For 32 years, Ford’s F series pickups had been the best-selling car in the USA and the leader in its class for 37 years! This, of course, was and is a massive reason for pride and an incentive for its creators to improve this legendary automobile with each new generation.
Source: Worldwide Vintage Autos
Pickups were (and still are) genuinely American vehicles that had been the most popular class in the United States for several decades. No wonder, almost all American automakers include this class of vehicles in their lines. However, the Ford F series was a classic truck and an absolute legend. Although this series appeared as a truck and a farmer’s car in the post-war period, over time more and more Americans used them as personal vehicles. As a result, vehicles of subsequent generations were created with a more significant bias towards comfort and ease of control. Even the gasoline crisis could not shake its position. Today’s F series continues its victorious march, remaining the most beloved vehicle of Americans.
Source: Mecum Auctions
Ford had been producing universal cars designed for farmers and active leisure enthusiasts for over 60 years. The legendary F series was intended for brutal off-road driving from the beginning, but it soon became more than a pickup. Today, the Ford F150 is synonymous with pickup trucks as Coca-Cola with any soda. The path to the top of its class was marked by innovations and decades of hard work. As a result, this sturdy won the hearts of Americans. The company created the first automobile as a “workhorse”. The debut of the F-series occurred in 1948 when the United States was recovering from the devastating effects of World War II. The first trucks were simple, reliable work vehicles that ranged from half-ton F1 trucks to school buses. Five years later, Ford presented a completely redesigned second generation. The company updated the chassis and made the series more spacious. It was the second generation that changed the indexing of the line by three digits. Accordingly, trucks with different lifting capacities became known as the F-100, F-250, and F-350. The third generation also continued the traditional improvement, becoming boxier and getting a new clamshell hood. In the 60s, the automobile had already become more than a truck, having acquired a pleasant interior, air conditioning, and optional AM/FM radio. Iconic styling cues, such as block lettering “FORD” on the hood and built-in headlights, were also added.
The legendary F150 appeared in 1975. Despite the fuel crisis, the model quickly gained popularity. By the beginning of the 80s, it had become an undeniable sales leader, evolving with the automotive industry’s development and the customers’ taste. Various engines were introduced, including diesel, high-performance V8, EcoBoost, and hybrid V6. In addition, it became more comfortable and beautiful over the years. Remarkably, collaborations with NASCAR and Harley-Davidson raised its status, and since 1989 the F150 had become the best-selling vehicle in the United States.
Source: Ble Oval Tech
In the 7th generation (1980-1986), the F150 finally abandoned the 1965 chassis. It received a new platform – a galvanized body in three cab versions. The 1982 release was the first all-wheel drive that had an independent suspension. However, three/four-speed manual and 3-step automatic transmissions remained the same as in the previous generation. 1982 featured a relatively large update. It became more “square,” and the front facade received a large-mesh grille and rectangular headlights. In 1982, the large Ford lettering left the edge of the hood, and it was replaced by the branded “blue oval,” located in the center of the grille. Sure, the fuel crisis became the determining factor in the development of the 7th generation and, in particular, the 1982 model. The pickup was slightly reduced, but without lowering the operating powers. The mighty 7.5-liter V8 engine was eliminated from the engine line. Instead, the engine with the smallest 3.8-liter V6 with 110 hp displacement in the American pickup segment appeared. But it did not last long, as every crisis has an end. Later, powerful engines returned to the line.
Source: Barrett-Jackson
F150 of 1982 release was featured in Narcos (2015-2017), Chicago P.D. (2014-2022), Her Husband’s Betrayal(2013), Between (2015-2022), Narcos: México (2018-2021), and in many other movies and TV-series.
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