The first Ford F-1, the first in the F-Series lineage, introduced a huge step forward for the vehicle manufacturer.

F-1 featured the first frame specifically designed for a truck. The F-1 wasn’t Ford’s first truck. But previous Ford trucks were built on a car frame.

Introduced in 1948, the F-Series’ introduction coincided with Harry Truman’s upset reelection over Thomas E. Dewey.

The 1962 Ford F-100 didn’t bring about much change—that occurred in 1961 when Ford made the F-100 a unibody design.

Ford wanted the general public to view their F-Series trucks as every-day drivers rather than just a work vehicle.

While Ford looked to revolutionize how consumers viewed trucks, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, signaling the United States would attempt to beat the Russians to the moon.

In 1968, American muscle dominated the car scene. Americans became enthralled with speed and power. Ford survived being smart, adding new engine options with more horsepower.

A new rear-suspension design brought more comfort for everyday drivers. More power meant heavier loads, so Ford made structural designs to allow for larger payloads.

When we weren’t thinking about muscle cars, they focused on space. In real life and on television. In 1968, Captain Kirk from Star Trek shook up pop-culture by kissing Uhuru—the first interracial kiss on television.

The 80’s saw the onslaught of a gas crunch of its own. To accommodate driver needs, Ford made the 1980 F-100 more fuel efficient.

The 1980 F-100 would be smaller than the 6th-generation predecessors. Ford engineers made the F-100 shorter, narrower, lower and lighter.

In addition to the more fuel-efficient F-100, Pac-Man took America by storm and the video game era launched into mainstream culture.

The 1987 Ford F-150 would be all about modernization. The 1987 model introduced standard rear-lock brakes for the first time to the truck industry.

Stylistic changes such as wraparound turn signals and flush headlights, augmented a new grill design to make the F-150 less truck-like. This version of the F-150 began the transition of attitudes that trucks could be family vehicles.

The world saw a modernization of political relationships. This would be the year that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev would sign the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty signaling the end of the Cold War.

In 1995, took over the title as the best-selling vehicle, passing the VW Beetle for the sales title.

Ford continued the evolution of the pickup truck from work to family vehicle, introducing the first Eddie Bauer edition trucks. The Eddie Bauer editions of Ford’s vehicles added a level of style with premium features and styling.

Microsoft Windows, founded by Bill Gates, introduced their first major operating system upgrade, preparing the tech world for the onset of the internet.

The Ford F-Series took a huge design step forward in 2020. Not only did the company introduce a new generation of F-Series of Ford trucks, they announced plans to offer an EV based production version of their iconic F-150.

So how would America’s most popular car manufacturer celebrate 75 years of its best-selling vehicle?

The company decided to pay homage to the vehicle’s roots, adding a trim package design based upon the nameplate’s original two-tone design.

The year 2023 hasn’t arrived, but the 2023 Ford F-150 Heritage Edition may be the last of Ford’s internal combustible engine designs.