Photo: Mecum
Today’s pickup trucks are incredible machines. Decades of evolution for one of America’s favorite segments led to us having at our disposal capabilities our grandparents only dreamed of: things like 35,100 pounds (15,921 kg) of towing for the Ram 3500 Heavy Duty, or 3,270 lbs (1,483 kg) of payload for the F-150.
Naturally, you can’t have such massive figures wrapped in a package that looks cute. That’s why present trucks are massive, borderline aggressive, especially when seen in the rearview mirror, and sport a generally squarish design. But things were not always like this.
Ford gave birth to the F-Series in 1948, targeting the light-duty market and Americans that were now enjoying some peace after the troubled war years. Building on the pickup it had been making since 1941, the F-Series slowly grew into the most potent truck family on the market today, sales-wise.
The first generation to be made was offered with several weight ratings and body styles, but it was the second one that really kicked things into gear. Born in 1953, this incarnation of the family brought with it bigger machines, better engines, and, above all, a clearer differentiation between models.
It was in 1953 when the F-100 was born, the half-ton pickup known until then as the F-1. And that’s exactly the year of the pickup we have here.
Before the F-150 became the flag bearer of the series in 1983, the F-100 was one of the favorite models on the market. It came with cutesy styling but was capable enough to cater to the needs of its owners. It instantly became a hit, and continues to live to this day on the custom market.
The one we have here is selling at the end of the week in Houston, Texas, as part of a Mecum auction. It looks pretty much the same as it did back when it was made, refreshed through a nut and bolt restoration a while back.
Powered by a 239-ci (3.9-liter) flathead V8 tied to a 3-speed manual transmission (the original drivetrain), the truck boasts a Vermilion Red exterior with a white grille, a black interior, and refinished wood bed at the back.
Mecum does not offer an estimate as to how much it hopes to fetch for this truck.
Ford gave birth to the F-Series in 1948, targeting the light-duty market and Americans that were now enjoying some peace after the troubled war years. Building on the pickup it had been making since 1941, the F-Series slowly grew into the most potent truck family on the market today, sales-wise.
The first generation to be made was offered with several weight ratings and body styles, but it was the second one that really kicked things into gear. Born in 1953, this incarnation of the family brought with it bigger machines, better engines, and, above all, a clearer differentiation between models.
It was in 1953 when the F-100 was born, the half-ton pickup known until then as the F-1. And that’s exactly the year of the pickup we have here.
Before the F-150 became the flag bearer of the series in 1983, the F-100 was one of the favorite models on the market. It came with cutesy styling but was capable enough to cater to the needs of its owners. It instantly became a hit, and continues to live to this day on the custom market.
The one we have here is selling at the end of the week in Houston, Texas, as part of a Mecum auction. It looks pretty much the same as it did back when it was made, refreshed through a nut and bolt restoration a while back.
Powered by a 239-ci (3.9-liter) flathead V8 tied to a 3-speed manual transmission (the original drivetrain), the truck boasts a Vermilion Red exterior with a white grille, a black interior, and refinished wood bed at the back.
Mecum does not offer an estimate as to how much it hopes to fetch for this truck.
Google News