to 380 hp. The last Lightning was produced in 2004.
Ford has announced that a new Lightning based on the redesigned F-150 might come in 2008.
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