Original vintage late 1960s Ford advert for the company's pick up trucks.
Dimensions: Approx. 10.25 inches wide by 13.5 inches high.
"What's important to you in a pickup? Riding comfort? Ruggedness? Performance? Check out a Ford and watch it deliver big - right across the board."
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since model year 1948 as a range of full-size pickup trucks — positioned between Ford's Ranger and Super Duty pickup trucks. Alongside the F-150 (introduced in 1975), the F-Series also includes the Super Duty series (introduced in 1999), which includes the heavier-duty F-250 through F-450 pickups, F-450/F-550 chassis cabs, and F-600/F-650/F-750 Class 6–8 commercial trucks.
The most popular version of the model line is the F-150 pickup truck, currently in its fourteenth generation (introduced for the 2021 model year) - some were good, some decidedly bad. From 1953 to 1983, the entry-level F-Series pickup was the 1⁄2 ton F-100; however, starting in 1984, the F-150 became the entry-level. The F-150 has a long-running high-performance off-road trim level introduced for 2010, the (SVT) Raptor currently consisting of three generations. Production of the F-150 SVT Raptor ended in 2014 and was succeeded in 2017 by a new F-150 Raptor, which is based on the thirteenth and fourteenth generation F-150.
The F-Series trucks have been developed into a wide range of design configurations. Alongside medium-duty trucks and "Big Job" conventional trucks (the forerunners of the Ford L-series), the model line has been marketed as a chassis-cab truck and a panel van (a predecessor of the Ford E-Series). The F-Series has served as the platform for various full-sized Ford SUVs, including the Ford Bronco, Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Excursion. The F-Series has been marketed by its three North American brands: by Mercury as the M-Series (in Canada from 1948 to 1968), and by Lincoln in the 2000s, as the Blackwood and the later Mark LT (2010s for the latter in Mexico only).
Since 1977, the F-Series has remained the best-selling pickup truck line in the United States; it has been the best-selling vehicle overall since 1981. The F-Series has been the best-selling truck in Canada for over 50 years. As of the 2018 model year, the F-Series generated $41 billion (~$50.3 billion in 2024) in annual revenue for Ford. Ford has sold over 43 million units of the trucks worldwide, making it the second best-selling automobile of all time. Currently, Ford manufactures the F-Series in four facilities in the United States.
Fourth Generation F-Series
Ford introduced a new style of pickup in 1961 with the fourth-generation F-Series, similar to the example advertised here. Longer and lower than its predecessors, these trucks had increased dimensions and new engine and gearbox choices. Additionally, the 1961–1963 models offered an optional unibody design with the cab and bed integrated, and the traditional separate cab/bed was offered concurrently. The unibody proved unpopular, and Ford discontinued the option after the 1963 model year.
Although Ford introduced a novel "unibody" design with "styleside" or fleetside truck beds in 1961 that eliminated the gap between the cabin and the bed, the change was short-lived. The design enhanced the appearance of the truck and the continuous piece of sheet metal from the cab to the back of the bed made it less expensive to produce. However, several issues prompted Ford to discontinue the design for the 1964 model year. When the truck hauled a heavy load, the body flexed, causing the doors to jam and remain closed.
In 1965, the F-Series was given a significant mid-cycle redesign – which is the example advertised here. A completely new platform, including the "Twin I-Beam" front suspension, was introduced, and continued to be used until 1996 on the F-150, and is still used today in the F-250 and F-350 4×2.
Arguably one of the most innovative designs in the history of the F-Series trucks, Ford introduced this twin-I-beam suspension and promoted the new independent front suspension that replaced the traditional solid-axle setup with the slogan, "Drives like a car, works like a truck."
A 300 cubic inch (4.9 L) six cylinder inline engine was added for the F-series in 1965. It was essentially the standard Ford 240 cubic inch (3.9 L) truck six with a longer stroke. Additionally, the Ranger name made its first appearance in 1965 on a Ford pickup; previously, the Ranger denoted a base model of the Edsel, but starting in 1965, it was used to denote a high-level styling package for F-Series pickups.
