The popularity of the Ford F-series pickup is no fluke. Born more than a century ago, it earned its place in the American landscape by delivering rugged value and consistent innovation. Early on, it was its available flathead V-8; next was the twin-I-beam front suspension, and more recently the truck has adopted industry-first aluminum bodywork and embraced smaller, turbocharged engines. From the first Model TT chassis cab, which debuted in 1917, to today's leather-lined four-door luxury haulers, this is a brief history of the long-lived Ford F-series.

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE FORD F150

Although it looked nearly identical to the previous F-series, the sixth-gen version had a redesigned grille, parking lamps situated above the headlamps, and a concave body-length groove housing the side-marker lamps. The Club Cab arrived in 1974, offering either a pair of center-facing jump seats or a small bench seat with a foldable bottom cushion. The F-150 appeared for the first time in 1975; even though it would soon surpass the F-100 in popularity, the F-100 remained on the order books until 1983. Rectangular headlights were offered on upper trim levels in 1978; they became standard in 1979.