The Ford F-1, the first ford pickup truck in the now best-selling F-series, was released in 1948. In post-war America, the market for a working full-sized pickup truck was ripe. The earlier Ford trucks had been good sellers, but after WWII, with GIs coming home to North America and all now familiar with the power of a general utility truck, Ford saw a new opportunity.
Jumping on this, the Ford Bonus-Built was introduced in 1948 as a truck-only chassis and body. Replacing the old car-based line introduced in 1941, the new F-Series trucks were sold in eight different weight ratings for varied uses. The pickup truck was known as the F-1, which later became the F-100 and then the F-150. That F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. and Canada for most of its lifetime.
The pickup that started it all, though, that F-1, is now an icon of Americana. Recently, in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the F-1, Ford released a set of marketing photos from 1948. Enjoy!
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