The humble Ford 100 truck is a much loved icon throughout American automotive history, but not all were made equally – so which are our favourites?
To understand America’s love of pick up trucks, history plays an enormous role. In the early 1800’s when many Americans were farmers, the dream was simple enough – land that was so big, and so rich with fertile soil, that every family could have their own farm. Of course, homesteads aren’t free.
As such, it took a lot of hard work to produce food and then take the excess to market. The first pick up truck equipped the common farmer with a tool to haul five hundred kilograms of produce instead of a fraction of this number. Add headlights, and the workday extended into the night. At the time, around 40% of the population were farmers, so it’s easy to understand how the humble pick up truck managed to get such a foothold in American culture. More than just a glorified wheelbarrow, these trucks – or utes as we call them in Australia – don’t come much more revered than the beloved Ford 100.
Our Top Ford 100 Trucks Throughout The Ages
Although these days the name Ford is commonly associated with family style sedans, in a different time the Ford Motor Company pioneered vehicles that partnered innovation, practicality and style – perhaps none more so than the iconic Ford F100 Series.
As vehicle owners began to source cars that provided as many uses as possible in the one body, Ford Motor Company released a range of trucks designed to appeal to those adjusting to life after the end of World War II, including the original Ford F100 Series. The aesthetics, body and design of these heavy duty trucks were gradually tweaked between 1950-1954, before morphing into the overall design that most of us associate with vintage Ford Series pickup trucks.
However, not all Ford 100 trucks were made equally, and some are considerably more favoured than others. With production spanning across a mammoth seventy years and including fourteen different generations, there’s certainly more than a few fan favourites when it comes to determining what the best Ford 100 trucks are.
1953-1956 Ford F100 Second Series – This generation is best remembered for introducing a sleeker and more modern look, and for introducing the Y-Block V8 that replaced the flathead engine. The F100 name replaced the F1 model in this new naming scheme, serving as the smallest model. The F-Series gained a few new items, including the option of an automatic transmission, while also becoming a little more attractive with car-like comforts found inside thanks to sun visors and armrests. In terms of value, it’s now regarded as one of the more expensive F100 series to collect and is prized amongst car collector circles, and is becoming increasingly difficult to find in good condition.
1967-1972 Ford F100 Fifth Series – Ford began adding more and more features to their pickups to make them more luxurious and car-like. These changes were not unexpected and demonstrated a larger trend of light trucks not being used solely for work, but also for daily driving and recreation – in a nutshell, it blurred the lines between a truck and a car. This is especially evident in Ford’s marketing from the time, with advertisements and brochures often focusing just as much on comfort as on utility. Although this model lost some of its classic, curvy style in favour of a more squared-off and rigid look, there’s no denying that it kept its essence while still appealing to seasoned F truck devotees.
2015-2020 Ford F100 Thirteenth Series – For car lovers chasing an F100 truck with all of the power and reputation as the previous generations, but served with a side of modern technology, auto enthusiasts can’t go past the second newest release. Thanks to the introduction of aluminium panels over the car’s steel frame, this saw the truck save over three hundred kilograms in weight. Meanwhile, the design saw the same heavy duty influence that F trucks are famous for, with a tall and blunt hood, large cabin and an almost locomotive-like front fascia. Using its twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 with 510 hp on tap to dominate off-road performance, it took aim at other off-road competitors while still being an appealing family friendly choice.
Meet Brisbane’s Biggest Classic Car Enthusiast
Finding a fellow vintage auto enthusiast can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, but rest assured that Classic’s Garage understands the thrill more than most. Having spent forty years collecting anything and everything from matchbox cars to hub caps, he’s successfully followed his passion to source, collect and stock beautiful and low mileage classic automobiles from around the world. With extensive experience in the automotive industry, it was only a matter of time before Wayne expanded on his love of vintage, iconic vehicles to share his knowledge and passion with the public.
Although his passion is for automobiles built before 1978, with a particular love for Buicks, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Oldsmobiles and even Fords, Wayne is just as passionate about the stories of the owners. Just like the cars, he has found that his fellow classic car enthusiasts all have wildly different attractions and logic behind their passion or hobby, and this often translates into how the car is presented. If it’s even remotely different, rare or just plain unusual, Wayne will overcome the relevant logistical and geographical challenges of bringing the cars to his showroom in Australia.
Classic’s Garage is a showroom conveniently located at Seventeen Mile Rocks, that specialises in the restoration and sales of vintage automobiles. If you’re on the hunt for Brisbane classic cars – quite simply, Wayne is your man. If you would like to arrange a viewing or inspect any other of our classic vehicles, please get in touch with us today.
