Those were good times. The F-1 had debuted to an eager public in 1948, and small wonder: The truck represented a styling change from the models that had preceded it – was a rolling reminder, too, that the United States of America was moving happily away from the dark days of a world war. New days demanded new trucks. And Ford responded.
In 1953, the Dearborn manufacturer rolled out a new line of trucks. The F-100 was a logical step in design and mechanics. The cab was slightly wider, slightly more streamlined, a whole lot more stylish than the F-1. It had an updated chassis, beefier for those tough jobs.
And, in a sign of changing times, Ford’s rebranding of its truck was an homage to a howlingly new form of transportation: North American’s F100 Super Sabre. A jet.
The propulsion is gone from this 1954 Ford F-100 in Burnside, Mich., 810 miles north of Atlanta.
(Really fine photos by Senior Junkyard Correspondent Harold “Tex” Colson)
It Was Running When I Parked It 