F-Series Generation Nicknames Every Ford Fan Should Know
The Ford F series of pickup trucks is the unquestioned king of the American road. It ranked as the top-selling vehicle of any kind in the United States for 41 straight years through 2023, and the most popular truck for five more before that. According to Good Car Bad Car, Ford has sold more than a half million F series trucks in its home market in every year but one going back to 2005, and moved more than 750,000 from dealership lots last year.
The F series has been around since 1948, is now in its 14th generation, and will probably outlive us all. Over that time, Ford truck aficionados have assigned nicknames to some of the various versions of the F series pickup based on their various design quirks. Whether you're a Ford person, a Chevy truck loyalist, or have never driven anything larger than a Honda Civic — which lived through 11 generations of its own – these Ford truck generational labels should be helpful when you're talking trucks at your next car show or in your favorite forum.
[Featured image by John Lloyd via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-BY SA 2.0]
First-generation F series trucks were known as the Bonus Built line
After the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Almost immediately, stateside automakers suspended production of vehicles to help the war effort. For Ford, that transition became official on February 10, 1942, when the last of that model year's vehicles came off the line. Ford shifted to making early military Jeeps and B-24 bombers for the duration of the war, then transitioned back to civilian vehicle production.
The first F-series truck was also Ford's first post-war truck and was released as a 1948 model. The F-1 had a half-ton payload rating, 114-inch wheelbase, and 6-1/2 foot bed. Buyers could also drive away in 3/4 ton and up to 3 ton models. These trucks were advertised as "Bonus Built" in order to suggest that buyers were getting more than they paid for. The first generation got a redesign in 1951 and ran for another year after that. These trucks have a well-earned reputation for quality and durability, and plenty of them have survived 75 or so years in good condition. Classic.com lists more than 300 sales of Bonus Built F series trucks over the last five years, at an average price of a little under $34,000.
The second generation F series has a few nicknames
When the second generation of Ford F-series trucks appeared in 1953, the automaker marked its 50th anniversary by giving the line a major mechanical and aesthetic redesign. The cab, body, and chassis were all significantly changed, and the one-digit labels were replaced by three-digit model tags. The F-1 became the F-100, the 3/4-ton F-2 and F-3 were rebadged as the F-250, and the one-ton F-3 became the F-350. Larger trucks were split off into a dedicated commercial line. In 1954, Ford ditched its long-serving flathead engine for the new overhead-valve Y block V8.
The second-generation F series has been tagged with a few different nicknames since its inception. In its advertising, Ford touted these as "Triple Economy" trucks, in a reference to the new engines, more streamlined bodies, and large payloads. They are also known as "Effies" and "Fatfenders" for obvious reasons, and some enthusiasts have latched onto the significant 50th Anniversary when referring to these trucks.
[Featured image by crudmcosa via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-BY SA 2.0]
The Unibody F series was short-lived
When the fourth-generation F series appeared in 1961, Ford fused the cab and bed together in a unibody construction that proved problematic. Although this build type meant a few more inches in the bed, the lack of flex between the two halves of the truck led to issues once the bodies began to twist and warp. Doors would open on their own or get stuck closed, and insufficient sealing at the bottoms of the doors led to rocker panel rusting.
Ford ditched the unibody construction after just two years, and buyers breathed a collective sigh of relief. This generation ran through 1966, and was not without its highlights. During this stretch, Ford introduced the four-wheel drive F-250, the Camper Special, air conditioning, and the Ranger package of cosmetic and interior upgrades. F-series trucks from this generation sell for around $20,000, according to Classic.com. The unibody models from 1961-1963 often go for thousands less than that, due to their well-documented issues.
The fifth-generation F series is known as the Bumpside
A few years after Ford killed the unibody, it gave the fifth-generation F series another big update. These "Bumpside" trucks were produced from 1967 through 1972 and were so named for the prominent ridges that ran along the sides, stretching nearly from the headlights to the taillights. The bumpsides also featured some new engine options, including 302, 360, and 390 cubic inch V8s.
The Ranger Special and Explorer XLT trim packages debuted during the Bumpside years, as did the F-250 and F-250 crew cab models. The F-250 highboy also first appeared during the fifth generation; the one shown above is from 1967. Good condition Bumpside F-series trucks are plentiful today, even though they are more than half a century old. Classic.com lists more than 500 sales of fifth-generation F-series models over the last five years, with prices ranging from under $2,000 to more than a quarter of a million dollars. The average sale price was just under $28,500, and more than a dozen changed hands for $5,000 or less.
Know your bumpsides from your dentsides
After the Bumpside came the "Dentside," the sixth-generation F-series that ran from 1973 through 1979. This update swapped the body-length ridge for a groove that was accented with a chrome strip on some trucks like the F-250 Ranger shown above. 351, 400, and 460 cubic inch V8s were added to the F-series option sheet, and it was during the Dentside era that Ford hit two big milestones for the F series.
The F-150 debuted in 1975, filling the gap between the F-100 and F-250. Two years later, the F series became America's most popular pickup, a spot it has held until this day. Dentside F-series trucks are as enduring and popular as their older brothers. Classic.com reports 775 sixth-gen Ford truck sales in the past five years, at an average price of $27,430. As with the prior version, there are plenty of solid specimens still available for $5,000 or less, but a few masterfully done restomods have sold for over $100,000.
[Featured image by IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|Public Domain]