1948 Ford F-1
Immediately after World War II, Ford made do with mild reworkings of pre-war designs. The changeover from military to civilian production, and the need to design, tool and test new models, meant that Ford's passenger car range would not be due to come out until the 1949 model year. The entire company was under pressure during this period. Despite a strong buyer's market, Ford was losing millions of dollars due to questionable business decisions by Henry Ford and archaic work practices that almost sent the company bankrupt. With their 1948 passenger cars indistinguishable from the 1947s, and Chevrolet already releasing a new truck range for 1947, Ford desperately needed something to crow about in the early months of 1948, and they found it in their new range of light and heavy trucks.
Advertised as "Bonus Built" models for the amount of 'extras' added to each truck as standard, the range started with the 'F-1' 1/2 ton model, and extended up to the 'F-8' 3-tonner. Split into two basic groups, the 'light duty' trucks covered F-1 to F-4, while the 'heavy duty' models were identified by F-5 to F-8 model names. Across the range, the F-1 was the most prodigious, as it suited the broadest range of applications. Available body styles on the debut year F-1 included the traditional stepside pickup, stake truck (with a flat tray and removable timber sides), and fully-enclosed panel truck. Ford also made chassis/cab, chassis/cowl and chassis/cowl/windscreen variants for fitment of custom and specialty bodies.
While the overall dimensions were comparable, there was no way you could confuse a 1947 Ford pickup with its F-1 successor of 1948. From the front end, the most obvious change was the layout of the grille. Instead of the sixteen vertical bars that made up the 'waterfall' grilles (known as the 'jailbar' style here in Australia) on the pre-'48 Ford light trucks, the new F-1 featured five thick horizontal grille bars, with the headlamps mounted close to them in a recessed panel. The front guards were more squared off, creating a bluff frontal appearance that the restyled bonnet appeared to sit on, rather than wrap over. The recessed headlight/grille panel was painted a tan colour on the very early F-1s for 1948, but this was changed to silver partway through the model year. The grille bars themselves were initially chromed with red pinstriping, but later changed to silver paint, with some fleet order examples painted white to reduce cost. The same basic grille and front end design was used across the entire F series range, from the F-1, right up to the F-8.
Between the grille and the bonnet's leading edge, F-O-R-D was spelled out in chrome letters, while the bonnet itself featured two chrome-edged 'nostrils', bisected by horizontal chrome bars. A similar opening ran along each side of the bonnet, flanked by chrome strips, with a Ford badge at the leading edge. Model identification was subtle, with small 'F-1' badges positioned on the cowl area between the bonnet's trailing edge and the doors' leading edge. This placement was common across the rest of the F Series range, too.
The cabin, like the rest of the front, was totally redesigned, promoted as the "Million Dollar Cab" for the amount of development and tooling money allegedly spent on it. It certainly looked better than the cab it replaced (a design dating back to the late 1930s), and was longer, wider and taller for more interior room, with wider doors for easier entry. However, the cab's real innovation was the rubber suspension system. By using rubber pads and insulated bolts at the front, with links and rubber bushings at the rear, cabin noise and vibration were greatly reduced. The cabin also featured a new single-piece front windscreen and larger rear 'screen, with vent windows in the doors for the first time.
At the rear, the pickups featured squarer guards that mimicked the shape of the front guards, with a subtle crease just above the wheelarch opening. The pickup bed was unaltered, the only part of the body to be carried over from the 1947 models. Platform and stakebed F-1s also used a 1947 tray, but the panel truck body was all new from nose to tail. A number of Australian-assembled F-1s from this period are notable for their locally built cargo beds that required trimming back the rear guards, so the finished article looked more like a ute than a stepside.
Available colours for the F-1's debut year were Vermilion, Meadow Green, Chrome Yellow, Birch Grey, and Medium Lustre Black. Irrespective of colour choice, the bumper bar, running boards and wheels were painted black. There was some garnish, though, as all F-1s had chrome hubcaps, of the same style used on Ford's 1947 passenger car range.
Inside, the cabin was still pretty basic, with items like a sunvisor, glovebox, ashtray and adjustable ventilation considered luxuries for a pickup, even though they were fitted as standard to the F-1. The instrument panel was compact, but was laid out better than the 1947 pickups, with an easier to read full circular speedometer on the left hand side of the steering column. On the right hand side were four rectangular gauges for fuel, oil pressure, water temperature and volts. An adjustable bench seat was standard, but some of the F-1 panel trucks were fitted with the optional 'Spiralounge' sprung bucket seat, which freed up more carrying capacity alongside the driver. Other interior options included a heater/defroster, radio, door armrest, illuminated cigarette lighter, passenger side sunvisor, fire extinguisher and two different types of cabin-operated windshield washer.
Unlike Chevy pickups from the same period which were only available with a straight six engine, the F-1 could be ordered with a six or V8. The six was a carryover 226ci L-head, while the V8 was the tried and true 239ci flathead. During development, and looking to trim costs wherever they could, Ford seriously considered dropping the V8 option for the light duty F Series, but were persuaded to persist with it. The decision paid off, as the V8 option proved to be a popular selling point. This in turn has also made the fitment of modern V8 engines into F-1 restorations and custom builds fairly easy. A 3-speed manual was the standard gearbox fitted, with heavy duty 3 and 4-speed transmissions available as an option.
With Chevy dominating the light truck market at the time, the F Series needed to be successful. As it turned out, it was, with more than 300,000 produced - across all variants - for 1948. How many of these were F-1s is unknown, but it would be reasonable to assume the light duty models made up a high percentage of that total. Sales slipped for the following couple of years, but the F Series still captured an average of 20 percent of the market. The F-1/F100 would go on to become an American automotive icon, outselling other 'milestone' automobiles like the Model T and VW Beetle along the way, with the F-150 still a top seller today.
There's undeniable appeal in the 1948 model's status as the "first" in the F Series story, and one that has seen it become a popular choice with hot rodders and customisers, too. The high quantity of first year production examples means they're relatively easy to get hold of today, but condition varies greatly. Remember, most F-1s were work vehicles from new and usually copped a lot of punishment, so buyers need to choose carefully. Find a good one, and you've got a great little workhorse, a good base for customisation, as well as a mobile billboard with a difference in the case of the panel truck. All the early F Series are collectable, but the 1948 F-1s are extra special.
SPECIFICATIONS: 1948 Ford F-1 (V8 specs in brackets)
Engine: 226ci L-head inline six cylinder (239ci L-head V8)
Bore/Stroke: 3.30 inch x 4.40 inch (3 3/16 inch x 3 3/4 inch)
Compression: 6.7:1/6.8:1 (6.75:1)
Power/torque: 90/95hp@3300rpm / 180lb/ft@1200rpm (100hp @ 3800rpm / 180lb/ft @ 2000rpm)
Fuel system: Holley single downdraft carburettor (Ford dual downdraft carburettor)
Cooling system: Liquid
Electrics: 6 Volt
Transmission: 3-speed manual
Front Suspension: Semi-elliptic leaf springs w/double-acting shocks
Rear Suspension: Live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and double-acting shocks
Steering: Worm and roller bearing
Front brakes: 11 x 2" (280mm) drum
Rear brakes: 11 x 1 3/4" (280mm) drum
Wheels: 16" Fr/Rr
Tyres: 6.00 x 16 Fr/Rr
Wheelbase: 114" (2,895mm)
Length: Pickup - 188.78" (4,795mm), Stake - 206.5" (5,245mm), Panel - 202.1" (5,134mm)
Width: Pickup - 75.9" (1,929mm), Stake - 71.3" (1,811mm), Panel - 75.6" (1,920mm)
Weight: 1,030 lb (payload), 2,970 lb (curb weight), 4,700 lb (GVW)
0-100 kph: N/A
Top Speed: N/A
TRIVIA
Early advertising for the debut year F-1 featured a 'Deluxe' version of the panel truck. Characterised by a chrome bumper, stainless steel mouldings on the vent window and front guards, twin wipers and two-tone paint, the Deluxe panel truck looked the goods. However, for reasons unknown, the Deluxe never went into production.
A clever design feature of the 1948 F-1 was the bonnet release. On the (US) driver's side bonnet nostril, the horizontal bar, which looked like a design feature, was actually the bonnet release catch.
F Series production, across all variants from F-1 to F-8, was done at no less than 16 separate Ford factories throughout the US and Canada.
