Ford Panel Delivery Truck

What is: The American flag on the house and truck panels.

What was: Sitting at the side of the road on route 66, todays SUV’s heritage can be traced back to the panel truck, like this one.

In 1917, nine years after the first Model T, Ford introduced their first truck based on the Model T. By 1942, Ford had made a departure from sharing passenger car styling with the truck line and gave its delivery truck line a new style. However, shortly after the new models were introduced, the US entered WWII. The production of civilian vehicles was halted. Ford retooled to concentrate on building a variety of military vehicles, as well as aircraft engines and bombers.

In 1947, under the guidance of Henry Ford’s grandson, Henry Ford II, a new direction for Ford trucks would take place, beginning in 1948 with the introduction of the standard setting F-Series. The F-1 series were panel trucks and featured a wider, longer, and taller cabs. Heater only, No Defroster. Running boards curved over the frame and under the cab. Many of the trucks Ford built between 1945 and 1947 were shipped with a tireless rim in the spare tire holder because of a lingering post war rubber shortage.

The Ford F-series truck has been built continuously since 1948, and has since sold more than 40 million models. — making it the fifth most popular vehicle ever produced.