Following the war, Ford, like all manufacturers, rushed its pre-war models into production to meet the pent up demand for replacement vehicles and to fill the huge demand created by an affluent and vastly expanded market.

The new Ford F-1, which was introduced in 1949, was freshly restyled but still very much a pre-war vehicle under the skin. Consumers would have to wait until 1953 for Ford to introduce the first all-new post-war truck. This delay was a result of Ford placing first priority on modernizing its automobile lines. After this was complete, Ford turned its attention to the pickup with a four year, $30,000,000 development program that produced an all-new Ford pickup, the F-100, in 1953. This pickup was completely restyled and now featured a one-piece curved windshield and distinctive wide grille. The F-100 set a standard in light-duty trucks that the consumer public was quick to recognize, and this standard would ultimately result in the F-100 nameplate becoming one of the longest-lived in American consumer vehicle history.

Jeffrey Day’s F-100 was the recipient of a very high-quality restoration some years ago, and it is believed to have been a low-mileage truck, given the 65,375 miles presently recorded. The Torch Red paint is perfect, as are the body panels and cargo box underneath. The chrome on the front and rear bumpers are excellent, while the smaller pieces show light pitting and may well be original. The interior has grey cloth upholstery and rubber floor mats, which are in excellent condition and face a dashboard that is in good original order.

Under the hood and underneath, the Ford V-8 exhales through a ram’s horn exhaust manifold and “never-rust” steel dual exhaust, and it sends its power to the rear axle through a three-speed column-shifted transmission. Options on the truck include a heater, dual sun visors, and steel wheels with chrome trim rings and center caps, which are shod in bias-ply whitewall tires.

This F-100 is wonderful for local shows or driving enjoyment, and it would be the pride of any fleet.