The F-series was first introduced over 75 years ago in 1948. The F-1 was a half ton truck, the F-2 was “three-quarter ton” and the F-3 was the “heavy duty” model. The improvements compared to Ford’s older trucks was a smoother body, built in headlights and a one piece windshield. Additionally, the cab was much bigger. The original F-series trucks were available in either 95 horsepower V6 engine or a V8 capable of 100 horsepower.
The Ford F-150 first appeared in 1975. It was meant to be a compromise for those looking for something stronger than the F-100 but not quite as heavy-duty as the F-250. In the 1950s, the F-series truck was made sleeker again, with a new hood that flowed into the fenders and grille instead of laying on top of them. The F-150 was very successful in its debut year of 1975, accounting for over one-third of F-series truck sales that year.
Ford again would update the F-150 model in 1987. This was a risky decision as the truck had been the best selling Ford vehicle ( including cars and trucks) for nearly a decade. Aesthetic improvements were made to the trucks headlights, grille, fenders, bumpers and hood. Other improvements made appealed directly to those looking to do their own maintenance, and that was a great decision by Ford. It was now easier to access the fuse box for simple electrical repairs and the belt replacement process was made much simpler. It was now relatively much easier for F-150 owners to do their own maintenance, a decision that undoubtedly appealed to the target market.
The last major update to the F-15 was the redesign of 1997. While since then, some aesthetic improvements and modernizations have occurred, just like any car, to include modern amenities such as navigation screens, auxiliary inputs for mobile devices, etc. But for the most part, the F-150 has not changed much since the late 1990s. The reason is, if its not broken, don’t fix it.
Updates in the late 1990s included new engine options. Now, you have many options regarding what engine you can get in your F-150 from the Ford dealer, ranging from modest V6s to 5.4 liter V8 engines capable of 260 horsepower.
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