About Early Ford Trucks

The Ford Motor Company got its start in 1903 and its first major success with the Model T automobile in 1908. Ford’s first venture into work vehicles came with the Model T delivery car. The first vehicle put out by Ford that could legitimately be called a truck was the Model TT .

The Model TT

The Model TT came out in 1917, the same year that Ford released its first tractor. The Model TT was built on a sturdy frame with solid rubber rear wheels and was rated to carry one ton. In 1924 Ford started producing the Model TT with express bodies, which is what's now known as a pickup bed. Much of the technology used in the Ford tractor was also used in subsequent lines of Ford trucks.

The earliest heavy duty Ford trucks

By 1928 Ford was making trucks that could carry up to 1 1/2 tons, quickly expanding to trucks carried up to three tons. In the years before World War II, Ford put out the Model B truck, which was the company’s first flathead V-8. In 1940, Ford put out its first light-duty truck, which was essentially the first version of the modern pickup truck. It was during this period that Ford trucks took on the same styling as automobiles. 

After World War Two

During the war years, Ford manufactured a variety of vehicles used by the armed forces. After the war, with Henry Ford’s grandson at the helm, the company came out with the F-Series of trucks. The number that followed the letter “F” denoted the weight (in tons) that the truck could carry. These trucks, which came out in 1948, were given a wider cab than previous Ford offerings and more comfortable seating.