1951 Ford F Series Pickup Truck

Ford Motor Company halted civilian auto production by Feb. 10, 1942, in order to aid in the World War Il effort. Ford went to work building bombers, jeeps, tank engines and other military vehicles. The 1946 Ford truck was the first Ford truck model on the assembly line following the end of the war in 1945. Parts from the 1942 model were used, which explains the similarities in the two trucks.

The generation of Ford trucks that included the 1946 pickup had a waterfall-type grill, hood molding and side hood louvers. They also featured hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers. The Ford name was exhibited on a wing-shaped plate mounted on the hood, just above the grill. Similarly, the Ford logo on the hubcaps was given a winged appearance. It had round headlights, which were accented by smaller round marker lights on each fender. The pickup bed was framed with welded steel. Wooden planks constituted the floor of the bed, with steel strips bolted between each board.

Even vehicles built in 1946 came with a wide range of options, although most are standard in modern vehicles. Drivers of the 1946 Ford truck could request rear shocks, an interior heater, passenger-side windshield wiper, passenger-side taillight, a sliding rear window and an oil bath air cleaner. There were also several options for paint color, including black, greenfield green, navy blue, botsford blue, modern blue, dynamic maroon, dark slate gray, silver sand, willow green and light moonstone gray.

239 cubic-inch V-8 engine

100 horsepower

3-speed manual transmission

114-inch wheelbase

Original cost of $1,050

Restored and donated by Barry Norman